Tôi thích áo màu xanh.

I

Breakdown of Tôi thích áo màu xanh.

• thích: to like
• màu xanh: green
• áo: the shirt

Questions & Answers about Tôi thích áo màu xanh.

In Tôi thích áo màu xanh, what does tôi mean exactly, and is it always the right word for I?

Tôi means I / me and is a neutral, fairly polite pronoun for referring to yourself.

• It’s safe in many situations: with strangers, in writing, in class, in formal speech.
• However, Vietnamese pronouns depend a lot on age, relationship, and context. Very commonly people use:
  • em for “I” when speaking to someone older or in a higher position
  • anh for “I” if you are a man speaking to someone younger or to a woman of similar age
  • chị for “I” if you are a woman speaking to someone younger or to a man of similar age
  • con when speaking to parents, much older people, or in religious context (to God)

So Tôi thích áo màu xanh is grammatically correct and neutral, but real-life speech often replaces tôi with another pronoun depending on who you’re talking to.

What does áo mean? Is it specifically shirt, or can it mean clothes in general?

Áo is a general word for a piece of clothing worn on the upper body. Its meaning depends on context:

• On its own, áo usually means shirt/top, but not very specific.
• More specific types:
  • áo sơ mi – dress shirt, button-up shirt
  • áo thun – T‑shirt
  • áo khoác – jacket
  • áo len – sweater
• It does not normally mean all clothes in general; that would be (literally , but means ).