Vietnamese for foreigners - Ting Vit cho ngi nc ngoi

INTRODUCTION
The Vietnamese language is the communicative language of Vietnamese people
and also the mother-tongue of Viet people (also named as Kinh, the major ethnic
group in Vietnam). The formation of a common language used by the entire
people is a hard task due to the diversity of dialects and accents. Vietnamese is
based on melodious syllables and stressed accent. Accent has an important role
to play in helping distinguish and identify the meaning of the sayings. There also
exist numerous accents in the Vietnamese language, among which the most
common and favorite is the Southern one. This accent seems to be different form
the a standard one as its pronunciation is based heavily on the main sound
disregard of the standard accent and even grammar. Vietnamese is a monosyllabic
language with each articulated sound carrying a certain meaning. Also, it offers
innumerable pairs of compound words, which are comprised of 2, 3 or even for
constituent single sounds.
The Vietnamese language has been formed and developed for many centuries
now. Documents of early feudal dynasties used Chinese and not until the birth of
Nom (Demotic script) language in 14th century was it employed in both speaking
and writing, especially in composing literature. In 17th century, Vietnamese or
namely national language came to existing. Its origin is closely related to
Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French propagators working in South East Asia
countries.
Those invented a new writing script as the mean to express the Vietnamese
language. The most noticeable contributors to the formation and studying
Vietnamese at that time was a French vicar named Alexandre de Rhode with his
publication of one of the first Vietnamese dictionary and grammar called
Vietnamese Portuguese Latin Dictionary. Initially, Vietnamese was used
merely for the purpose of propagation but was soon popularised officially when
French people imposed their colonial regime on Vietnam. To some extents,
Vietnamese was originally the tools for ruling of colonists, but then, thanks to its
convenience, Vietnamese became popular. Moreover, its easy-to-pronounce
alphabet system and combination enabled it to overcome any criticism.
(VietSens)
Vietnamese (ting Vit, or less commonly Vit ng) is the national and official
language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population,
and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second
language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam. It is part of the Austro-Asiatic
language family, of which it has the most speakers by a significant margin
(several times larger than the other Austro-Asiatic languages put together). Much
of Vietnamese vocabulary has been borrowed from Chinese, and it was formerly
written using the Chinese writing system, albeit in a modified format and was
given vernacular pronunciation. As a byproduct of French colonial rule, the
language displays some influence from French, and the Vietnamese writing
system (quc ng) in use today is an adapted version of the Latin alphabet, with
additional diacritics for tones and certain letters.
As the national language of the majority ethnic group, Vietnamese is spoken
throughout Vietnam by the Vietnamese people, as well as by ethnic minorities. It
is also spoken in overseas Vietnamese communities, most notably in the United
States, where it has more than one million speakers and is the seventh mostspoken language (it is 3rd in Texas, 4th in Arkansas and Louisiana, and 5th in

California). In Australia, it is the sixth most-spoken language.

According to the Ethnologue, Vietnamese is also spoken by substantial numbers
of people in Cambodia, Canada, China, Cte d'Ivoire, Czech Republic, Finland,
France, Germany, Laos, Martinique, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, Norway, the
Philippines, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Taiwan, Thailand, the United
Kingdom, and Vanuatu.
" At first, as Vietnamese has tones and shares a large vocabulary with Chinese, it
was grouped into Sino-Tibetan. Later, it was found that the tones of Vietnamese
appeared very recently (Andr-Georges Haudricourt-1954) and the Chinese-like
vocabulary is also borrowed from Han Chinese during their shared history (1992);
these two aspects had nothing to do with the origin of Vietnamese. Vietnamese
was then classified into the Kam-Tai subfamily of Daic together with Zhuang
(including Nung and Ty in North Vietnam) and Thai, after removing the surface
influences of Chinese. Nevertheless, the Daic aspects were also borrowed from
Zhuang in their long history of being neighbors (Andr-Georges Haudricourt) , not
original aspects of Vietnamese. Finally, Vietnamese was classified into the AustroAsiatic linguistic family, the Mon-Khmer subfamily, Viet-Moung branch (1992)
after more studies were done. Kinh is the largest population in Vietnam.
According to Fudan University's 2006 study, it belongs to Mon-Khmer
linguistically, but there is no last word for its origin.
Henri Maspero maintained the Vietnamese Language of Thai-Origin, and the
Reverend Father Souvignet traced it to the Indo-Malay group. A.G. Haudricourt
had refuted the thesis of Maspero and concluded that Vietnamese is properly
placed in the Austro-Asiatic family. None of these theories quite explain the origin
of the Vietnamese language. One thing, however, remains certain: Vietnamese is
not a pure language. It seems to be a blend of several languages, ancient and
modern, encountered throughout history following successive contacts between
foreign peoples and the people of Vietnam.
While spoken by the Vietnamese people for millennia, written Vietnamese did not
become the official administrative language of Vietnam until the 20th century. For
most of its history, the entity now known as Vietnam used written classical
Chinese. In the 13th century, however, the country invented Ch nm, a writing
system making use of Chinese characters with phonetic elements in order to
better suit the tones associated with the Vietnamese language. Ch nm was
proven to be much more efficient than classical Chinese characters that it was
extensively used in the 17th and 18th centuries for poetry and literature. Ch
nm was used for administrative purposes during the brief H and Ty Sn
Dynasties. During French colonialism, French superseded Chinese in
administration. It was not until independence from France that Vietnamese was
used officially. It is the language of instruction in schools and universities and is
the language for official business.
Like many other Asian countries, as a result of close ties with China for thousands
of years, much of the Vietnamese lexicon relating to science and politics is
derived from Chinese. At least 60% of the lexical stock has Chinese roots, not
including naturalized word borrowings from China, although many compound
words are composed of native Vietnamese words combined with Chinese
borrowings. One can usually distinguish between a native Vietnamese word and a
Chinese borrowing if it can be reduplicated or its meaning does not change when
the tone is shifted. As a result of French occupation, Vietnamese has since had
many words borrowed from the French language, for example c ph (from
French caf). Nowadays, many new words are being added to the language's
lexicon due to heavy Western cultural influence; these are usually borrowed from
English, for example TV (though usually seen in the written form as tivi).
Sometimes these borrowings are calques literally translated into Vietnamese (for

