Skip to content
SpeakFlora logo SpeakFlora Search

4 minute story

Office Lunch Invitation

A short beginner story for recognizing work phrases in context.

Story

A coworker asks Đi ăn trưa không?. You answer Tôi rảnh and say Món này ngon at the restaurant. It becomes an easy conversation.

Useful language

VietnameseEnglishPractice note
Đi ăn trưa không?Want to go to lunch?Friendly office phrase.
Hôm nay nóng quáIt is so hot todayEasy small talk.
Cuối tuần đi đâu?Where are you going this weekend?Casual question.
Bạn làm ở đây lâu chưa?Have you worked here long?Getting to know coworkers.
Tôi mới vào làmI just started working hereSelf-introduction.
Hẹn gặp lạiSee you againFriendly goodbye.
Tôi muốn hỏi về công việcI want to ask about workUse this to open a work conversation.
Bạn giúp tôi về công việc được không?Can you help me with work?A polite help request.

Read it again

Read the story once for meaning. Read it a second time and pause at each Vietnamese phrase. On the third pass, cover the English translation and see if the situation helps you remember the phrase.

Practice

Imagine the same scene tomorrow. Change one detail: the location, the price, the drink, the person, or the time. Say the Vietnamese phrase again with that new detail in mind.

Story phrases

Đi ăn trưa không?

Want to go to lunch?

Friendly office phrase.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

Đi di level Đ starts like English d; do not say z. ăn an level Keep the final n short. trưa trua level Keep the voice steady and level. không khong level Keep the voice steady and level.
Vietnamese spelling

Đi → đờ i đi

ăn → ăn

trưa → trờ ưa trưa

không → khờ ông không

Hôm nay nóng quá

It is so hot today

Easy small talk.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

Hôm hom level Keep the voice steady and level. nay nay level Keep the voice steady and level. nóng nong rising Lift the voice upward. quá qua rising Qu is closer to kw than English q.
Vietnamese spelling

Hôm → hờ ôm hôm

nay → nờ ay nay

nóng → nờ ong nong sắc nóng

quá → quờ a qua sắc quá

Cuối tuần đi đâu?

Where are you going this weekend?

Casual question.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

Cuối cuoi rising Lift the voice upward. tuần tuan falling Keep the final n short. đi di level Đ starts like English d; do not say z. đâu dau level Đ starts like English d; do not say z.
Vietnamese spelling

Cuối → cờ uôi cuôi sắc Cuối

tuần → tờ uân tuân huyền tuần

đi → đờ i đi

đâu → đờ âu đâu

Bạn làm ở đây lâu chưa?

Have you worked here long?

Getting to know coworkers.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

Bạn ban heavy Keep the final n short. làm lam falling Let the voice fall gently. ở o dipping Dip slightly, then recover. đây day level Đ starts like English d; do not say z. lâu lau level Keep the voice steady and level. chưa chua level Keep the voice steady and level.
Vietnamese spelling

Bạn → bờ an ban nặng Bạn

làm → lờ am lam huyền làm

ở → ơ hỏi ở

đây → đờ ây đây

lâu → lờ âu lâu

chưa → chờ ưa chưa

Tôi mới vào làm

I just started working here

Self-introduction.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

Tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. mới moi rising Lift the voice upward. vào vao falling Let the voice fall gently. làm lam falling Let the voice fall gently.
Vietnamese spelling

Tôi → tờ ôi tôi

mới → mờ ơi mơi sắc mới

vào → vờ ao vao huyền vào

làm → lờ am lam huyền làm

Hẹn gặp lại

See you again

Friendly goodbye.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

Hẹn hen heavy Keep the final n short. gặp gap heavy Drop the voice low and short. lại lai heavy Drop the voice low and short.
Vietnamese spelling

Hẹn → hờ en hen nặng Hẹn

gặp → gờ ăp găp nặng gặp

lại → lờ ai lai nặng lại

Tôi muốn hỏi về công việc

I want to ask about work

Use this to open a work conversation.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

Tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. muốn muon rising Keep the final n short. hỏi hoi dipping Dip slightly, then recover. về ve falling Let the voice fall gently. công cong level Keep the voice steady and level. việc viec heavy Drop the voice low and short.
Vietnamese spelling

Tôi → tờ ôi tôi

muốn → mờ uôn muôn sắc muốn

hỏi → hờ oi hoi hỏi hỏi

về → vờ ê vê huyền về

công → cờ ông công

việc → vờ iêc viêc nặng việc

Bạn giúp tôi về công việc được không?

Can you help me with work?

A polite help request.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

Bạn ban heavy Keep the final n short. giúp giup rising Lift the voice upward. tôi toi level Keep the voice steady and level. về ve falling Let the voice fall gently. công cong level Keep the voice steady and level. việc viec heavy Drop the voice low and short. được duoc heavy Đ starts like English d; do not say z. không khong level Keep the voice steady and level.
Vietnamese spelling

Bạn → bờ an ban nặng Bạn

giúp → giờ up giup sắc giúp

tôi → tờ ôi tôi

về → vờ ê vê huyền về

công → cờ ông công

việc → vờ iêc viêc nặng việc

được → đờ ươc đươc nặng được

không → khờ ông không

Finish this story

Ready to mark complete?

Mark complete only after you have listened, practiced, and saved at least one useful phrase. Then continue straight to the next task.

Not complete yet

Listen to at least 3 phrases

Use normal audio first, then slow audio.

Save at least 1 phrase

Only save phrases you would actually reuse.

Finish the quiz or practice task

Check that you can recall the idea, not only read it.

Mark this page complete

Completion is manual so you stay in control.

Explore related pages

How to Order Coffee in Southern Vietnamese Vietnamese Taxi and Grab Phrases Viewing an Apartment Making a New Friend