Vietnamese · A2 (Elementary)
Family in Vietnamese: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Vietnamese words for family are chồng (husband), vợ (wife) and con trai (son). The full Vietnamese family phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Vietnamese vocabulary for family, with example sentences and English translations. This is A2 (Elementary) 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 family vocabulary
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| chồng | husband |
| vợ | wife |
| con trai | son |
| con gái | daughter |
| ông nội/ông ngoại | grandfather (paternal/maternal) |
| bà nội/bà ngoại | grandmother (paternal/maternal) |
| bố chồng/bố vợ | father-in-law |
| mẹ chồng/mẹ vợ | mother-in-law |
| cháu trai | nephew |
| cháu gái | niece |
Example sentences
Chồng tôi quê ở Miền Trung.
My husband is from Central Vietnam.
Vợ tôi làm bác sĩ.
My wife is a doctor.
Con trai tôi năm tuổi.
My son is five years old.
Con gái tôi đi học.
My daughter goes to school.
Ông nội tôi sống ở Hội An.
My grandfather lives in Hội An.
Mẹ chồng tôi nấu ăn rất ngon.
My mother-in-law cooks very well.
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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