example, software is calqued into phn mm, which literally means "soft part").
(wiki)

Vietnamese Alphabet

1. Vietnamese alphabet system

There are 29 letters in the Vietnamese alphabet system which consists of 12
vowels and 17 consonants. See the list below:

Aa

Bb

Cc

Dd

Ee

Gg

Hh

Ii

Kk

Ll

Mm

Nn

Oo

Pp

Qq

Rr

Ss

Tt

Uu

Vv

Xx

Yy

2. Vowels
As mentioned above, there are 12 vowels in the Vietnamese alphabet system.
They are including:

How to pronoun these vowels is to follow the below

Front

Central

Back

High

i,y[i]

[]

u[u]

Uppermid

[e]

[ ]/[]

[o]

Lowermid

e[ ]

o[ ]

Low

[a]/a[a]

Front, central, and low vowels (i, , e, , , , , a) are unrounded, whereas the
back vowels (u, , o) are rounded. The vowels [ ] and [a] are pronounced
very short, much shorter than the other vowels. Thus, and are basically

pronounced the same except that [] is long while [ ] is short the same
applies to the low vowels long a [a] and short [a].
* Diphthongs and Tripthongs
In addition to single vowels (or monophthongs), Vietnamese has diphthongs and
triphthongs. The diphthongs consist of a main vowel component followed by a
shorter semivowel offglide to either a high front position [], a high back position
[], or a central position [ ]. See the table below:

Vowel
nucleus

Diphthong
withfront
offglide

Diphthong
withback
offglide

Diphthongwith
centeringoffglide

Tripthong
withfront
offglide

Tripthong
withback
offglide

iu~yu[i]

ia~i~y~ya[i ]

