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xin chào

Level ≈A2 (approx.) interjectionverb Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [sin˧˧ t͡ɕaːw˨˩]Huế [sin˧˧ t͡ɕaːw˦˩]Saigon [sɨn˧˧ caːw˨˩] browser voice
Syllables · tones
xinlevelngangchàofallinghuyền

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

xin chào means hello; hi (polite greeting).

Meanings of xin chào in English

Interjection

  1. hello — the standard polite greeting, used at any time of day (often followed by a name or a pronoun: xin chào anh)

Verb

  1. polite to greet politely (literally "ask to greet")
    • (Chúng tôi) xin (kính) chào quý vị và các bạn.We'd like to cordially welcome you to our establishment.

Example sentences with xin chào

  • Xin chào, bạn có còn đó không? Hello, are you still there?
  • "Xin chào." Tom mỉm cười và nói. "Hello," said Tom, smiling.
  • Xin chào, bạn còn đó không? Hello, are you still there?
  • Xin chào, bạn có còn ở đó không? Hello, are you still there?
  • Xin chào đăng đó nhé. Hello there.
  • Sami nói xin chào tôi. Sami said hello to me.
  • Xin chào những cậu bé. Hello, boys.
  • Xin chào những quý ông. Hello, gentlemen.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Etymology

xin (“to ask for”) + chào (“to greet”). This appears to be a modern coinage, as it is not attested in pre-modern documents.

Frequently asked questions

What does xin chào mean in English?

xin chào (interjection) means "hello; hi (polite greeting)".

How do you pronounce xin chào?

IPA: Hanoi [sin˧˧ t͡ɕaːw˨˩]; Saigon [sɨn˧˧ caːw˨˩]. Tones: xin — level tone (ngang), chào — falling tone (huyền).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.