{"id":4450,"date":"2026-04-22T15:13:55","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T06:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.vietcafe-learning.com\/material\/?p=4450"},"modified":"2026-04-22T15:49:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T06:49:39","slug":"conversation49","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.vietcafe-learning.com\/material\/conversation49\/","title":{"rendered":"Conversation 49: Things that surprised you in Vietnam \/ \u0110i\u1ec1u khi\u1ebfn b\u1ea1n ng\u1ea1c nhi\u00ean \u1edf Vi\u1ec7t Nam"},"content":{"rendered":"

Conversation Example:<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Ms. V\u00e2n<\/td>\nCh\u00e0o Yamada, r\u1ea5t c\u00e1m \u01a1n b\u1ea1n \u0111\u00e3 tham gia bu\u1ed5i ph\u1ecfng v\u1ea5n ng\u00e0y h\u00f4m nay.<\/span>
\nMr. Yamada, thank you very much for joining the interview today.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mr. Yamada<\/td>\nKh\u00f4ng c\u00f3 g\u00ec \u1ea1. Mong ch\u1ecb gi\u00fap \u0111\u1ee1.<\/span>
\nNot at all. I look forward to it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ms. V\u00e2n<\/td>\nB\u1ea1n \u0111\u1ebfn Vi\u1ec7t Nam bao l\u00e2u r\u1ed3i?<\/span>
\nHow long have you been in Vietnam?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mr. Yamada<\/td>\nT\u00f4i \u0111\u1ebfn Vi\u1ec7t Nam \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c g\u1ea7n 2 n\u0103m r\u1ed3i.<\/span>
\nI have been in Vietnam for nearly 2 years.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ms. V\u00e2n<\/td>\n\u0110i\u1ec1u khi\u1ebfn b\u1ea1n ng\u1ea1c nhi\u00ean \u1edf Vi\u1ec7t Nam l\u00e0 g\u00ec?<\/span>
\nWhat surprised you in Vietnam?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mr. Yamada<\/td>\nKhi t\u00f4i m\u1edbi \u0111\u1ebfn Vi\u1ec7t Nam, t\u00f4i th\u1eadt s\u1ef1 r\u1ea5t ng\u1ea1c nhi\u00ean khi b\u1ecb ng\u01b0\u1eddi Vi\u1ec7t h\u1ecfi tu\u1ed5i.<\/span>
\nWhen I first arrived in Vietnam, I was really surprised when Vietnamese people asked my age.
\n\u1ede Nh\u1eadt, vi\u1ec7c h\u1ecfi tu\u1ed5i b\u1ecb cho l\u00e0 m\u1ea5t l\u1ecbch s\u1ef1, \u0111\u1eb7c bi\u1ec7t l\u00e0 h\u1ecfi tu\u1ed5i ph\u1ee5 n\u1eef.<\/span>
\nIn Japan, asking for age is considered impolite, especially asking a woman’s age.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ms. V\u00e2n<\/td>\n\u1eea. M\u00ecnh c\u0169ng t\u1eebng nghe vi\u1ec7c \u0111\u00f3.<\/span>
\nYes. I have heard about that too.
\n\u1ede Vi\u1ec7t Nam, vi\u1ec7c h\u1ecfi tu\u1ed5i \u0111\u1ed1i ph\u01b0\u01a1ng l\u00e0 chuy\u1ec7n r\u1ea5t b\u00ecnh th\u01b0\u1eddng.<\/span>
\nIn Vietnam, asking the other person’s age is very normal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mr. Yamada<\/td>\nTh\u1eadt s\u1ef1 b\u00ecnh th\u01b0\u1eddng \u00e0?<\/span>
\nIs it really normal?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ms. V\u00e2n<\/td>\n\u0110\u00fang v\u1eady. V\u00ec trong ti\u1ebfng Vi\u1ec7t c\u00f3 \u0111\u1ea1i t\u1eeb nh\u00e2n x\u01b0ng.<\/span>
\nThat’s right. Because there are personal pronouns in Vietnamese.
\nN\u1ebfu kh\u00f4ng h\u1ecfi tu\u1ed5i th\u00ec ch\u00fang ta c\u00f3 th\u1ec3 d\u00f9ng \u0111\u1ea1i t\u1eeb nh\u00e2n x\u01b0ng kh\u00f4ng ph\u00f9 h\u1ee3p. Nh\u01b0 v\u1eady l\u1ea1i b\u1ecb cho l\u00e0 m\u1ea5t l\u1ecbch s\u1ef1.<\/span>
\nIf we don’t ask for age, we might use inappropriate pronouns. That would be considered impolite.
