# chén meaning in Vietnamese: bowl (A2)

> chén means “bowl, rice bowl” in Vietnamese. It can also mean small cup. Examples with audio, in Northern and Southern wording.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/chen-bowl/ · Updated 2026-10-31

**chén**: bowl · small cup

Level: A2 (our estimate)

Typed without accents: chen

## 1. bowl (noun)

bowl, rice bowl

In Saigon the small rice bowl; a big noodle bowl is *tô*. In Hà Nội *chén* is a small cup for tea or rice wine, and the rice bowl is *bát*.

- Saigon: Cho em thêm một chén cơm. | Hà Nội: Cho em thêm một bát cơm. — Another bowl of rice for me, please.
- Saigon: Con rửa chén giùm mẹ nha. | Hà Nội: Con rửa bát giúp mẹ nhé. — Could you do the dishes for me, sweetheart?

In Hà Nội you say [bát](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/bat-bowl/#s_bat_bowl).

Also: [tô](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/to-bowl/#lx_to_bowl).

Level: A2 · Saigon only

## 2. small cup (noun)

cup, small cup, teacup

The Hà Nội meaning: a small cup for tea or rice wine. In Saigon *chén* is a rice bowl, and a teacup is *tách*.

- Mời bác uống chén nước chè. — Please have a cup of tea.
- Ông tôi uống một chén rượu trước bữa cơm. — My grandfather has a small cup of rice wine before dinner.

Level: A2 · Hà Nội only · to recognize

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