Casual I and you between friends: tui – ông / bà, tao – mày, tớ – cậu

Close friends of the same age often drop the family words and use pairs of their own. You'll hear them in the street, among students and in films, so it helps to recognise them. Use them only once your friends use them with you.

In Saigon, friends often say tui for "I" and ông (to a man) or bà (to a woman) for "you": Tui nói bà nghe nè. Listen, I've got something to tell you. Here ông and bà don't mean grandpa and grandma. They're familiar and a little playful, not rude.

Tao (I) and mày (you) are the most casual pair, the same in both regions. Between old friends, often from school days, they sound close and easy: Tao chờ mày nãy giờ đó! I've been waiting for you for ages! With anyone else they're rude, and in a quarrel they show anger.

In Hà Nội, young friends and students often say tớ and cậu, which sound soft and friendly: Cậu ăn gì chưa? Have you eaten yet?

When in doubt, stay with anh, chị and em, or with mình and bạn for people your own age.