Beginner · Unit 10 · B85

Cho hỏi... — Opening a question politely and naturally

Use cho hỏi as a conventional way to open a question, combine it with ơi, address terms and ạ, and understand why its meaning cannot be derived by translating cho and hỏi separately.

Beginner Unit 10 Lesson 85 of 107

What you will learn

Cho hỏi... is one of the most useful ways to begin a question to someone you do not know well. Learn it as a social pattern, not as a word-by-word translation.

1. Cho hỏi...

Cho hỏi, nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?
Cho hỏi, mấy giờ rồi?
Cho hỏi, đường này đi đâu?

The phrase prepares the listener for a question.

2. Do not translate cho + hỏi separately

Cho often has meanings such as give/allow/for in other contexts. Hỏi means ask.

But cho hỏi in this use is best learned as a conventional question opener. “Give ask” is not useful English and does not explain the social function.

3. Chị ơi, cho hỏi...

Chị ơi, cho hỏi nhà ga ở đâu?
Anh ơi, cho hỏi chỗ này có wifi không?

B79 and B85 combine naturally: get the person’s attention, then open the question.

4. Add ạ

A respectful version may be:

Bác ơi, cho cháu hỏi bến xe ở đâu ạ?

Here cháu makes the speaker’s position explicit. Ạ marks respect.

5. Cho tôi hỏi / cho em hỏi / cho cháu hỏi

Cho tôi hỏi...
Cho em hỏi...
Cho cháu hỏi...

Adding a self-reference makes the structure fuller. Which self-reference fits depends on relationship.

6. The shorter cho hỏi is very common

You do not always need:

Cho tôi hỏi...

The compact:

Cho hỏi...

can be natural, especially when the situation already makes the speaker/listener roles obvious.

7. Xin hỏi

You may also encounter xin hỏi, especially in more formal or written styles.

B85 prioritizes cho hỏi because it is highly useful in ordinary interaction. Do not assume one phrase is universally “more polite” in every setting.

8. Cho hỏi is not a substitute for address

Using cho hỏi does not mean you can ignore forms of address. In many situations, the combination:

Anh ơi, cho em hỏi...

sounds more socially grounded than a pronoun-free phrase alone.

9. Ask for location

Cho hỏi, nhà ga ở đâu?
Chị ơi, cho hỏi nhà vệ sinh ở đâu ạ?

This reuses Unit 8 without teaching directions again.

10. Ask about availability

Cho hỏi, hôm nay cửa hàng có mở không?
Anh ơi, cho hỏi còn bàn trống không?

Later Unit 11 situations will reuse this pattern repeatedly.

11. A short conversation

Khách: Chị ơi, cho hỏi nhà vệ sinh ở đâu ạ?

Nhân viên: Ở cuối hành lang, bên trái ạ.

Khách: Cảm ơn chị.

Nhân viên: Dạ.

12. Tone still matters

Cho hỏi... can sound neutral and polite in ordinary use, but an impatient or demanding tone can still change the effect. No phrase works independently of voice and context.

13. Useful patterns

Cho hỏi...
[person] ơi, cho hỏi...
Cho [self-reference] hỏi...
... ạ?

14. Common beginner mistakes

Translating cho hỏi word by word.
Thinking the longer cho tôi hỏi is always better than the shorter form.
Ignoring address terms.
Assuming the phrase itself guarantees politeness regardless of tone.

Try it

Ask a shop worker where the restroom is.
Ask an older person where the bus station is using respectful address.
Ask whether a shop is open today.
Explain why cho hỏi should be learned as a whole pattern.

Quick recap

Cho hỏi... is a conventional Vietnamese question opener. Combine it naturally with ơi, relationship terms and ạ when the situation calls for them.

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