làm ơn
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
làm ơn means to do a favour; to do a good turn.
Meanings of làm ơn in English
Verb
- to do (someone else) a favour; to do a good turn
Words with làm ơn
Idioms and sayings with làm ơn
- làm ơn mắc oán — benefactors often get hatred from beneficiaries; no good deed goes unpunished
Example sentences with làm ơn
- Làm ơn mang nó đi giúp tôi. Take it away, please.
- Làm ơn cho tôi một cốc nước. Give me a glass of water, please.
- Làm ơn cho tôi xem cái khác. Please show me another.
- Làm ơn sửa lại những lỗi sai. Please correct the errors.
- Làm ơn, tôi muốn cuốn sách đó. I want that book, please.
- Làm ơn nói to hơn ạ. Please speak more loudly.
- Làm ơn đừng quá ồn ào. Please don't be so noisy.
- Làm ơn báo cho tôi biết. Please keep me informed.
Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).
Usage note: làm ơn
làm ơn is the dictionary translation of "please", but Vietnamese use it much less than English speakers use "please" — and it can sound stiff, pleading or even impatient.
- Signs and formal requests: Xin quý khách làm ơn giữ trật tự. — Please keep quiet.
- Pleading: Làm ơn giúp tôi với! — Please help me!
- Exasperated: Làm ơn im lặng đi! — Would you please be quiet!
For everyday requests, Vietnamese more often use cho, xin, giúp plus a soft particle:
- Cho em một ly cà phê sữa đá. — An iced milk coffee, please.
- Anh giúp em với ạ. — Could you help me, please?
- Chị làm ơn cho em hỏi… — Excuse me, could I ask… (polite enough here, with the pronoun)
✗ Làm ơn, một cà phê. → ✓ Cho em một cà phê.
Etymology
làm (“to do”) + ơn (“favour; grace”). Compare Portuguese por favor and other Romance variations.
Frequently asked questions
What does làm ơn mean in English?
làm ơn (verb) means "to do a favour; to do a good turn".
How do you pronounce làm ơn?
IPA: Hanoi [laːm˨˩ ʔəːn˧˧]; Saigon [laːm˨˩ ʔəːŋ˧˧]. Tones: làm — falling tone (huyền), ơn — level tone (ngang).