Vietnamese personal pronouns are not fixed like in English. Instead, they depend on social context, relationships and age. Choosing the wrong pronoun can come across as rude or strange. Here are some common pronouns:
General personal pronouns
| English | Vietnamese | Notes |
| I | tôi | Neutral, polite, commonly used in formal contexts. |
| you | bạn | Neutral, but also used among friends, peers same age. |
| he | anh ấy | |
| she | cô ấy | |
| it | nó | Used for objects, animals or also younger children. |
| we | chúng tôi | Excludes the person you are speaking to. |
| we | chúng ta | Includes the person you are speaking to. |
| they | họ |
Among friends
| English | Vietnamese | Notes |
| I | mình | A slightly more humble form of addressing oneself. |
| I | tớ | Used commonly between friends in school. |
| you | bạn | General form of “you”, commonly used among friends. |
| you | cậu | Used in school settings. |
Talking to strangers
| English | Vietnamese | Notes |
| I | tôi | A neutral and polite waz to refer to oneself, especially when the other person’s age is unknown. |
| you | anh – for male chị – for female | Respectful way to address another adult, when age is unknown. |
| You (elderly) | cô – for female chú – for male | Respectful way to address another adult, typically someone the age of your parents |
| You (even older) | bác – for both female and male | Used for someone significantly older, also older than your parents. |
KemXoiLy 