Practical Travel Advice
"Bao nhieu tien?" (how much does this cost?) and "Cho toi xin hoa don" (may I have the bill?) cover most transactional moments at markets and restaurants. Tones matter more than exact pronunciation, so do not be discouraged if a phrase takes a few tries to land.
Learning the numbers one through ten unlocks prices, addresses, and phone numbers, which covers more daily situations than most longer phrases combined.