How to Say Sorry & Excuse Me in Vietnamese

Politeness in Vietnamese runs on a few small phrases plus the right pronoun. The good news: one word, xin lỗi, covers both "sorry" and "excuse me", so you get two uses out of one phrase. Once you add a couple of reply phrases and the politeness particles, you can move through everyday situations without sounding rude or robotic. Everything here is free to practice, no login.

How to say sorry

Xin lỗi (sin loy) is your all-purpose apology. Use it on its own, or warm it up with the listener's pronoun:

• Xin lỗi: a quick, standalone "sorry."
• Xin lỗi anh / chị / em: sorry, with the age- and gender-based pronoun.
• Xin lỗi anh ạ: extra polite, with the respect particle ạ at the end.

The pronoun system here is the same one that powers Vietnamese greetings and family words: you address people by their relative age and gender, not with a single "you."

Sorry and excuse me are the same word

This is the part that saves you effort. Xin lỗi is also "excuse me." You use it to:

• Get someone's attention: Xin lỗi, ... before you ask a stranger something.
• Squeeze past someone: Xin lỗi, cho tôi qua (excuse me, let me through).
• Politely ask a question: Xin lỗi, cho tôi hỏi (excuse me, may I ask).

So the same two syllables open a conversation and close an apology. Lead with it whenever you interrupt or need help.

How to say you're welcome

When someone thanks you with cảm ơn, the natural reply is:

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	Meaning
Không có gì	khong gaw zee	It's nothing (most common)
Không có chi	khong gaw chee	It's nothing (southern)
Không sao	khong sow	No problem

All three are friendly and safe. Không có gì is the one you'll hear most across the country.

The politeness particles: ạ, dạ, vâng

Vietnamese carries a lot of respect in tiny particles. These three do most of the work:

• ạ: added to the end of a sentence to show respect, especially to elders, customers, or strangers. Cảm ơn ạ. Xin lỗi anh ạ.
• dạ: a soft, polite "yes" or acknowledgment at the start of a reply. Common in the south as the everyday polite yes.
• vâng: a polite "yes" used more in the north when you agree or confirm.

Sprinkle ạ onto your thank-yous and apologies and you instantly sound more respectful. When in doubt, more polite is never wrong.

There's no single word for please

English leans on "please." Vietnamese spreads that politeness across the sentence instead:

• làm ơn: "do a favor", placed before a request. Làm ơn cho tôi xem (please let me see).
• vui lòng: a more formal "please", common on signs and in writing.
• the right pronoun plus ạ: often enough on its own to make a request polite.

So "please give me the menu" becomes Làm ơn cho tôi xem thực đơn ạ: the request word, the verb, and the respect particle together carry the politeness.

Saying it's okay

When someone apologizes to you, put them at ease with:

• Không sao (no problem) or Không sao đâu (it's really fine).

These are the everyday "don't worry about it" replies, and they pair naturally with a smile.

Quick reference

Situation	Say this	Meaning
Apologize	Xin lỗi (anh/chị) ạ	Sorry
Get attention	Xin lỗi, ...	Excuse me
Ask a question	Xin lỗi, cho tôi hỏi	Excuse me, may I ask
Reply to thanks	Không có gì	You're welcome
Accept an apology	Không sao	No problem
Soften a request	Làm ơn ... ạ	Please ...

Practice these out loud a few times and they become reflexes. They're the social glue that makes the rest of your basic Vietnamese phrases land warmly.

You'll also lean on these every time you travel, so pair them with essential Vietnamese travel phrases.

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Sources

1. Vietnamese politeness phrases and particles verified against standard references (Wiktionary) for the spelling and meaning of xin lỗi, không có gì / không có chi, không sao, làm ơn, and the respect particles ạ, dạ, and vâng.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say sorry in Vietnamese?

Sorry is 'Xin lỗi' (sin loy). The same phrase also means 'excuse me', so you use it both to apologize and to get someone's attention. Add the person's pronoun for warmth: 'Xin lỗi anh', 'Xin lỗi chị'.

How do you say excuse me in Vietnamese?

Use 'Xin lỗi' to get attention or to apologize for bumping past someone. To politely ask a question, say 'Xin lỗi, cho tôi hỏi' (excuse me, may I ask).

How do you say you're welcome in Vietnamese?

The most common reply is 'Không có gì' (it's nothing). In the south you'll also hear 'Không có chi'. 'Không sao' (no problem) works too.

Is there a word for please in Vietnamese?

There's no single word for 'please'. You make a request polite with 'làm ơn' (do a favor), the right pronoun, and the particle 'ạ' at the end: 'Làm ơn cho tôi xem ạ'.