Vietnamese politeness

How to Say Thank You in Vietnamese

“Thank you” in Vietnamese is cảm ơn — two short syllables that open doors all over Vietnam. This guide shows you exactly how to pronounce it, how to make it warmer or more formal, how to say “no thank you,” and how Vietnamese people really use gratitude in daily life, with native audio throughout.

Quick answer

In one sentence

Thank you in Vietnamese is cảm ơn, pronounced 'kahm uhn'. Make it warmer by adding the person's title — cảm ơn anh (older man), cảm ơn chị (older woman), cảm ơn bạn (friend) — and stronger with rất nhiều: cảm ơn rất nhiều means 'thank you very much'. Say cảm ơn with a dipping tone on cảm, not flat like the English word 'calm'.

Core phrase: cảm ơn (kahm uhn). Add a title to sound natural.
Tap any speaker icon to hear it in native Southern Vietnamese.

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If you learn only one polite phrase before visiting Vietnam, make it cảm ơn. It works with shopkeepers, drivers, waiters, new friends, and grandparents alike — and saying it with the right warmth instantly makes you sound friendlier and more respectful.

Below we go from the core word and its pronunciation to every useful variation, plus the cultural side of gratitude that textbooks usually skip. By the end you’ll know not just the words, but when and how Vietnamese people actually say thank you.

What is “thank you” in Vietnamese?

Thank you is cảm ơn. It is made of two words — cảm (to feel) and ơn (a favor or kindness) — so literally it means something like “to feel a kindness.” That little image is a nice reminder that you are acknowledging someone’s good deed.

Phonetically it’s close to “kahm uhn.” If you’ve seen it written thank u in Vietnamese or cám ơn, those point to the same phrase — just casual English shorthand and a Southern spelling, respectively.

How to pronounce thank you in Vietnamese

IPA (Southern): roughly /kaːm ʔɤːn/. Easy phonetic: “kahm uhn.” Break it into two beats:

cảm — “kahm.” The c is a hard k, and the ả carries the hỏi tone: let your pitch dip down and rise slightly, as if unsure.
ơn — “uhn.” The ơ is the “uh” sound in “fur,” not the English “o.” End with a soft n.

Common pronunciation mistakes

Saying it flat like the English word “calm on.” Cảm needs the dipping tone.
Reading ơ as an English “o” (“cum on”). It’s an “uh” vowel.
Rushing the two syllables together — keep them as two clear beats.

The fastest fix is to listen and copy: tap the audio above, then the variants below. For the tone system, seeVietnamese tones explained.

Different ways to say thank you in Vietnamese

The base word never changes; you adjust the warmth by adding a title or an intensifier. Here are the six you’ll use most. Tap to listen.

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	Formality	Example
Cảm ơn	kahm uhn	Neutral — works almost anywhere	Cảm ơn! (Thank you!)
Cảm ơn bạn	kahm uhn ban	Friendly, with a peer	Cảm ơn bạn nhiều. (Thanks a lot.)
Cảm ơn anh	kahm uhn ang	Polite, to an older man	Cảm ơn anh nhiều. (Thank you.)
Cảm ơn chị	kahm uhn chee	Polite, to an older woman	Cảm ơn chị rất nhiều. (Thank you so much.)
Xin cảm ơn	sin kahm uhn	Formal, public or written	Xin cảm ơn quý khách. (Thank you, valued customers.)
Cảm ơn rất nhiều	kahm uhn rut niew	Strong, very grateful	Cảm ơn rất nhiều! (Thank you very much!)

Cảm ơn

Pronunciation: kahm uhn
Formality: Neutral — works almost anywhere
Example: Cảm ơn! (Thank you!)

Cảm ơn bạn

Pronunciation: kahm uhn ban
Formality: Friendly, with a peer
Example: Cảm ơn bạn nhiều. (Thanks a lot.)

Cảm ơn anh

Pronunciation: kahm uhn ang
Formality: Polite, to an older man
Example: Cảm ơn anh nhiều. (Thank you.)

Cảm ơn chị

Pronunciation: kahm uhn chee
Formality: Polite, to an older woman
Example: Cảm ơn chị rất nhiều. (Thank you so much.)

