Bạn nên giữ hóa đơn.

You should keep the receipt.

Breakdown of Bạn nên giữ hóa đơn.

• bạn: you
• nên: should
• giữ hóa đơn: to keep the receipt

Questions & Answers about Bạn nên giữ hóa đơn.

What does bạn mean here?

Bạn means you.

In Vietnamese, bạn is a common, neutral way to say you when talking to:

• a friend
• a classmate
• someone around your age
• someone in an informal but polite situation

Unlike English, Vietnamese has many different words for you depending on age, relationship, and social context. So bạn is not the only possible choice, but it is a very common one for learners to meet early on.

What does nên mean?

Nên means should or ought to.

It is used to give advice, recommendations, or gentle suggestions.

So in Bạn nên giữ hóa đơn, nên shows that the speaker is advising the listener to keep the receipt, not commanding them.

Compare:

• Bạn nên giữ hóa đơn. = You should keep the receipt.
• Bạn phải giữ hóa đơn. = You must keep the receipt.

So nên is softer than phải.

What does giữ mean in this sentence?

Giữ means to keep, to hold onto, or to retain.

In this sentence, it means keep in the sense of not throwing something away.

Examples:

• giữ tiền = keep money
• giữ chỗ = save/hold a seat
• giữ bí mật = keep a secret

Here, giữ hóa đơn means keep the receipt.