…, isn't it? (inviting agreement): ha / nhỉ

Ha at the end of a remark invites the other person to agree, like "…, isn't it?" or "…, huh?": Nóng quá ha? Hot, isn't it? Quán này ngon ha! This place is good, huh? In Hà Nội it's nhỉ: Nóng quá nhỉ?

Use it when you share a feeling or an opinion you expect the other person to share: the weather, the food, a place, someone you both know. In Saigon you'll also hear hen or hén, which sound warm and chatty: Hôm nay đông hen! It's busy today, isn't it? The answer is usually just agreement: Ừ, nóng lắm to a friend, Dạ, đúng rồi to someone older.

Ha doesn't really ask. Phải không checks a fact you're not sure of; with ha, you already think it's true and want company in it. Keep it apart from hả, with the little hook on top, which reacts to news you've just heard: Em nghỉ việc hả? And nha (in Hà Nội, nhé) goes with suggestions and promises.

In Hà Nội, nhỉ also follows a question you ask yourself: Anh ấy tên gì nhỉ? What's his name again? In Saigon that's ta: Ảnh tên gì ta?