These are the most important action words (động từ) you need at the A1 level. One of the best things about Vietnamese verbs: they never conjugate! The same form is used for all persons, tenses, and subjects. Time words and context do all the work for you.
Tiếng Việt
Meaning
Example
là
to be (identity/definition)
Tôi là sinh viên.
có
to have; there is/are
Tôi có một quyển sách.
ăn
to eat
Tôi ăn cơm mỗi ngày.
uống
to drink
Anh ấy uống cà phê buổi sáng.
đi
to go; to walk
Chúng tôi đi siêu thị.
đến
to come; to arrive
Cô ấy đến muộn.
về
to return; to go home
Tôi về nhà lúc 6 giờ.
học (學 hoc)
to study; to learn
Em học tiếng Việt.
làm
to do; to work; to make
Bạn làm gì?
nói
to speak; to say; to tell
Anh ấy nói tiếng Anh rất giỏi.
nghe
to listen; to hear
Tôi nghe nhạc mỗi tối.
xem
to watch; to look at
Chúng tôi xem phim.
đọc (讀 độc)
to read
Cô ấy đọc sách mỗi ngày.
viết
to write
Tôi viết thư cho bạn.
mua
to buy; to purchase
Mẹ mua rau ở chợ.
bán
to sell
Họ bán trái cây tươi.
thích
to like; to enjoy
Tôi thích ăn phở.
muốn
to want; to wish
Em muốn uống nước.
biết
to know (a fact or skill)
Bạn có biết đường không?
hiểu (曉 hiểu)
to understand; to comprehend
Tôi không hiểu câu này.
ngủ
to sleep
Con bé đang ngủ.
gặp
to meet; to encounter
Tôi gặp bạn ở đây.
hỏi
to ask (a question)
Cô giáo hỏi học sinh.
nhớ
to remember; to miss (someone)
Tôi nhớ gia đình.
quên
to forget
Tôi quên mang ô.
chờ
to wait
Xin hãy chờ tôi một chút.
giúp
to help; to assist
Bạn có thể giúp tôi không?
nghĩ
to think; to believe
Tôi nghĩ anh ấy đúng.
Tip for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean learners: Words marked with Hán-Việt characters (e.g., 學, 讀, 曉) share roots with East Asian logographs. Recognizing these connections can make memorization much faster!
Useful Phrases
Here are 10 natural, ready-to-use phrases built from the verbs above. These are things you will genuinely say — and hear — in everyday life in Vietnam.
Bạn đang làm gì vậy?
What are you doing (right now)?
Tôi không hiểu, bạn có thể nói lại không?
I don't understand — can you say that again?
Tôi muốn học tiếng Việt thật giỏi.
I want to learn Vietnamese really well.
Bạn có biết nhà hàng nào ngon không?
Do you know any good restaurants?
Tôi thích uống cà phê sữa đá.
I like drinking iced milk coffee.
Chúng ta đi ăn tối nhé!
Let's go eat dinner together!
Xin lỗi, tôi quên tên bạn rồi.
Sorry, I forgot your name.
Bạn có thể giúp tôi mua vé không?
Can you help me buy a ticket?
Tôi đang đọc sách về văn hóa Việt Nam.
I am reading a book about Vietnamese culture.
Anh ấy đến lúc mấy giờ?
What time is he arriving?
Sample Dialogue
A natural conversation between Minh (a Vietnamese local) and Sarah (a foreign student learning Vietnamese). Notice how the verbs flow without any conjugation changes!
Minh: Bạn đang làm gì đó?
Minh: What are you doing there?
Sarah: Tôi đang đọc sách và học tiếng Việt.
Sarah: I'm reading a book and studying Vietnamese.
Minh: Bạn học tiếng Việt bao lâu rồi?
Minh: How long have you been learning Vietnamese?
Sarah: Tôi học được 3 tháng. Tôi muốn nói tiếng Việt giỏi hơn.
Sarah: I've been studying for 3 months. I want to speak Vietnamese better.
Minh: Bạn thích học tiếng Việt không?
Minh: Do you like studying Vietnamese?
Sarah: Thích lắm! Nhưng tôi không hiểu thanh điệu lắm.
Sarah: I like it a lot! But I don't quite understand the tones.
