# anh meaning in Vietnamese: you or I (A1)

> anh means “you or I” in Vietnamese. It can also mean older brother. Examples with audio, in Northern and Southern wording.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/anh-brother/ · Updated 2026-10-31

**anh**: you or I · older brother

Level: A1 (our estimate)

## 1. you or I (pronoun)

A man a little older than you: you call him *anh* and yourself *em*, and he calls himself *anh*.

Partners use it too: she calls him *anh*, and he calls her *em*.

- Anh ơi, tính tiền! — Excuse me, can I have the check? (to a waiter a bit older than you)
- Anh đi trước nha, mai gặp em. — I'll head off first; see you tomorrow. (a man to someone younger)

Level: A1

Grammar: [You and I are family words: anh, chị, em, cô, chú, ba / mẹ and con, thầy / cô and em](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/address-kinship/)

## 2. older brother (noun)

Vietnamese always says which: *anh* is an older brother, *em trai* a younger one.

- Anh của em tên là Minh. — My older brother is called Minh.
- Anh tôi đang làm ở Hà Nội. — My older brother is working in Hà Nội.

Level: A1

Previous: [ai](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/ai-who/)
Next: [Anh](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/anh-england/)

---

Add to Vietnamese Buddy: https://app.vietnamesebuddy.com/waitlist?source=word%3Aw_anh_brother
In the app, any word you meet while reading can go into your lexicon with its audio, ready to study with flashcards and spaced repetition.