Naming the person softens a command: anh / em (ơi) first, then the verb

A verb on its own is a command: Ngồi xuống! Sit down! It's blunt, the way you'd talk to a small child or shout in a hurry. In everyday speech, Vietnamese softens a request by naming the person first, with the same word you always call them: Chị chờ em chút nha. Wait for me a moment, OK?

To get someone's attention first, add ơi after their word, then a pause: Em ơi, tính tiền! Excuse me, the bill please. This is how you call a waiter, a shopkeeper or a friend across the room. A name works too: Lan ơi, lại đây! Lan, come here!

Most requests also end with a softener: đi to urge (Anh ngồi đi), or nha to ask nicely (in Hà Nội, nhé). With the person's word and a softener, a request sounds warm rather than bossy. Parents talk to children the same way: Con ăn cơm đi.

A bare verb is fine on signs, in instructions and in an emergency. With people, start with their word.