10+ Charming Ways to Say "My Love" in Vietnamese
Updated: Sep 4
Get ready to impress your Vietnamese significant other with your newfound language skills? There's no better way to win their heart than learning different ways to say "my love" in Vietnamese.
If you're dating someone who speaks Vietnamese, expressing your love and affection in their native language is a surefire way to deepen your bond and show your commitment to understanding their culture. This post will help you learn some romantic phrases and charming ways to say "my love" in Vietnamese.
How to say my love in Vietnamese
Expressing your feelings to someone you care about is essential to any relationship, and it will be much more meaningful when you do it in their native language. After learning how to say I love you in Vietnamese, level up your love language with some popular terms of endearment below.
1. Em yêu/ Anh yêu - The best word for "my love" in Vietnamese
The direct translation of "my love" in Vietnamese is em yêu (speaking to a girl) and anh yêu (speaking to a boy). This is the most popular term of endearment to call a person that you love. Some other versions include:
Em yêu dấu / Anh yêu dấu (a bit more poetic)
Tình yêu của anh / Tình yêu của em ("tình yêu" refers to the feeling of liking)
You can sprinkle em yêu/ anh yêu or any of its variants before or after (more popular) any kind of message to add some affectionate love.
Chào buổi sáng, anh yêu (Good morning, my love)
Chúc ngủ ngon, em yêu (Good night, my love)
Em yêu dấu ơi, tạm biệt nhé (Good bye, my love)
Anh sẽ gọi lại cho em sau nhé, tình yêu của anh (I'll call you later, my love)
In Vietnamese, to sound more intimate, it's common to add particles like "ơi" at the beginning of the sentence to call out to someone or get their attention and "nhé", "nha", "nhen" at the end of the sentence.
2. Cưng - A lovely term of endearment for young couples
Cưng (southern) is another common variation that you can use to say "my love" in Vietnamese. This term has a romantic connotation, and although it's commonly used among couples, it can also be used among family members (for the elder to call the younger), too. Cưng is close in meaning to "honey" or "sweetie". For those who aren't familiar with the complexity of Vietnamese pronouns, the word cưng is a safe option as it isn't gender-specific; it can be used for both guys and girls.
Cưng ơi, em đã ăn tối chưa? (Honey, have you eaten dinner?)
Chúc mừng sinh nhật nhé cưng (Happy birthday, sweetie)
3. Mình - A unique way to say "my love" for married couples
In fact, mình is one of many ways to address yourself in Vietnamese. However, don't be surprised if you hear someone calling their husband or wife in a store or in the street. Just like cưng, you don't need to change the gender of the word. It's said that mình is used between husbands and wives because after marriage, they become two halves of one whole (mình literally means "body" or "self").
Mình ơi, hôm nay anh về trễ một chút nha. (Darling, I'll be home a little late today.)
Ôi không! Mình ơi, em để quên chìa khóa ở cửa hàng rồi. (Oh no! Baby, I forgot my keys at the store)
>>> Explore 10 Famous Vietnamese Love Songs to Set the Mood
Romantic nicknames in Vietnamese
When it comes to different ways to call your loved one, if you don't want to go with the classics above and look for some creative nicknames, below are some suggestions. From food and animals to lovely items, you can choose a cute nickname to surprise your partner.
1. Nicknames for girlfriends or wives in Vietnamese
For the special woman in your life, here are some of the sweetest Vietnamese nicknames you can use.
Vietnamese nicknames | Pronunciation | English equivalent |
Cục cưng | sweetheart | |
Công chúa | princess | |
Bánh bao | steamed bun | |
Bánh gạo | rice cake | |
Bảo bối | treasure | |
Bây-bi | baby | |
Thỏ con | little bunny | |
Mèo con | little kitten | |
Cún con | little puppy | |
Bé hạt tiêu | little peppercorn | |
Tiểu mỹ nhân | little beauty | |
Cô nàng tóc xoăn | curly-haired girl | |
Vợ tương lai | future wife | |
Vợ yêu/ vk iu | beloved wife | |
Bà xã | wifey | |
Chị đẹp | pretty big sister | |
Nữ hoàng | queen | |
Thiên thần | angel | |
Nóc nhà | roof of the house (meaning "the boss of the household") |
Are you going to visit your partner's family for the very first time? Try this role-play game to practice using common greetings and pronouns correctly.
