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5 minute story

A Grab Ride Home

A short beginner story for recognizing transportation phrases in context.

Story

Your driver calls because the pickup point is confusing. You say Tôi đang ở trước cổng and then Cho tôi đến quận 1. When you are close, you say Dừng ở đây.

Useful language

Vietnamese English Practice note
Cho tôi đến quận 1 Please take me to District 1 Use with taxi or Grab drivers.
Tôi đang ở trước cổng I am in front of the gate Helpful for pickup points.
Anh thấy tôi chưa? Do you see me yet? Useful when the driver is nearby.
Chờ tôi một chút Please wait a moment Use if you are walking to the pickup point.
Rẽ trái Turn left Short direction.
Rẽ phải Turn right Short direction.
Đi thẳng Go straight Very common in rides.
Quay đầu được không? Can you turn around? Useful when route is wrong.

Read it again

Read the story once for meaning. Read it a second time and pause at each Vietnamese phrase. On the third pass, cover the English translation and see if the situation helps you remember the phrase.

Practice

Imagine the same scene tomorrow. Change one detail: the location, the price, the drink, the person, or the time. Say the Vietnamese phrase again with that new detail in mind.

Story phrases

Cho tôi đến quận 1

Please take me to District 1

Say aloud: Cho tôi đến quận Một

Use with taxi or Grab drivers.

Do not say "District one"; say "quận Một".

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

ChocholevelKeep the voice steady and level.tôitoilevelKeep the voice steady and level.đếndenrisingĐ starts like English d; do not say z.quậnquanheavyQu is closer to kw than English q.MộtmotheavyDrop the voice low and short.
Vietnamese spelling

Cho→chờ o cho

tôi→tờ ôi tôi

đến→đờ ên đên sắc đến

quận→quờ ân quân nặng quận

Một→mờ ôt môt nặng Một

Tôi đang ở trước cổng

I am in front of the gate

Helpful for pickup points.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

TôitoilevelKeep the voice steady and level.đangdanglevelĐ starts like English d; do not say z.ởodippingDip slightly, then recover.trướctruocrisingLift the voice upward.cổngcongdippingDip slightly, then recover.
Vietnamese spelling

Tôi→tờ ôi tôi

đang→đờ ang đang

ở→ơ hỏi ở

trước→trờ ươc trươc sắc trước

cổng→cờ ông công hỏi cổng

Anh thấy tôi chưa?

Do you see me yet?

Useful when the driver is nearby.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

AnhanhlevelKeep the voice steady and level.thấythayrisingLift the voice upward.tôitoilevelKeep the voice steady and level.chưachualevelKeep the voice steady and level.
Vietnamese spelling

Anh→anh

thấy→thờ ây thây sắc thấy

tôi→tờ ôi tôi

chưa→chờ ưa chưa

Chờ tôi một chút

Please wait a moment

Use if you are walking to the pickup point.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

ChờchofallingLet the voice fall gently.tôitoilevelKeep the voice steady and level.mộtmotheavyDrop the voice low and short.chútchutrisingLift the voice upward.
Vietnamese spelling

Chờ→chờ ơ chơ huyền Chờ

tôi→tờ ôi tôi

một→mờ ôt môt nặng một

chút→chờ ut chut sắc chút

Rẽ trái

Turn left

Short direction.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

RẽrebrokenUse a short broken rise.tráitrairisingLift the voice upward.
Vietnamese spelling

Rẽ→rờ e re ngã Rẽ

trái→trờ ai trai sắc trái

Rẽ phải

Turn right

Short direction.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

RẽrebrokenUse a short broken rise.phảiphaidippingDip slightly, then recover.
Vietnamese spelling

Rẽ→rờ e re ngã Rẽ

phải→phờ ai phai hỏi phải

Đi thẳng

Go straight

Very common in rides.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

ĐidilevelĐ starts like English d; do not say z.thẳngthangdippingDip slightly, then recover.
Vietnamese spelling

Đi→đờ i đi

thẳng→thờ ăng thăng hỏi thẳng

Quay đầu được không?

Can you turn around?

Useful when route is wrong.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

QuayquaylevelQu is closer to kw than English q.đầudaufallingĐ starts like English d; do not say z.đượcduocheavyĐ starts like English d; do not say z.khôngkhonglevelKeep the voice steady and level.
Vietnamese spelling

Quay→quờ ay quay

đầu→đờ âu đâu huyền đầu

được→đờ ươc đươc nặng được

không→khờ ông không

Finish this story

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Use normal audio first, then slow audio.

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Only save phrases you would actually reuse.

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