Vietnamese · A1 (Beginner)
Shopping in Vietnamese: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Vietnamese words for shopping are mua (to buy), trả tiền (to pay) and giá (price). The full Vietnamese shopping phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Vietnamese vocabulary for shopping, with example sentences and English translations. This is A1 (Beginner) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Vietnamese to live, work, or settle abroad.
Source: Language Lab's Vietnamese curriculum (vocabulary & example sentences). · Join the beta →
Key shopping vocabulary
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| mua | to buy |
| trả tiền | to pay |
| giá | price |
| đắt | expensive |
| rẻ | cheap |
| quầy thanh toán | checkout |
| chợ | market |
| cửa hàng | shop |
| giảm giá | discount / sale |
| thẻ tín dụng | credit card |
Example sentences
Tôi muốn mua cái áo này.
I want to buy this shirt.
Tôi có thể trả tiền ở đâu?
Where can I pay?
Cái này đắt quá!
This is too expensive!
Rẻ thật!
Really cheap!
Xin trả tiền tại quầy.
Please pay at the checkout.
Có giảm giá không?
Is there a discount?
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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