2. Nickname for boyfriends or husbands in Vietnamese
Just as Vietnamese has a rich collection of sweet nicknames for girlfriends and wives, there's an equally charming set of terms used for boyfriends and husbands.
Vietnamese nicknames | Pronunciation | English equivalent |
Cục cưng | sweetheart | |
Heo con | little piggy | |
Ộp-pa | oppa (a Korean word meaning "older brother") | |
Gấu | bear | |
Đậu đỏ | red bean | |
Cục bột | dough ball | |
Tổng tài | CEO/President | |
Chồng tương lai | future husband | |
Chồng yêu/ ck iu | beloved husband | |
Anh xã/ ông xã | hubbby | |
Anh xe ôm | motorbike taxi driver | |
Ông kẹ | boogeyman | |
Chủ tịch | Chairman | |
Anh già | old man (a playful way of calling him "oldie", even if he's not old) | |
Cá mập | shark |
Express love language in Vietnamese
Whether you say "my love" in Vietnamese to a girl or "my love" in Vietnamese to a boy, your words can brighten up their day and make them blush. It can be basic phrases for greetings or romantic compliments.
1. How to greet your partner sweetly
Chào em yêu/ anh yêu (Hello, my love)
Chúc cưng buổi sáng tốt lành (Good morning, sweetheart)
Em yêu/ anh yêu dậy chưa? (Are you up yet, babe?)
Cục cưng đang làm gì vậy? (What are you up to, my love?)
Chào mừng em yêu/ anh yêu về nhà (Welcome home, darling)
Chúc cưng đi làm vui vẻ nhé (Have a fun day at work, babe)
2. Sweet love text messages
Anh mãi mãi yêu em, cưng à / Em mãi mãi yêu anh, cưng à (I'll always love you, babe)
Em yêu ơi, anh nhớ em nhiều lắm / Anh yêu ơi, em nhớ anh nhiều lắm (I miss you so much, my love)
Anh không mệt sao? Một ngày 24 tiếng đều chạy trong tâm trí em không mệt sao? (Aren't you tired? Running through my mind 24 hours a day — doesn't that tire you out?)
Ngoài kia bao la thế giới. Nhưng trong em thế giới chỉ là anh thôi (The world is vast out there. But inside me, the whole world is just you)
Anh không thích cạnh tranh, chỉ thích cạnh em (I don't like competing (cạnh tranh) — I just like being beside you (cạnh em) [a wordplay on "cạnh"]
Anh có một siêu năng lượng. Đó là siêu thích em (I have a superpower. It's super liking you)
Trái tim em vốn đã hỗn độn. Sao chị* còn đến làm lộn xộn thêm? (My heart was already a mess. Why did you come and make it even messier?)
Da anh đen chắc tại mải ngắm nụ cười tỏa nắng của em (My skin's probably tan from staring too much at your sunny smile)
Tôi* mệt quá! Em có thể cho tôi mượn bờ vai được không? (I'm so tired! Can I borrow your shoulder?)
*Besides the standard pair anh (male) - em (female), Vietnamese also uses a variety of pronouns to say I and to address the other speaker, based on context and many other factors. In the early phase of the relationship, em-chị can be used when a man is younger than his lover, and tôi-em can be used to signal formality or emotional restraint.