iu[i]

~~~

u[e]

eo[]

i[]

u[]

a~[ ]

i[ ]

u[ ]

y[]

u[]

i[]

ay[a]

au[a]

ai[a]

ao[a]

ui[u]

ua~u[u ]

ui[u]

i[o]

oi[ ]

The centering diphthongs are formed with only the three high vowels (i, , u) as
the main vowel. They are generally spelled as ia, a, uawhen they end a word
and are spelled i, , u, respectively, when they are followed by a consonant.
There are also restrictions on the high offglides: the high front offglide cannot
occur after a front vowel (i, , e) nucleus and the high back offglide cannot occur
after a back vowel (u, , o) nucleus.
The correspondence between the orthography and pronunciation is complicated.
For example, the offglide [] is usually written as i however, it may also be
represented with y. In addition, in the diphthongs [a] and [a] the
letters y and i also indicate the pronunciation of the main vowel: ay = +
[], ai = a + []. Thus, tay hand is [ta] while tai ear is [ta].
Similarly, u and o indicate different pronunciations of the main vowel: au = +
[], ao = a + [].
The four triphthongs are formed by adding front and back offglides to the
centering diphthongs. Similarly to the restrictions involving diphthongs, a
triphthong with front nucleus cannot have a front offglide (after the centering
glide) and a triphthong with a back nucleus cannot have a back offglide.
With regards to the front and back offglides [, ], many phonological descriptions
analyze these as consonant glides /j, w/. Thus, a word such as u where [ ]
would be / w/.
It is difficult to pronoun these sounds:
Liuxiu

mkhuya

m a

laoxao

m i hai

chair u

tay

tai

lubu

hiuhiu

3. Consonant
The consonants that occur in Vietnamese are listed below in the Vietnamese
orthography with the phonetic pronunciation to the right.

Stop

voiceless

Labial

Alveolar

Retroflex

palatal

Velar

p[p]

t[t]

tr[ ~ ]

ch[c~t ]

c/k[k]

Glottal

aspirated

th[t]

voiced

b[ ]

[ ]

d[]

Fricative

voiceless

ph[f]

x[s]

voiced

v[v]

gi[z]

r[~]

g/gh[]

Nasal

m[m]

n[n]

nh[ ]

Approximant

u/o[w]

l[l]

y/i[j]

s[ ]

kh[x]

h[h]

ng/ngh[]

Some consonant sounds are written with only one letter (like p), other
consonant sounds are written with a two-letter disgrah (like ph), and others are
written with more than one letter or digraph (the velar stop is written variously as
c, k, or q).
The tables below show detail and it may help you easier to understand
* There are 17 single consonants as listed below:

Consonants

Sound

Phoneme

Englishequivalentsounds

/b/

but,bike

/k/

car,clean

/z/

zoo,

/d/

do,does

/g/

go,get

/h/

hat,house

/k/

keep,

/l/

leaf,lose

/m/

meet,mouse

/n/

not,no

/p/

pipe,people

/k/

queen

/r/

run,road

/sh/

show,shower

/t/

tea,top

/v/

video,vowel

/s/

see,sea

* There are 11 consonants clusters:

Consonants

Sound

Phoneme

Englishequivalentsounds

ch

/ts/

cheap

gh

/g/

ghost

gi

/j/

yes

kh

/x/

loch

nh

//

canyon

ng

//

sing

ngh

//

single

ph

/f/

fine

th

//

thin,theory

tr

//

try

qu

/kw/

queen

Phoneme

Englishequivalentsounds

/k/

car

ch

/ts/

lunch

/m/

them

/n/

then

nh

//

canyon

* There are 8 final consonants:

Consonants

Sound

ng

//

sing

/p/

stop

/t/

top

It is necessray to make a difference between these two sounds:

+) K vs. Kh
K & kh are two of the consonant symbols in the Vietnamese language. K is
produced fortis and unaspirated. It is similar to the c in cat. In Vietnamese
language it is similar to c and q. Perhaps one of the most common words
beginning with k is kem which means ice cream and ko which means
candy. Kh is produced lenis voiceless dorsorelar spirant. The most common kh
word is khng which means no or not though there are less common
meanings as well. Khe which means strong and healthy is another common
word. To place khe khng after a personal referent is to enquire as to
anothers health literally: you well no? as in bn khe khng? Also in these
times of fast food, the ubiquitous french fry is known as khoai ty chin
meaning potato fry.
+) Ng and Ngh
The sound that ng and ngh make in Vietnamese is by far the hardest sound for
Westerners to make. Ng and ngh simply make the last sound in king or
running (as long as you dont make the hard /g/ sound at the end). The
problem arises when ng or ngh come at the beginning of a word, as the common
family name Nguyn clearly demonstrates. Here, the speaker has to isolate the
// sound, which even many Western dictionaries dont recognize in their
pronunciation guides. (Those that do tend to represent it as /ng/.) This lesson will
help you to at least pronounce the // sound well enough for a native listener.
One thing you have to take a notice of is the combination of these above
consonants Ng/ ngh with vowels. See below for detail:
a

Ngh
Ng

nghe

ngh

nghi

nga

ngo

ng

ng

ngu

ng

1. Ngh can only combine with the vowels which are started with i,
e, .
2. Ng can combine with vowels started with a, o, , , u, .
Besides, Vietnamese has another pair of sound (g/ gh) which are all pronouned
as /g/, for these consonants, there is also rule in combining with vowels.
a
g

ga

gi*

go

gu

gh

ghe

gh

ghi

- gh can only combine with vowel started with e, , i.