Minh: Không sao, tôi có thể giúp bạn. Bạn muốn đi ăn trưa không?
Minh: No worries, I can help you. Do you want to go eat lunch?
Sarah: Muốn chứ! Tôi thích ăn phở và bún bò.
Sarah: Of course! I like eating pho and bun bo.
Minh: Vậy chúng ta đi thôi. Tôi biết một quán ngon lắm.
Minh: Then let's go. I know a really delicious place.
Sarah: Tuyệt! Tôi nhớ mang ví rồi, đừng lo.
Sarah: Great! I remembered to bring my wallet, don't worry.
Cultural Notes
Learning Vietnamese verbs is not just about memorizing vocabulary — it is about understanding how Vietnamese people think and interact. Here are some cultural insights that will make your use of these verbs feel natural and authentic.
Verbs never conjugate — but context is everything. Vietnamese verbs have one form for all persons and all tenses. Instead of changing the verb, Vietnamese uses time markers: đang (currently happening), đã (already done), sẽ (will happen), and vừa (just happened). So tôi ăn could mean "I eat," "I ate," or "I am eating" — the context or a time word clarifies everything. This is very freeing for learners!
The verb "ăn" and Vietnamese hospitality. Eating together is central to Vietnamese social life. The question Bạn ăn cơm chưa? ("Have you eaten yet?") is one of the most common greetings in Vietnamese — especially among family and close friends. It is not literally asking if you are hungry; it is an expression of warmth and care, like saying "How are you doing?" If someone asks you this, reply Ăn rồi, cảm ơn bạn! ("Already eaten, thank you!") or Chưa, bạn ăn chưa? ("Not yet, have you eaten?").
Northern vs. Southern Vietnamese differences. In the North (Hà Nội area), people use ăn cơm chưa? as a standard greeting. In the South (Hồ Chí Minh City area), you will often hear the more casual ăn gì chưa? or even đi ăn hông? ("Wanna grab some food?"). The verb đi is particularly versatile in Southern speech — đi hông? can apply to almost any activity as a relaxed invitation. Southerners also frequently drop final consonants in informal speech, so không ("no/not") becomes hông.
The special depth of "nhớ." The verb nhớ carries a beautiful double meaning: both "to remember" and "to miss someone." Tôi nhớ bạn can mean "I remember you" or "I miss you" — the two feelings are treated as one in Vietnamese. This reflects a cultural tendency to link memory and longing, and it makes nhớ one of the most emotionally resonant words in the language. When leaving Vietnam after a visit, locals might say Nhớ Việt Nam nha! — "Don't forget Vietnam (and miss it)!"
Using "giúp" politely. When asking for help, Vietnamese people often soften the request with có thể... không? ("can you...?") or add giùm (Southern) or hộ (Northern) after the main verb. For example: Bạn có thể giúp tôi không? (neutral, polite) vs. Bạn giúp tôi với! (more urgent/pleading). Knowing these nuances will make you sound far more natural.
Common Mistakes
These are the four errors that foreigners make most often with basic Vietnamese verbs. Avoid them and you will immediately sound more fluent!
1. Trying to conjugate verbs for tense
❌ Tôi eatED cơm hôm qua. / Tôi đã ăned cơm.
✅ Tôi đã ăn cơm hôm qua. — Vietnamese verbs never change form. Add the time marker đã before the verb to indicate past tense.
2. Confusing "biết" and "hiểu"
❌ Tôi hiểu tiếng Việt. (when meaning: I know/speak Vietnamese)
✅ Tôi biết tiếng Việt. — Use biết for knowing a skill or fact. Use hiểu for comprehending something specific in the moment, e.g., Tôi hiểu bài này ("I understand this lesson").
3. Using "là" for location
❌ Tôi là ở Hà Nội. (I am in Hanoi)
✅ Tôi ở Hà Nội. — The verb là is used for identity and definition (I am a student, this is a book). For location, use ở ("to be at/in a place") instead.
4. Forgetting the invitation particle "nhé"
❌ Chúng ta ăn tối. (sounds like a flat statement, not an invitation)
✅ Chúng ta đi ăn tối nhé! — Adding nhé at the end (or đi in the South) turns a statement into a friendly suggestion or invitation. Without it, you may sound blunt or cold.
