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

> ông means “you or I” in Vietnamese. It can also mean grandfather, you (friends). Examples with audio, in Northern and Southern wording.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/ong-you-or-i/ · Updated 2026-10-31

**ông**: you or I · grandfather · you (friends)

Level: A1 (our estimate)

Typed without accents: ong

## 1. you or I (pronoun)

A man your grandparents' age: you call him *ông* and yourself *con* (in Hà Nội *cháu*), and he calls himself *ông*.

Before a name, *ông* is also Mr.: *ông Nam*.

- Saigon: Dạ, con chào ông. | Hà Nội: Cháu chào ông ạ. — Hello. (to a man your grandfather's age)
- Saigon: Ông mua kem cho con nè. | Hà Nội: Ông mua kem cho cháu này. — I bought you an ice cream. (a grandfather to a child)

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. grandfather (noun)

grandfather, grandpa

Your father's father is *ông nội*, your mother's father *ông ngoại*.

- Ông tôi thích uống trà. — My grandfather likes drinking tea.
- Tôi thương ông lắm. — I love my grandpa very much.

Level: A1

## 3. you (friends) (pronoun)

you

Saigon friends of the same age say *tui* for I, *ông* to a man and *bà* to a woman. Familiar, but not rude.

- Saigon: Tối nay ông rảnh không? | Hà Nội: Tối nay cậu rảnh không? — Are you free tonight? (to a male friend)
- Saigon: Ông nói đúng đó. | Hà Nội: Cậu nói đúng đấy. — You're right. (to a male friend)

Also: [bà](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/ba-grandmother/#s_ba_you_friends).

In Hà Nội you say [cậu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/cau-you-friends/#s_cau_you_friends).

Level: A1 · Saigon only · casual · familiar · to recognize

Grammar: [Casual I and you between friends: tui – ông / bà, tao – mày, tớ – cậu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tao-may/)

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Next: [ổng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/ong-he/)

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