意思
Apologizing for tardiness
文化背景
The concept of 'Giờ cao su' (Rubber band time) means that being 10-15 minutes late to a social gathering is often not considered 'late' at all, but an apology is still expected to maintain harmony. Hanoians tend to be more formal and may use 'muộn'. Punctuality in business is taken very seriously in the capital. Saigonese are generally more relaxed and use 'trễ'. The apology is often followed by a quick joke to lighten the mood. In modern tech companies, punctuality is a sign of professionalism. Arriving late without an apology can damage your reputation (loss of 'face').
The 'Ạ' Factor
Always add 'ạ' at the end when apologizing to someone older. It instantly makes you sound 10x more polite.
Don't Just Say 'Sorry'
While young people use the English 'Sorry', using the full Vietnamese phrase shows much more respect for the culture.
意思
Apologizing for tardiness
The 'Ạ' Factor
Always add 'ạ' at the end when apologizing to someone older. It instantly makes you sound 10x more polite.
Don't Just Say 'Sorry'
While young people use the English 'Sorry', using the full Vietnamese phrase shows much more respect for the culture.
自我测试
Fill in the missing word to complete the apology.
Tôi xin lỗi ___ đã đến muộn.
'Vì' is the correct conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for' in this context.
Which sentence is the most polite when speaking to a teacher?
Choose the best option:
This version uses the correct pronoun 'Em', addresses the 'thầy', and uses the polite particle 'ạ'.
Match the phrase to the region.
Where would you most likely hear 'Xin lỗi vì đã đến trễ'?
'Trễ' is the preferred word for 'late' in Southern Vietnam.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Mọi người đợi lâu chưa? B: Không sao, ________.
This is the standard polite response to an apology for lateness.
🎉 得分： /4
视觉学习工具
Regional Differences
North (Hanoi)
- • Muộn
- • Xin lỗi vì đã đến muộn
South (Saigon)
- • Trễ
- • Xin lỗi vì đã đến trễ
练习题库
4 练习Tôi xin lỗi ___ đã đến muộn.
'Vì' is the correct conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for' in this context.
Choose the best option:
This version uses the correct pronoun 'Em', addresses the 'thầy', and uses the polite particle 'ạ'.
Where would you most likely hear 'Xin lỗi vì đã đến trễ'?
'Trễ' is the preferred word for 'late' in Southern Vietnam.
A: Mọi người đợi lâu chưa? B: Không sao, ________.
This is the standard polite response to an apology for lateness.
🎉 得分： /4
常见问题
4 个问题It depends on where you are. Use 'muộn' in the North (Hanoi) and 'trễ' in the South (Saigon). Both are understood everywhere.
In casual speech, you can just say 'Xin lỗi, mình đến muộn'. But 'vì đã' makes the sentence grammatically complete and more formal.
In Vietnam, 2 minutes is usually not considered late. A simple 'Chào mọi người' is enough, but a quick 'Xin lỗi nhé' doesn't hurt.
Yes, but for business emails, 'Tôi xin lỗi vì sự chậm trễ này' (I apologize for this delay) is more professional.
相关表达
Xin lỗi vì để bạn phải chờ
similarSorry for making you wait
Tôi đến trễ một chút
variationI'm arriving a bit late
Thông cảm nhé
builds onPlease sympathize/understand
Đúng giờ
contrastOn time
