Vietnamese · A2 (Elementary)
Food in Vietnamese: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Vietnamese words for food are nhà hàng (restaurant), gọi món (to order food) and thực đơn (menu). The full Vietnamese food phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Vietnamese vocabulary for food, 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 food vocabulary
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| nhà hàng | restaurant |
| gọi món | to order food |
| thực đơn | menu |
| chay | vegetarian |
| hóa đơn | bill |
| tiền tip | tip |
| món đặc biệt trong ngày | dish of the day |
| món chính | main course |
| món khai vị | starter |
| tráng miệng | dessert |
Example sentences
Tối nay chúng tôi ăn ở nhà hàng.
Tonight we are eating at the restaurant.
Tôi muốn gọi món.
I would like to order.
Có món chay không?
Are there vegetarian dishes?
Cho tôi xin hóa đơn!
The bill please!
Hôm nay có món gì đặc biệt?
What is today's special dish?
Tôi để lại tiền tip.
I leave a tip.
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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