Reading Passage
Hôm nay là thứ Bảy. Lan và mẹ đi chợ. Chợ ở gần nhà họ. Chợ rất đông và náo nhiệt.
Today is Saturday. Lan and her mother go to the market. The market is near their house. The market is very crowded and lively.
Mẹ Lan mua rau và thịt. Bà hỏi người bán hàng: "Rau muống bao nhiêu tiền một bó?" Người bán hàng trả lời: "Dạ, năm nghìn đồng một bó, chị ơi."
Lan's mother buys vegetables and meat. She asks the vendor: "How much is one bunch of water spinach?" The vendor replies: "It's five thousand dong per bunch, ma'am."
Mẹ mua hai bó rau muống và nửa ký thịt heo. Bà trả mười lăm nghìn đồng. Người bán hàng cảm ơn và nói: "Chị mua thêm gì không?"
Mom buys two bunches of water spinach and half a kilogram of pork. She pays fifteen thousand dong. The vendor thanks her and says: "Would you like to buy anything else, ma'am?"
Lan thích quầy hàng trái cây. Cô bé nhìn thấy xoài, ổi, và chuối. Lan hỏi mẹ: "Mẹ ơi, mình mua xoài không?" Mẹ cười và nói: "Được, mình mua một ký nhé."
Lan likes the fruit stall. She sees mangoes, guavas, and bananas. Lan asks her mother: "Mom, shall we buy mangoes?" Mom smiles and says: "Okay, let's buy one kilogram."
Họ cũng mua trứng và đậu phụ. Mẹ Lan trả tiền và nói lời cảm ơn. Lan mang giỏ hàng về nhà. Cô bé rất vui vì đi chợ với mẹ.
They also buy eggs and tofu. Lan's mother pays and says thank you. Lan carries the shopping basket home. She is very happy because she went to the market with her mother.
Vocabulary List
| Tiếng Việt | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| chợ | market | Chợ ở gần nhà. — The market is near the house. |
| đông | crowded | Chợ rất đông. — The market is very crowded. |
| người bán hàng | vendor / seller | Người bán hàng rất thân thiện. — The vendor is very friendly. |
| rau muống | water spinach | Tôi mua rau muống. — I buy water spinach. |
| bó | bunch (classifier) | Một bó rau — one bunch of vegetables. |
| bao nhiêu tiền | how much money | Cái này bao nhiêu tiền? — How much is this? |
| ký | kilogram | Nửa ký thịt — half a kilogram of meat. |
| trái cây | fruit | Tôi thích ăn trái cây. — I like eating fruit. |
| xoài | mango | Xoài ngon lắm. — Mangoes are very delicious. |
| giỏ hàng | shopping basket | Lan mang giỏ hàng. — Lan carries the shopping basket. |
| trứng | egg(s) | Mua mười quả trứng. — Buy ten eggs. |
| đậu phụ | tofu | Đậu phụ rẻ lắm. — Tofu is very cheap. |
Comprehension Questions
1. What day of the week do Lan and her mother go to the market?
Answer
They go to the market on Saturday (thứ Bảy).
2. How much does one bunch of water spinach cost?
Answer
One bunch of water spinach costs five thousand dong (năm nghìn đồng).
3. What fruit does Lan want to buy?
Answer
Lan wants to buy mangoes (xoài).
4. How much meat does Lan's mother buy?
Answer
She buys half a kilogram (nửa ký) of pork (thịt heo).
5. Who carries the shopping basket home?
Answer
Lan (cô bé) carries the shopping basket home.
Grammar Notes
1. Question word: bao nhiêu (how much / how many)
Use bao nhiêu tiền to ask about price. The structure is: Subject + bao nhiêu tiền?
Example: Rau muống bao nhiêu tiền? — How much is the water spinach?
2. Classifiers: bó and ký
Vietnamese uses measure words (classifiers) between a number and a noun. Bó is used for bunches of vegetables or herbs, while ký means kilogram.
Example: một bó rau (one bunch of vegetables), nửa ký thịt (half a kilo of meat).
3. Polite address: chị ơi / mẹ ơi
Vietnamese speakers use kinship terms as pronouns and forms of address. Ơi is added to call someone's attention politely. Chị ơi calls an older woman, mẹ ơi calls one's mother.
4. Suggestion structure: mình … không? / … nhé
Mình mua xoài không? is a gentle suggestion meaning "Shall we buy mangoes?" The reply Được … nhé means "Okay, let's …" — a soft, agreeable confirmation common in everyday speech.
5. Adverb of degree: rất (very)
Place rất before an adjective to intensify it: rất đông (very crowded), rất vui (very happy), rất ngon (very delicious).
Cultural Context
Traditional wet markets (chợ) are a central part of daily life across Vietnam. Unlike supermarkets, these open-air or semi-covered markets are typically busiest in the early morning, when vendors arrive with the freshest produce, meat, and seafood of the day. Many families — especially older generations — prefer to shop at the local market every morning rather than buying in bulk.
Bargaining (mặc cả) is a common and accepted practice at Vietnamese markets, particularly for clothing, household goods, and sometimes produce. However, at smaller food stalls with clearly displayed prices, the listed price is usually fixed.
The polite, conversational style between buyers and sellers — using kinship terms like chị, anh, bà, or cô — reflects Vietnamese social values of warmth and respect. Vendors often end transactions with friendly phrases, encouraging customers to return or buy more.
Water spinach (rau muống) and tofu (đậu phụ) are everyday staples found at virtually every Vietnamese market. They are affordable, nutritious, and used in countless home-cooked dishes, making them ideal vocabulary for beginner learners of Vietnamese.