# Người ta: one / people in Vietnamese (A2)

> Người ta (literally "people") is the general "they" or "people": Người ta nói tiếng Việt khó lắm. People say Vietnamese is really hard.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nguoi-ta/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**one / people**

Pattern: `người ta + [verb]`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: nguoi ta

*Người ta* (literally "people") is the general "they" or "people": *Người ta nói tiếng Việt khó lắm.* People say Vietnamese is really hard. Use it for what people usually do, or what's said, without naming anyone: *Ở đây người ta ăn sáng sớm lắm.* People here have breakfast really early.

It also covers "they" or "someone" when you don't know or don't care who: *Người ta đang sửa đường.* They're fixing the road. Where English uses a general "you" ("you don't do that here"), Vietnamese often uses *người ta*, or leaves the subject out: *Ở đây người ta không làm vậy.*

*Họ* is "they" for a group you could point to: those tourists, that company. For people in general, *người ta* is the natural word.

In casual speech, *người ta* can also mean one particular person you'd rather not name: *Người ta có bạn gái rồi.* He's already got a girlfriend. Between friends and couples it can even mean "me", said with a pout: *Người ta giận rồi đó!* I'm cross now! The tone of voice makes this clear.

## Examples

- Người ta nói tiếng Việt khó lắm. — People say Vietnamese is really hard.
- Ở đây người ta ăn sáng sớm lắm. — People here have breakfast really early.
- Saigon: Người ta đang sửa đường, mình đi đường khác nha. | Hà Nội: Người ta đang sửa đường, mình đi đường khác nhé. — They're fixing the road, let's go another way.
- Saigon: Người ta giận rồi đó! | Hà Nội: Người ta giận rồi đấy! — I'm cross now! (said with a pout, to a friend or partner)

## Words in this pattern

- [người ta](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/nguoi-ta/#s_nguoi_ta): people

## Compare

- [You all, they: các anh, các chị ấy, họ](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cac-plural-you/): plural you / they
- [Holding a view: cho rằng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/cho-rang/): hold that, believe

Previous in Talking to and about people: [Casual I and you between friends: tui – ông / bà, tao – mày, tớ – cậu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tao-may/)
Next in Talking to and about people: [He, she with a negative tone: hắn, y, ả](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/han-negative/)

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