Chúng ta gọi món nhé.

Let's order food.

Breakdown of Chúng ta gọi món nhé.

• chúng ta: we
• nhé: (softener)
• gọi món: to order food

Questions & Answers about Chúng ta gọi món nhé.

What does chúng ta mean here, and how is it different from chúng tôi?

Chúng ta means we/us including the listener. In this sentence, the speaker is inviting the other person or group to order together.

By contrast, chúng tôi means we/us not including the listener.

So:

• Chúng ta gọi món nhé. = Let’s order. / We should order now.
  → the listener is included
• Chúng tôi gọi món nhé. = We’ll order now.
  → the listener is not included

This inclusive/exclusive distinction is very important in Vietnamese and is something English does not normally show.

What does gọi món mean literally, and is it the normal way to say order food?

Yes. Gọi món is a very common way to say to order dishes/food, especially in a restaurant.

Literally:

• gọi = to call
• món = dish, item of food

So the expression originally has the sense of calling out the dishes you want, but in natural English it is simply to order food.

Other expressions you may also hear:

• gọi đồ ăn = order food
• gọi món ăn = order dishes/food
• đặt món = order dishes, sometimes a bit more formal or menu-focused

In everyday restaurant Vietnamese, gọi món is very natural.

Why is it món and not một món?