nhé
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
nhé means (friendly tag: OK?, all right?).
Meanings of nhé in English
Particle
- Northern Vietnam alright?; okay?; will you?
- Tiện thể mua dùm tớ hộp sữa nhé !While you're at it, buy some milk for me, okay?
- Nhớ nhé ! Đừng có quên đó !Commit it to your memory! Don't you forget it!
Example sentences with nhé
- Chúng ta tối nay đi ăn nhé. Let's eat out tonight.
- Nhắc anh ấy về nhà sớm nhé. Remind him to come home early.
- Gặp lại bạn vào thứ Hai nhé. See you Monday.
- Có một chuyến đi an toàn nhé. Have a safe trip.
- Nhớ phải nói cho Tom đấy nhé. Make sure you tell Tom.
- Cậu chở mình tới trạm tàu nhé? Could you give me a ride to the station?
- Tôi mượn cái thang của bạn nhé! Can I borrow your ladder?
- Bạn cho tôi mượn cái thang nhé! Can I borrow your ladder?
Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).
Usage note: nhé
nhé at the end of a sentence softens it and invites agreement — like "OK?", "alright?", "will you?" in English.
- Suggestion: Mai mình đi cà phê nhé. — Let's go for coffee tomorrow, OK?
- Gentle request: Anh đợi em một chút nhé. — Wait for me a moment, will you?
- Promise or reassurance: Em sẽ gọi lại nhé. — I'll call you back, OK?
- Leaving: Tạm biệt nhé! — Bye then!
In the South the same particle is nha (and nghen, nhen); in the North nhé. Both are understood everywhere.
nhé is friendly rather than formal. With much older people, a more respectful way to take leave is Cháu xin phép về trước ạ. — May I leave first?
Without nhé, a command can sound blunt: Đợi em. (Wait for me.) vs Đợi em nhé. (Wait for me, OK?)
Frequently asked questions
What does nhé mean in English?
nhé (particle) means "(friendly tag: OK?, all right?)".
How do you pronounce nhé?
IPA: Hanoi [ɲɛ˧˦]; Saigon [ɲɛ˦˥]. Tones: nhé — rising tone (sắc).