Keeping it going
You want her name but asking straight out feels like an interrogation.
How to say “I'm Eric. And you?” in Vietnamese
Anh tên Eric. Còn em?
ang ten Eric. kon em
Rough sound, not the tones. Short sentence, and smile.
literally: I name Eric. and you
Safe
Why it works
Giving first is the Vietnamese default in a friendly exchange. 'Còn em?' hands her the turn without a question word, which is why it sounds soft.
Careful
Replace Eric with your own name, obviously, and say it slowly: Vietnamese ears rarely catch a foreign name the first time.
What she says back
- Em tên Ngọc. Anh là người nước nào?Green light
I'm Ngoc. Where are you from?
→ She just gave you the next two minutes. Answer, then ask it back.
Then. anh-nguoi-phap