Reading Passage
Tên tôi là Mai. Tôi sống ở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. Người Việt Nam thường gọi là Sài Gòn.
My name is Mai. I live in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnamese people usually call it Saigon.
Buổi sáng, tôi thức dậy lúc sáu giờ. Tôi uống cà phê và ăn bánh mì. Bánh mì rất ngon.
In the morning, I wake up at six o'clock. I drink coffee and eat a bánh mì sandwich. The bánh mì is very delicious.
Lúc bảy giờ, tôi đi làm. Tôi đi xe máy. Đường phố Sài Gòn rất đông. Có nhiều xe máy và ô tô.
At seven o'clock, I go to work. I ride a motorbike. The streets of Saigon are very busy. There are many motorbikes and cars.
Tôi làm việc ở một công ty nhỏ. Tôi là nhân viên văn phòng. Đồng nghiệp của tôi rất thân thiện.
I work at a small company. I am an office worker. My colleagues are very friendly.
Buổi trưa, tôi ăn cơm với đồng nghiệp. Chúng tôi ăn ở quán gần công ty. Cơm bình dân rất rẻ và ngon.
At lunchtime, I eat rice with my colleagues. We eat at a small restaurant near the company. Simple rice meals are very cheap and tasty.
Buổi chiều, tôi làm việc đến năm giờ. Sau đó, tôi đi siêu thị mua đồ ăn. Tôi mua rau, thịt, và trái cây.
In the afternoon, I work until five o'clock. After that, I go to the supermarket to buy food. I buy vegetables, meat, and fruit.
Buổi tối, tôi nấu ăn ở nhà. Tôi nấu canh chua và cá kho. Tôi ăn tối lúc bảy giờ.
In the evening, I cook at home. I make sour soup and braised fish. I have dinner at seven o'clock.
Sau bữa tối, tôi xem tivi và đọc sách. Lúc mười giờ, tôi đi ngủ. Ngày hôm nay thật vui!
After dinner, I watch television and read books. At ten o'clock, I go to sleep. Today was really fun!
Vocabulary List
| Tiếng Việt | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| thức dậy | to wake up | Tôi thức dậy lúc sáu giờ. |
| bánh mì | Vietnamese baguette sandwich | Bánh mì rất ngon. |
| đi làm | to go to work | Tôi đi làm lúc bảy giờ. |
| xe máy | motorbike | Tôi đi xe máy đến công ty. |
| đông | busy, crowded | Đường phố rất đông. |
| nhân viên | employee, staff member | Tôi là nhân viên văn phòng. |
| thân thiện | friendly | Đồng nghiệp của tôi rất thân thiện. |
| cơm bình dân | simple rice meal, budget meal | Cơm bình dân rất rẻ. |
| siêu thị | supermarket | Tôi đi siêu thị mua đồ ăn. |
| nấu ăn | to cook | Buổi tối, tôi nấu ăn ở nhà. |
| canh chua | Vietnamese sour soup | Tôi nấu canh chua và cá kho. |
| đi ngủ | to go to sleep | Lúc mười giờ, tôi đi ngủ. |
Comprehension Questions
1. What is the narrator's name, and where does she live?
Answer
Her name is Mai, and she lives in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
2. What does Mai eat and drink for breakfast?
Answer
She drinks coffee and eats bánh mì (a Vietnamese baguette sandwich).
3. How does Mai get to work, and what is the street like?
Answer
She rides a motorbike. The streets are very busy with many motorbikes and cars.
4. What does Mai do after work before going home?
Answer
She goes to the supermarket to buy food — vegetables, meat, and fruit.
5. What two dishes does Mai cook for dinner?
Answer
She cooks canh chua (sour soup) and cá kho (braised fish).
Grammar Notes
1. Subject + Verb structure
Vietnamese sentences follow a simple Subject + Verb (+ Object) pattern with no verb conjugation. The verb form never changes regardless of tense or subject.
Example: Tôi uống cà phê. (I drink coffee.) — tôi = I, uống = drink, cà phê = coffee.
2. Time expressions come before the verb
Time words and clock times are placed at the beginning of a sentence or directly before the verb phrase.
Example: Lúc bảy giờ, tôi đi làm. (At seven o'clock, I go to work.) — lúc marks a specific point in time.
3. The adverb rất (very) Rất is placed directly before an adjective or stative verb to intensify it, similar to "very" in English.
Example: Bánh mì rất ngon. (The bánh mì is very delicious.) — rất + ngon (delicious).
4. Possession with của Của indicates possession and is placed between the possessor and the thing possessed, equivalent to "'s" or "of" in English.
Example: Đồng nghiệp của tôi (My colleagues) — literally "colleagues of me".
5. The verb đi for movement Đi means "to go" and is also combined with a mode of transport to mean "to travel by" that method.
Example: đi xe máy (to ride a motorbike), đi làm (to go to work), đi ngủ (to go to sleep).
Cultural Context
Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's largest and most vibrant city. Locals and many Vietnamese people across the country still affectionately call it Sài Gòn in everyday conversation. Both names are widely understood and used.
Bánh mì for breakfast
Bánh mì is one of the most iconic Vietnamese street foods, eaten at any time of day but especially popular for a quick and affordable breakfast. It reflects Vietnam's unique culinary blend of local ingredients and French-influenced baguette bread. You can find bánh mì vendors on nearly every street corner in Saigon.
Motorbike culture
The motorbike is the dominant mode of personal transport in Ho Chi Minh City. The streets can appear chaotic to newcomers, but traffic flows according to its own rhythm. Learning to navigate Saigon streets — whether as a rider or a pedestrian — is a rite of passage for anyone living in the city.
Cơm bình dân — everyday Vietnamese dining
Cơm bình dân literally means "common people's rice" and refers to affordable, no-frills rice restaurants that serve home-style Vietnamese dishes. These are the backbone of everyday eating for millions of workers and students. A full meal typically costs very little and includes rice, a protein dish, vegetables, and soup.
Canh chua and cá kho
These two dishes form one of the most classic Vietnamese home-cooked meal combinations, especially in southern Vietnam. Canh chua is a tangy tamarind-based soup with vegetables and fish or shrimp, while cá kho is fish braised slowly in a clay pot with fish sauce and caramel. Together they represent the heart of everyday southern Vietnamese home cooking.