cho + Person + Noun
Give Me / Let Me Have
cho (to give) + Recipient (me/you) + Item (what you want)
How It Works
To use this pattern, place the recipient immediately after the verb cho, followed by the item you are requesting.
- Basic structure: Cho + tôi + [Item]
- Getting attention: In real-world usage, this pattern is frequently preceded by calling the server with a kinship pronoun + ơi (e.g., Em ơi, cho anh một ly cà phê).
- Natural phrasing: The item usually includes a number and a classifier or measure word (e.g., một ly [one glass], hai tô [two bowls]). You can also append common modifiers to the end of your request, such as không đá (no ice) or không hành (no onion).
- Elevating politeness: To sound more natural and respectful, swap the neutral pronoun tôi for an appropriate kinship pronoun (like em, anh, or cháu, depending on your age, gender, social status, and relationship relative to the listener) and add a final particle like nhé or ạ.
- Extra politeness: A standard, highly polite way to ask for something is to add xin (to request), making it Cho tôi xin + [Item] or simply Cho xin + [Item].
- Casual settings: In fast-paced environments like street food stalls, native speakers frequently drop the pronoun and even the classifier entirely, just using Cho + [Item] (e.g., Cho một phở bò instead of Cho một tô phở bò).
Important Note: While cho is the standard, quick way to request items, you can still use muốn (to want) for ordering, especially for complex requests or when saying 'I want to order' (Tôi muốn gọi món). Also, distinguish this from Verb + cho + Person, where cho acts as "for" rather than the main verb "to give". Finally, if a verb replaces the noun, the meaning shifts to "Let/Allow me to [Verb]" (e.g., Cho tôi xem [Let me see]), which is the cho + Person + Verb pattern.
Examples (4)
- Cho tôi một tô phở bò.
Give me one bowl of beef pho. / I'd like a bowl of beef pho.
Word by Word: Give me one bowl pho beef.
The standard, neutral way to order a dish. Notice the use of the classifier "tô" (bowl).
- Cho anh hai ly trà đá.
Give me two glasses of iced tea.
Word by Word: Give older-brother two glass tea ice.
Using "anh" instead of "tôi" makes the request more natural when the male speaker is slightly older than the staff.
- Cho cháu thực đơn nhé.
Please give me the menu.
Word by Word: Give niece/nephew menu [soft particle].
Adding "nhé" softens the request, and "cháu" shows respect to an older server.
- Cho em một chai nước suối ạ.
I would like a bottle of mineral water, please.
Word by Word: Give younger-sibling one bottle water spring [polite particle].
"ạ" is used at the end of the sentence to show high respect to someone older.
Common Mistakes
Thinking "Cho tôi" is rude and avoiding it entirely when ordering simple items.
Tôi muốn một cái bánh mì.Cho tôi một cái bánh mì.In English, "give me" sounds demanding, but in Vietnamese, cho is the polite, culturally expected way to order simple items. While "Tôi muốn..." (I want...) is perfectly fine for complex requests or saying "I want to order", using cho is much more natural for direct, quick item requests.
Putting the object before the person (English word order).
Cho một ly cà phê cho tôi.Cho tôi một ly cà phê.The recipient (tôi) must come directly after the verb cho, before the item you are requesting.
Omitting the classifier or measure word when ordering a specific quantity.
Cho tôi một nước.Cho tôi một chai nước.When ordering, you strongly need a classifier or measure word (like chai/bottle, ly/glass, tô/bowl) before the noun to sound natural.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use this pattern for ordering or requesting, you first need to understand the basic verb 'cho' (to give). You also need to know how to address people using Vietnamese pronouns and how to correctly structure a noun phrase using classifiers and numbers.
- choTo Give / for
The verb 'cho' (to give) is the core component of this pattern, used here in a specific ditransitive construction.
Level 1 - Counting Frame
The 'Noun' slot in this ordering pattern usually requires a classifier and often a number (e.g., 'một cái bánh mì'), making the counting frame a necessary building block.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Verb + cho + PersonDo It for Someone
In the target pattern, "cho" is the main verb ("to give"). In this related pattern, "cho" acts as a preposition meaning "for" (e.g., "mua cho tôi" = buy for me).
Level 3 - muốnWant to
While "muốn" (to want) can be used for complex orders or stating you want to order, "cho" is the standard, natural verb for quick, direct item requests.
Level 1 - Pronouns Come From Kinship
To make "cho + Person" sound truly natural, you should replace "tôi" with the correct kinship pronoun based on your age relative to the listener.
Foundations
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice cho + Person + Noun in Bubblegum
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