Nhạn was born in 1952. Nhạn's father was Sảng and her mother was Kim-Cúc Phạm quang. Her paternal grandparents were Tại and Yên Nguyễn. She has two brothers and five sisters, named Yến, Tuấn, Oanh, Loan, Nga, Thúy and Hồng. She is the youngest of the eight children.