How do you say “should” in Vietnamese?

Q: How do you say "should" in Vietnamese?

"Should" in Vietnamese is nên (should), phải (must).

“Should” in Vietnamese is nên (should), phải (must).

Vietnamese words for “should”

nênverb
Hanoi [nen˧˧] · Saigon [nəːn˧˧]nên level
should; so; therefore
for “should” meaning: Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').
- Tom nên ở đây.Tom should be here.
phảiverb
Hanoi [faːj˧˩] · Saigon [faːj˨˩˦]phải dipping
must; have to; right (correct
- Tại sao tôi phải sợ chứ?Why should I be scared?

Translations matched from English Wiktionary (translation tables and Vietnamese entries, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0) and the NgonNgu English–Vietnamese dictionary, reviewed and edited; examples from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice.