The Asking Tone (Thanh Hỏi)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The 'Thanh Hỏi' is a dipping tone that starts mid-range, dips down, and rises back up, sounding like a hesitant 'really?'
- Start at a medium pitch and dip slightly downward.
- Immediately rise back up to a higher pitch.
- Keep the duration slightly longer than a flat tone.
Tone Formation Guide
| Tone Name | Symbol | Contour | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Thanh Hỏi
|
Hook ( ̉ )
|
Dip-Rise
|
Cỏ
|
|
Thanh Ngang
|
None
|
Flat
|
Co
|
|
Thanh Sắc
|
Acute ( ´ )
|
Rising
|
Có
|
|
Thanh Huyền
|
Grave ( ` )
|
Falling
|
Cò
|
|
Thanh Nặng
|
Dot ( . )
|
Low-Drop
|
Cọ
|
|
Thanh Ngã
|
Tilde ( ~ )
|
Glottal-Rise
|
Cõ
|
Meanings
The Thanh Hỏi (marked with a hook above the vowel) is one of the six tones in Vietnamese, characterized by a dipping-rising contour.
Standard Tonal Marker
Used to indicate the specific pitch contour of a syllable.
“Cỏ (grass)”
“Bỏ (to leave)”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Verb + Object
|
Tôi bỏ thẻ.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + không + Verb
|
Tôi không bỏ.
|
|
Question
|
Verb + không?
|
Có bỏ không?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Yes/No
|
Có / Không.
|
|
Emphasis
|
Subject + thật sự + Verb
|
Tôi thật sự bỏ.
|
|
Polite
|
Xin + Verb
|
Xin bỏ qua.
|
Spectre de formalité
Tôi xin cảm ơn. (Gratitude)
Cảm ơn. (Gratitude)
Cảm ơn nhé. (Gratitude)
Thanks! (Gratitude)
The Tonal Family
Dipping
- Hỏi Asking
Flat
- Ngang Level
Exemples par niveau
Cỏ xanh.
Green grass.
Bỏ đi.
Leave it.
Thẻ này.
This card.
Cảm ơn.
Thank you.
Tôi thích cỏ.
I like grass.
Bạn có thẻ không?
Do you have a card?
Đừng bỏ tôi.
Don't leave me.
Cảm ơn bạn nhiều.
Thank you very much.
Cỏ trong vườn rất đẹp.
The grass in the garden is beautiful.
Anh ấy đã bỏ công việc.
He quit his job.
Hãy đưa thẻ cho tôi.
Please give the card to me.
Tôi cảm thấy mệt.
I feel tired.
Việc bỏ qua lỗi lầm là cần thiết.
Overlooking mistakes is necessary.
Cảm xúc của cô ấy rất phức tạp.
Her emotions are very complex.
Thẻ thành viên này có giá trị.
This membership card is valid.
Cỏ dại mọc khắp nơi.
Weeds grow everywhere.
Sự cảm thông là chìa khóa.
Empathy is the key.
Anh ta bỏ lỡ cơ hội vàng.
He missed a golden opportunity.
Thẻ tín dụng bị từ chối.
The credit card was declined.
Cỏ non xanh tận chân trời.
Young grass is green to the horizon.
Cảm quan nghệ thuật của anh ấy rất tinh tế.
His artistic sensibility is very refined.
Việc bỏ mặc hậu quả là vô trách nhiệm.
Ignoring the consequences is irresponsible.
Thẻ căn cước được cấp mới.
The ID card was issued anew.
Cỏ khô cháy rụi dưới nắng.
Dry grass burned under the sun.
Facile à confondre
Both involve a rise, but Ngã has a break.
Both dip, but Huyền stays down.
Both rise, but Sắc starts high.
Erreurs courantes
Co
Cỏ
Có
Cỏ
Cò
Cỏ
Cọ
Cỏ
Cõ
Cỏ
Cò
Cỏ
Cỏ (too long)
Cỏ
Cỏ (flat)
Cỏ
Cỏ (too deep)
Cỏ
Cỏ (too high)
Cỏ
Cỏ (inconsistent)
Cỏ
Cỏ (merged)
Cỏ
Cỏ (weak)
Cỏ
Structures de phrases
Tôi có ___.
Đừng bỏ ___.
Tôi cảm thấy ___.
___ là rất quan trọng.
Real World Usage
Cam on ban!
Cho tôi thẻ này.
Tôi cảm ơn cơ hội này.
Thẻ này có dùng được không?
Cỏ xanh quá!
Bỏ hành nhé.
Use a Mirror
Don't Rush
Record Yourself
Listen to Locals
Smart Tips
Use a hand gesture to mimic the tone contour.
Hum the tone instead of saying the word.
Don't be afraid to exaggerate the tone.
Pause slightly before words with the Asking Tone.
Prononciation
The Hook
The hook ( ̉ ) sits on the vowel and signals the dip-rise.
Questioning
Cỏ? ↘↗
High rising at the end.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think of a 'Question Mark'—the hook looks like a question mark, and the tone sounds like one.
Association visuelle
Imagine a bird diving into water (dip) and flying back up (rise).
Rhyme
Hook on top, dip and rise, the Asking Tone is a surprise.
Story
A little bird named 'Cỏ' (Grass) was hungry. It dove down to catch a worm (dip) and flew back up to its nest (rise). Now it is happy.
Word Web
Défi
Record yourself saying 'Cỏ' 10 times, focusing on the dip-rise, then listen back.
Notes culturelles
The tone is very distinct and clear.
The tone often merges with the falling tone.
The tone is often very low and short.
The tone system evolved from Middle Vietnamese, influenced by surrounding Austroasiatic languages.
Amorces de conversation
Bạn có thẻ không?
Bạn cảm thấy thế nào?
Tại sao bạn bỏ công việc đó?
Cảm quan của bạn về nghệ thuật là gì?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
C_ (grass)
Select the word:
Find and fix the mistake:
Toi cam on.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: Cảm ơn! B: ___
Use 'thẻ' in a sentence.
Cỏ -> (Falling tone)
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesC_ (grass)
Select the word:
Find and fix the mistake:
Toi cam on.
thẻ / tôi / bỏ / .
Cỏ - Grass, Bỏ - Leave
A: Cảm ơn! B: ___
Use 'thẻ' in a sentence.
Cỏ -> (Falling tone)
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
It requires new muscle memory in your throat.
No, it changes the meaning of words.
Record yourself and listen back.
Similar to the 3rd tone, but shorter.
Keep listening to native audio.
Yes, it interacts with intonation.
Yes, but often omitted by youth.
Flattening the tone.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
3rd Tone
Vietnamese tone is slightly shorter.
Pitch accent
Vietnamese tones change word meaning entirely.
Intonation
Pitch in Spanish is for emotion, not meaning.
Intonation
French has no lexical tones.
Stress
German is a stress-timed language.
Emphasis
Arabic does not use pitch contours for words.