\nN\u00ean vi\u1ec7c h\u1ecfi tu\u1ed5i \u0111\u1ed1i ph\u01b0\u01a1ng l\u00e0 \u0111i\u1ec1u b\u00ecnh th\u01b0\u1eddng.<\/span>
\nSo asking for the other person’s age is normal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mr. Yamada<\/td>\nQu\u1ea3 th\u1eadt l\u00e0 v\u1eady nh\u1ec9. Ban \u0111\u1ea7u t\u00f4i h\u01a1i ng\u1ea1i.<\/span>
\nThat is true. At first, I was a bit shy.
\nB\u00e2y gi\u1edd c\u00f3 th\u1ec3 tho\u1ea3i m\u00e1i n\u00f3i tu\u1ed5i c\u1ee7a m\u00ecnh r\u1ed3i.<\/span>
\nNow I can say my age comfortably.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ms. V\u00e2n<\/td>\nNgo\u00e0i ra th\u00ec c\u00f2n \u0111i\u1ec1u g\u00ec \u1edf Vi\u1ec7t Nam khi\u1ebfn b\u1ea1n ng\u1ea1c nhi\u00ean n\u1eefa hay kh\u00f4ng?<\/span>
\nBesides that, is there anything else that surprised you in Vietnam?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mr. Yamada<\/td>\nC\u00f3 \u1ea1. T\u00f4i b\u1ecb ng\u01b0\u1eddi l\u1ea1 b\u1eaft chuy\u1ec7n.<\/span>
\nYes. I was spoken to by strangers.
\n\u0110\u1ed1i ph\u01b0\u01a1ng l\u00e0 m\u1ed9t c\u00f4 n\u00e0o \u0111\u00f3 t\u00f4i kh\u00f4ng quen, \u0111\u1ed9t nhi\u00ean \u0111\u1ebfn h\u1ecfi t\u00f4i nhi\u1ec1u th\u1ee9.<\/span>
\nThe other person was a lady I didn’t know, she suddenly came and asked me many things.
\nTh\u1eadt s\u1ef1 m\u00ecnh r\u1ea5t shock.<\/span>
\nI was really shocked.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ms. V\u00e2n<\/td>\nKh\u00e1c v\u1edbi ng\u01b0\u1eddi Nh\u1eadt, ng\u01b0\u1eddi Vi\u1ec7t Nam th\u01b0\u1eddng g\u1ea7n g\u0169i v\u1edbi m\u1ecdi ng\u01b0\u1eddi xung quanh.<\/span>
\nUnlike Japanese, Vietnamese people are usually very close to those around them.
\nN\u00ean th\u1ec9nh tho\u1ea3ng, vi\u1ec7c b\u1eaft chuy\u1ec7n ng\u01b0\u1eddi kh\u00f4ng quen bi\u1ebft c\u0169ng l\u00e0 \u0111i\u1ec1u b\u00ecnh th\u01b0\u1eddng.<\/span>
\nSo sometimes, starting a conversation with strangers is also normal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mr. Yamada<\/td>\nTh\u00ec ra l\u00e0 th\u1ebf.<\/span>
\nI see.
\nV\u00ec \u0111\u00e3 s\u1ed1ng \u1edf Vi\u1ec7t Nam 2 n\u0103m n\u00ean b\u00e2y gi\u1edd t\u00f4i \u0111\u00e3 quen v\u1edbi v\u0103n h\u00f3a n\u00e0y r\u1ed3i.<\/span>
\nSince I have lived in Vietnam for 2 years, I am used to this culture now.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ms. V\u00e2n<\/td>\nC\u00e1m \u01a1n b\u1ea1n v\u00ec bu\u1ed5i ph\u1ecfng v\u1ea5n h\u00f4m nay.<\/span>
\nThank you for the interview today.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

VOCCABULARY:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
#<\/th>\nVietnamese<\/th>\nMeanings<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nph\u1ecfng v\u1ea5n<\/td>\nInterview<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nng\u1ea1c nhi\u00ean<\/td>\nSurprised<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nm\u1ea5t l\u1ecbch s\u1ef1<\/td>\nImpolite \/ Rude<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\n\u0111\u1ed1i ph\u01b0\u01a1ng<\/td>\nThe other person \/ Partner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\n\u0111\u1ea1i t\u1eeb nh\u00e2n x\u01b0ng<\/td>\nPersonal pronoun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nng\u1ea1i<\/td>\nShy \/ Hesitant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nb\u1eaft chuy\u1ec7n<\/td>\nTo start a conversation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\n\u0111\u1ed9t nhi\u00ean<\/td>\nSuddenly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\ng\u1ea7n g\u0169i<\/td>\nClose \/ Friendly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n
\n