Xin cảm ơn

Pronunciation: sin kahm uhn
Formality: Formal, public or written
Example: Xin cảm ơn quý khách. (Thank you, valued customers.)

Cảm ơn rất nhiều

Pronunciation: kahm uhn rut niew
Formality: Strong, very grateful
Example: Cảm ơn rất nhiều! (Thank you very much!)

Adding the right title — anh, chị, cô, chú, bạn — is what makes thank you sound natural rather than robotic. Not sure which to use? See Vietnamese pronouns.

How to say thank you very much in Vietnamese

To turn up the gratitude, add an intensifier. Rất nhiều (very much) is the standard; nhiều and lắm are warmer and more casual.

Vietnamese	English	Pronunciation	Notes
Cảm ơn rất nhiều	Thank you very much	kahm uhn rut niew	Standard, slightly formal “very much.”
Cảm ơn nhiều	Thanks a lot	kahm uhn niew	Common and warm in everyday speech.
Cảm ơn nhiều lắm	Thank you so very much	kahm uhn niew lam	Extra emphatic; lắm intensifies.
Cảm ơn lắm nha	Thanks so much! (casual)	kahm uhn lam nya	Friendly Southern flavor with nha.

Cảm ơn rất nhiều

English: Thank you very much
Pronunciation: kahm uhn rut niew
Notes: Standard, slightly formal “very much.”

Cảm ơn nhiều

English: Thanks a lot
Pronunciation: kahm uhn niew
Notes: Common and warm in everyday speech.

Cảm ơn nhiều lắm

English: Thank you so very much
Pronunciation: kahm uhn niew lam
Notes: Extra emphatic; lắm intensifies.

Cảm ơn lắm nha

English: Thanks so much! (casual)
Pronunciation: kahm uhn lam nya
Notes: Friendly Southern flavor with nha.

How to say no thank you in Vietnamese

To decline politely, pair a soft “no” with cảm ơn. The three options differ in nuance — what exactly you are turning down.

Vietnamese	English	Pronunciation	When to use it
Không, cảm ơn	No, thank you	khohng, kahm uhn	The standard polite decline.
Không cần đâu, cảm ơn	I don't need it, thanks	khohng kun dow, kahm uhn	Declines an offer of something you don’t need.
Thôi, cảm ơn	That's enough / no more, thanks	thoy, kahm uhn	Softly stops more being given (food, drink, help).

Không, cảm ơn

English: No, thank you
Pronunciation: khohng, kahm uhn
When to use it: The standard polite decline.

Không cần đâu, cảm ơn

English: I don't need it, thanks
Pronunciation: khohng kun dow, kahm uhn
When to use it: Declines an offer of something you don’t need.

Thôi, cảm ơn

English: That's enough / no more, thanks
Pronunciation: thoy, kahm uhn
When to use it: Softly stops more being given (food, drink, help).

Tip: a smile and a small hand gesture make any of these feel friendly rather than abrupt — politeness in Vietnam is carried by manner as much as words.

Thank you in everyday situations

The same word, tuned to the moment and the person in front of you.

Vietnamese	Situation	Pronunciation
Cảm ơn, ngon quá!	Thank you, it’s delicious! (restaurant)	kahm uhn, ngon kwa
Cảm ơn nha!	Thanks! (at a store)	kahm uhn nya
Cảm ơn bạn nhiều	Thanks a lot (with friends)	kahm uhn ban niew
Cảm ơn anh đã giúp	Thanks for the help (coworker)	kahm uhn ang da yup
Dạ, cảm ơn ạ	Thank you (respectful, to an elder)	ya, kahm uhn a

Cảm ơn, ngon quá!

Situation: Thank you, it’s delicious! (restaurant)
Pronunciation: kahm uhn, ngon kwa

Cảm ơn nha!

Situation: Thanks! (at a store)
Pronunciation: kahm uhn nya

Cảm ơn bạn nhiều

Situation: Thanks a lot (with friends)
Pronunciation: kahm uhn ban niew

Cảm ơn anh đã giúp

Situation: Thanks for the help (coworker)
Pronunciation: kahm uhn ang da yup

Dạ, cảm ơn ạ

Situation: Thank you (respectful, to an elder)
Pronunciation: ya, kahm uhn a

Vietnamese culture and gratitude

Vietnamese people absolutely say cảm ơn — to staff, in formal settings, and when someone does them a real favor. Adding a title or the polite particle ạ (dạ, cảm ơn ạ) makes it warmer and shows respect to elders.

