Vietnamese · A2 (Elementary)
Work in Vietnamese: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Vietnamese words for work are hợp đồng lao động (employment contract), lương (salary) and nghỉ phép năm (annual leave). The full Vietnamese work phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Vietnamese vocabulary for work, 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.
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Key work vocabulary
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| hợp đồng lao động | employment contract |
| lương | salary |
| nghỉ phép năm | annual leave |
| làm thêm giờ | overtime |
| từ chức | to resign |
| tuyển dụng | to hire |
| hợp đồng vô thời hạn | permanent contract |
| hợp đồng có thời hạn | fixed-term contract |
| phỏng vấn | interview |
| làm việc từ xa | remote work |
Example sentences
Tôi đã ký hợp đồng lao động mới.
I signed a new employment contract.
Lương của tôi là mười lăm triệu đồng.
My salary is fifteen million dong.
Tôi có mười hai ngày nghỉ phép năm.
I have twelve days annual leave.
Tôi nhận được hợp đồng vô thời hạn.
I received a permanent contract.
Tôi muốn từ chức.
I want to resign.
Tôi làm việc từ xa hai ngày một tuần.
I work remotely two days a week.
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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