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5 minute story

A New Neighborhood

A short beginner story for recognizing neighborhood phrases in context.

Story

You explore your area and ask Ở đây có siêu thị không?. You also ask if Khu này yên tĩnh không? before renting.

Useful language

Vietnamese English Practice note
Tôi muốn nói về khu này I want to talk about the neighborhood Start a the neighborhood conversation.
Theo tôi thì điều này quan trọng In my opinion, this is important Use for simple opinions.
Tôi nghĩ vậy I think so A soft agreement phrase.
Tôi không chắc lắm I am not very sure Useful when you need time or clarity.
Bạn có thể nói rõ hơn không? Can you explain more clearly? Ask for clarification.
Lý do là gì? What is the reason? Ask why without a long sentence.
Tôi cần thêm thời gian I need more time Use before deciding or answering.
Chúng ta làm thế nào? How should we do it? Useful for planning.

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

Tôi muốn nói về khu này

I want to talk about the neighborhood

Start a the neighborhood conversation.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

TôitoilevelKeep the voice steady and level.muốnmuonrisingKeep the final n short.nóinoirisingLift the voice upward.vềvefallingLet the voice fall gently.khukhulevelKeep the voice steady and level.nàynayfallingLet the voice fall gently.
Vietnamese spelling

Tôitờ ôi tôi

muốnmờ uôn muôn sắc muốn

nóinờ oi noi sắc nói

vềvờ ê vê huyền về

khukhờ u khu

nàynờ ay nay huyền này

Theo tôi thì điều này quan trọng

In my opinion, this is important

Use for simple opinions.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

TheotheolevelKeep the voice steady and level.tôitoilevelKeep the voice steady and level.thìthifallingLet the voice fall gently.điềudieufallingĐ starts like English d; do not say z.nàynayfallingLet the voice fall gently.quanquanlevelQu is closer to kw than English q.trọngtrongheavyDrop the voice low and short.
Vietnamese spelling

Theothờ eo theo

tôitờ ôi tôi

thìthờ i thi huyền thì

điềuđờ iêu điêu huyền điều

nàynờ ay nay huyền này

quanquờ an quan

trọngtrờ ong trong nặng trọng

Tôi nghĩ vậy

I think so

A soft agreement phrase.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

TôitoilevelKeep the voice steady and level.nghĩnghibrokenStart with the back-of-mouth ng sound.vậyvayheavyDrop the voice low and short.
Vietnamese spelling

Tôitờ ôi tôi

nghĩngờ i nghi ngã nghĩ

vậyvờ ây vây nặng vậy

Tôi không chắc lắm

I am not very sure

Useful when you need time or clarity.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

TôitoilevelKeep the voice steady and level.khôngkhonglevelKeep the voice steady and level.chắcchacrisingLift the voice upward.lắmlamrisingLift the voice upward.
Vietnamese spelling

Tôitờ ôi tôi

khôngkhờ ông không

chắcchờ ăc chăc sắc chắc

lắmlờ ăm lăm sắc lắm

Bạn có thể nói rõ hơn không?

Can you explain more clearly?

Ask for clarification.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

BạnbanheavyKeep the final n short.corisingLift the voice upward.thểthedippingDip slightly, then recover.nóinoirisingLift the voice upward.robrokenUse a short broken rise.hơnhonlevelKeep the final n short.khôngkhonglevelKeep the voice steady and level.
Vietnamese spelling

Bạnbờ an ban nặng Bạn

cờ o co sắc có

thểthờ ê thê hỏi thể

nóinờ oi noi sắc nói

rờ o ro ngã rõ

hơnhờ ơn hơn

khôngkhờ ông không

Lý do là gì?

What is the reason?

Ask why without a long sentence.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

lyrisingLift the voice upward.dodolevelKeep the voice steady and level.lafallingLet the voice fall gently.gifallingLet the voice fall gently.
Vietnamese spelling

lờ y ly sắc Lý

dodờ o do

lờ a la huyền là

gờ i gi huyền gì

Tôi cần thêm thời gian

I need more time

Use before deciding or answering.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

TôitoilevelKeep the voice steady and level.cầncanfallingKeep the final n short.thêmthemlevelKeep the voice steady and level.thờithoifallingLet the voice fall gently.giangianlevelKeep the final n short.
Vietnamese spelling

Tôitờ ôi tôi

cầncờ ân cân huyền cần

thêmthờ êm thêm

thờithờ ơi thơi huyền thời

giangiờ an gian

Chúng ta làm thế nào?

How should we do it?

Useful for planning.

Say it

Listen first, then use these tone cues.

ChúngchungrisingLift the voice upward.tatalevelKeep the voice steady and level.làmlamfallingLet the voice fall gently.thếtherisingLift the voice upward.nàonaofallingLet the voice fall gently.
Vietnamese spelling

Chúngchờ ung chung sắc Chúng

tatờ a ta

làmlờ am lam huyền làm

thếthờ ê thê sắc thế

nàonờ ao nao huyền nào

Finish this story

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Only save phrases you would actually reuse.

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