But gratitude isn’t always spoken. Within close family and among good friends, a smile, a nod, or simply returning the favor often stands in for the words. Saying cảm ơn for every small thing a family member does can even feel oddly formal or distant — a bit like thanking your own sibling for passing the salt.

As a foreigner, you’ll never offend anyone by saying thank you, so when in doubt, say it. Just don’t be surprised if a Vietnamese friend waves it off with không có gì (“it’s nothing”) — that’s the warm, normal response, not rudeness.

Common mistakes foreigners make

Small fixes that make your thank you land the way you intend.

1
Saying cảm ơn with a flat tone. The dip on cảm matters; without it you may not be understood.
2
Dropping the title. A bare cảm ơn to an elder can feel blunt — add anh, chị, cô, or ạ.
3
Using formal xin cảm ơn with friends. It sounds stiff in casual chat — a simple cảm ơn or cảm ơn nha is better.
4
Confusing cảm ơn (thank you) with xin lỗi (sorry / excuse me). They sound a little alike to new ears but mean different things.

Regional differences

Cảm ơn is understood everywhere in Vietnam; the differences are mostly accent and one common Southern spelling.

Region	Common form	Pronunciation	Notes
Northern (Hanoi)	cảm ơn	kảm uhn	The standard spelling and the clear hỏi (dipping) tone on cảm.
Central (Huế, Đà Nẵng)	cảm ơn	kahm uhn	Same word; a heavier accent and shifted tones can make it sound different.
Southern (Saigon)	cám ơn	kám uhn	In casual speech many Southerners use a rising tone, often written cám ơn.

Northern (Hanoi)

Common form: cảm ơn
Pronunciation: kảm uhn
Notes: The standard spelling and the clear hỏi (dipping) tone on cảm.

Central (Huế, Đà Nẵng)

Common form: cảm ơn
Pronunciation: kahm uhn
Notes: Same word; a heavier accent and shifted tones can make it sound different.

Southern (Saigon)

Common form: cám ơn
Pronunciation: kám uhn
Notes: In casual speech many Southerners use a rising tone, often written cám ơn.

Whichever region you’re in, the standard cảm ơn is always safe and correct — locals will understand and appreciate it.

Practice dialogues

Ten quick, real-world exchanges. Tap the speaker icon to hear a key line.

At a restaurant

Server: Món của anh đây ạ.

Here is your dish.

You: Cảm ơn, ngon quá!

Thank you, it looks delicious!

At a store

You: Cảm ơn chị.

Thank you.

Clerk: Không có gì, hẹn gặp lại.

You're welcome, see you again.

Receiving a gift

Friend: Cái này tặng bạn.

This is for you.

You: Ồ, cảm ơn bạn nhiều!

Oh, thank you so much!

After directions

You: Cảm ơn rất nhiều!

Thank you very much!

Local: Không có gì.

You're welcome.

Help at work

You: Cảm ơn anh đã giúp em.

Thanks for helping me.

Colleague: Chuyện nhỏ mà.

No big deal.

With a grandparent

You: Dạ, cảm ơn bà ạ.

Thank you, grandma.

Grandmother: Ừ, ăn nhiều vào nhé.

Sure, eat plenty.

Declining politely

Vendor: Mua thêm cái nữa nhé?

Buy one more?

You: Thôi, cảm ơn.

That's enough, thanks.

At a coffee shop

Barista: Cà phê của bạn đây.

Here is your coffee.

You: Cảm ơn nha!

Thanks!

In a Grab/taxi

Driver: Tới nơi rồi nha.

We've arrived.

You: Cảm ơn anh nhiều.

Thank you.

Replying to thanks

Them: Cảm ơn bạn nhiều!

Thank you so much!

You: Không có gì.

You're welcome.

After a meal at a friend’s

You: Cảm ơn vì bữa ăn nha.

Thanks for the meal.

Host: Lần sau lại tới nhé.

Come again next time.

