Keeping it going
She told you something about herself and you need to react in under a second.
How to say “That sounds cool” in Vietnamese
Nghe hay đó.
ngeh hai daw
Rough sound, not the tones. Short sentence, and smile.
literally: hear interesting there
Why it works
Three syllables that prove you followed. In the North people say 'nghe hay đấy' instead; 'đó' is Saigon.
Careful
Use it once. Said after every sentence it becomes obvious you are not actually listening.
What she says back
- Dạ, tại vì...Green light
Yeah, because...
→ She kept going, which is the whole point of the line. Do not add anything: let her finish, then ask about the thing she just said.
- Bình thường mà.She's curious
It's nothing special.
→ Vietnamese modesty, not a brush-off. Ask one precise question about the same subject and she will carry on.
- Dạ.Could go either way
Mm.
→ One syllable and nothing after it: that subject is finished. Change it once. If the next answer is one syllable too, wind it down.