3. Best Vietnamese compliments to your lovers
Em xinh quá (You're so beautiful)
Anh bảnh quá (You're so handsome)
Hôm nay em trông thật rạng rỡ (You look great today)
Anh giỏi quá (You're really talented)
Nụ cười của em thật đẹp (Your smile is beautiful)
Your voice is way too sexy (Giọng nói của em thật cuốn hút)
Em rất tự hào về anh, người đàn ông của em (I'm so proud of the man you are)
Anh thật may mắn khi có được em (I feel so lucky to have you in my life)
Em yêu sự chu đáo của anh (I love how thoughtful you are)
>>> Explore more Vietnamese compliments to brighten your lover's day.
4. Say my love in Vietnamese in conversation
Vietnamese has many phrases to say "my love", and you can pick your favorite one to fit the scenario.
At the cinema
-Em yêu ơi, tối nay mình xem phim gì đây? Anh thấy rạp có mấy phim mới nè.
-Để em xem... Có phim gì hay không anh yêu?
-Có mấy phim Hàn lãng mạn thể loại em thích đó. Hay em muốn đổi xem phim hành động?
-Không đâu. Em muốn xem phim tình cảm thôi.
-Được thôi cưng. Vậy em muốn xem suất mấy giờ?
-Suất 7 giờ được không anh? Mình còn kịp ăn tối trước nữa.
-What movie should we watch tonight, my love? The theater has a few new titles.
-Let me see... Is there anything good, babe?
-There are a few romantic Korean movies, your favorite genre. Or do you want to switch it up and watch action?
-Not at all. I just want to watch a romance movie.
-Sure thing, babe. So what showtime do you want?
-Is the 7 p.m. showing okay? We'll still have time to eat dinner beforehand.
At home
-Mình ơi, mình rỗi không? Em nhờ mình chút việc được không?
-Được. Em cần gì cứ nói đi.
-Anh trông giúp em nồi canh trên bếp với, em sợ nó trào ra mất. Em đang bận tay là quần áo.
-Ok em, để anh trông chừng cho. Còn gì nữa không vợ yêu?
-Sáng nay em đi chợ mà quên mua dầu ăn. Giờ tính sao đây anh?
-Không sao đâu, để anh chạy ra cửa hàng tạp hóa mua ngay. Có cần mua gì thêm không em?
-Vậy được rồi chồng yêu. Anh đi nhanh rồi về nhé.
-Honey, are you free? Can you do me a favor?
-I'm free. Whatever you need, just say it.
-Can you watch the soup pot on the stove for me? I'm afraid it'll boil over. My hands are full ironing clothes."
-Okay, babe, I'll keep an eye on it. Anything else, darling?
-I went to the market this morning but forgot to buy cooking oil. What to do with this?
-No worries, I'll run out to the grocery store and get some right away. Do you need anything else, babe?"
-That'll do it, my dear. I'll wait for you.
At the restaurant
-Hôm nay mình ăn gì đây, cục cưng? Thực đơn nhiều món quá, em chọn đi.
-Để em xem qua đã... Anh thích ăn gì nào, lẩu hay đồ nướng?
-Anh sao cũng được, chiều theo ý em thôi. Nhưng anh nghe nói quán này nổi tiếng món lẩu Thái đó cưng.
-Vậy mình gọi lẩu Thái đi anh! Lâu rồi mình chưa ăn lẩu chung.
-Ok em yêu, để anh gọi phục vụ.
-What should we eat today, sweetheart? The menu has so many dishes — you pick.
-Let me look through it first... What do you feel like eating, hotpot or grilled food?
-I'm fine with anything, I'll go along with what you want. But I heard this place is famous for its Thai hotpot, babe."
-Then let's order Thai hotpot! It's been a while since we had hotpot together.
-Okay my love, let me call the waiter.
Putting in the extra effort to go beyond "anh" and "em" can make all the difference in the world to the one you love most. Forget grand gestures! Sometimes it's just so simple to make your Vietnamese partner melt by saying "my love" in Vietnamese (with correct tones!)