Quick cheat sheet

Every key phrase in one place — save it for your trip.

English	Vietnamese	Pronunciation	Situation
Thank you	Cảm ơn	kahm uhn	All-purpose
Thank you (to a peer)	Cảm ơn bạn	kahm uhn ban	Friends, same age
Thank you (older man)	Cảm ơn anh	kahm uhn ang	Polite
Thank you (older woman)	Cảm ơn chị	kahm uhn chee	Polite
Thank you (to an elder)	Dạ, cảm ơn ạ	ya, kahm uhn a	Respectful
Thank you very much	Cảm ơn rất nhiều	kahm uhn rut niew	Very grateful
Thanks a lot	Cảm ơn nhiều	kahm uhn niew	Warm, casual
No, thank you	Không, cảm ơn	khohng, kahm uhn	Declining politely
That's enough, thanks	Thôi, cảm ơn	thoy, kahm uhn	Stop more being given
You're welcome	Không có gì	khohng kaw yi	Replying to thanks

Thank you

Vietnamese: Cảm ơn
Pronunciation: kahm uhn
Situation: All-purpose

Thank you (to a peer)

Vietnamese: Cảm ơn bạn
Pronunciation: kahm uhn ban
Situation: Friends, same age

Thank you (older man)

Vietnamese: Cảm ơn anh
Pronunciation: kahm uhn ang
Situation: Polite

Thank you (older woman)

Vietnamese: Cảm ơn chị
Pronunciation: kahm uhn chee
Situation: Polite

Thank you (to an elder)

Vietnamese: Dạ, cảm ơn ạ
Pronunciation: ya, kahm uhn a
Situation: Respectful

Thank you very much

Vietnamese: Cảm ơn rất nhiều
Pronunciation: kahm uhn rut niew
Situation: Very grateful

Thanks a lot

Vietnamese: Cảm ơn nhiều
Pronunciation: kahm uhn niew
Situation: Warm, casual

No, thank you

Vietnamese: Không, cảm ơn
Pronunciation: khohng, kahm uhn
Situation: Declining politely

That's enough, thanks

Vietnamese: Thôi, cảm ơn
Pronunciation: thoy, kahm uhn
Situation: Stop more being given

You're welcome

Vietnamese: Không có gì
Pronunciation: khohng kaw yi
Situation: Replying to thanks

FAQ

How do you say thank you in Vietnamese?

Thank you in Vietnamese is cảm ơn, pronounced roughly “kahm uhn.” You can make it warmer by adding the person’s title — cảm ơn anh (to an older man), cảm ơn chị (to an older woman), or cảm ơn bạn (to a friend) — and stronger with rất nhiều (very much).

What is the pronunciation of cảm ơn?

Cảm ơn is about /kaːm ʔɤːn/ in IPA, or “kahm uhn” in easy phonetics. The c is a hard k, ơ is the “uh” sound in “fur,” and cảm carries the hỏi tone — a dip in pitch. Avoid saying it flat like the English word “calm.”

How do you say thank you very much in Vietnamese?

Say Cảm ơn rất nhiều (“kahm uhn rut niew”) for “thank you very much,” or the warmer everyday Cảm ơn nhiều (“thanks a lot”). For extra emphasis you can say Cảm ơn nhiều lắm.

How do you say no thank you in Vietnamese?

Say Không, cảm ơn (“no, thank you”) to decline politely. Không cần đâu, cảm ơn means “I don’t need it, thanks,” and Thôi, cảm ơn gently stops more being offered (more food, drink, or help).

Is cảm ơn formal or informal?

Cảm ơn on its own is neutral and works in almost any situation. Add xin (xin cảm ơn) to make it formal, or add a title and the particle ạ (dạ, cảm ơn ạ) to sound respectful with elders. With close friends, a simple cảm ơn or cảm ơn nha is perfectly casual.

Do Vietnamese people say thank you often?

In service, formal, and favor situations, yes. But within close family and for small everyday acts, Vietnamese people often express gratitude with a smile, a nod, or simply doing something back, rather than saying cảm ơn every time. Over-thanking family can even sound a little distant.

Keep learning

Build on thank you with greetings, pronouns, tones, and the other key politeness word.