-g can go with vowel started with a, o, , , u, .
* g can also go with i but in this case it will be pronoun as /j/, e.g. ci g.

3. Tones
Vietnamese is a tonal language, It means that different voice inflections on any
word will change the meaning of that word. For example, if you say ban with a
rising tone, it means sell, but if you say it with a falling tone, it means table.
Tone is the central part of a word.
There are five tones in Vietnamese, plus a mid-level non-tone. Press each symbol
button below to hear what each tone sounds like, and the name of the tone. Then
press the word buttons to hear how one word can be pronounced with all six
tones. Underneath is the English translation of each word.
Description

Nameoftones

Symbol

Sampleword&meaning

Midrangevoicegoesflatandlevel.

Ngang

three

Highrising

S c

btohug

Lowfalling

Huy n

grandmother

Startinalowtone,godownandgentlybackup

H i

bane

Starthigh,bringvoicedown,cutoff,andgobackup

Ng

residue

Bringvoicedownandcutoffabruptly.

N ng

haphazardly

It is time to practice.
1

Ba

Ma

Be

Me

Le

* How to type Vietnamese on computer:

To use Vietnamese on your computer, you need to download Unikey and then
choose vietnamese. You also need to follow this rule:
Letters

Tones

=aw
=aa
=dd
=ee
=oo
=ow
=uw

Huy n=F
S c=S
H i=R
Ng=X
N ng=J

- The rest is to follow the normal rule.

Example:
Ting Vit = t i e e n g s v i e e t j

Greeting
3. Dialogue
David is a student he has just attended a Vietnamese class, he has not known
somebody in the class. Nam is also a member of that class and when he saw
David he actively makes Davids acquaintance.
Nam: Xin cho!
David: Xin cho!
Nam: Mnh l Nam. Bn tn l g?
David: Tn mnh l David.
Nam: Rt hn hnh c lm quen vi bn
David: Rt vui c gp bn.
Nam: Hello!
David: Hello!
Nam: I am Nam. What is your name?
David: My name is David.
Nam: Nice to meet you.
David: Glad to see you.
4. New word:
Vietnamese

Sound

Englishequivalent

xincho

hello

cho

hello

mnh

tn

Name

10

tobe

what

cig

what

R thnh nh clmquenv ib n

Nicetomeetyou

R tvui cg pb n

Gladtoseeyou

1. Note:
Rt vui c gp bn and Rt hn hnh c lm quen vi bn have the same
meaning. We use these phrases for the first time.

3. Grammar:

3.1PersonalPronoun.
Vietnamese use terms denoting family relationships (kinship terms) when
addressing each other (even when talking to whom they are not related). In fact,
they are used as personal pronouns. The system is rather complicated and the
choice of the correct expression depends on many factors such as sex, age, social
status, the family relationship, the relationship between the speaker and the
person he or she is addressing or the overall degree of intimacy between them.
You may find it difficult to make sure which term should be used; thus, you need
a little bit experience to get it right. The below list will help you understand more.
3.1.1. The first person
The first person pronoun in Vietnamese is ti which means I in English. It is
the only personal pronoun that can be used in polite speech. Beside it, the first
person can be ta, tao but they are only used in informal case, e.g. when
talking with close friends.
3.1.2. The second person
The below table shows you some personal addresses and their usage
Personalpronoun

Sound

Howtouse

Em

Useforpersonwhoareyoungerthanyouasyouryoungersistersorbrothers

B n

Useforpersonwhoisasthesameageasyouoryourfriends

Anh

ayoungmalewhoisalittleolderthanyouoryourelderbrothers

Ch

ayoungfemalewhoisalittleolderthanyouoryoureldersisters

informalcase;toayoungfemale(Miss)

Formal,anoldfemale(Mrs.,lady);informal,asyourgrandmother

ng/ngi

Formal,anoldmale(Mr.,gentleman);informal,asyourgrandfather

11

my

informal;peopleareyoungerthanyou

3.1.3. The third person

It is simple that when adressing the third person, Vietnamese adds the word y
after the personal pronoun.
Example:
Anh y, ng y / -> He
Ch y, c y, b y / / -> She
N * -> It
N* often refers to the things, animals but sometimes, n can denote for a little
child in informal case.
*Plural personal pronoun:
- For the first person, the word chng is added before the personal address.
Example:
Ti -> Chng ti
Ta -> chng ta
T -> chng t
- For the second person, we use the word cc before the personal address.
Example:
Anh -> cc anh
ch -> cc ch
Bc -> cc bc
- When addressing plural pronoun for the third person, the word h is used. It
refers to a group of people in general both male and female.
- The second way to form the plural personal pronoun for the third person is to
add the word y after the second person pronoun.
Example:
Anh -> cc anh y
ch -> cc ch y
bc -> cc bc y
The below table will show you general information.
* Singular pronoun
Pronoun
First
person

Ti

Tao
Second
person

Sound

Englishequivalence

Howtouseit

Refertoyourself
(formal)

You

Miss,girlorboy
(youngerthanyou,
informal)

Refertoyourselfwithclose
friends(informal)
Em

Anh

Mr.(olderthanyou)

Ch

MissorMrs.informaladdress

ng

Mr.,Sir.,gentleman(formal)

12

Mrs.,Madam,lady(formal)

My

Addressbetweenclosefriends
(tousewithtaofirstperson)

Third
person

Em y

He

Anh y

Mr.(Olderthanyouorslightly
youngerthanyouinformal
address)

ng y

Mr.,sir,gentleman(personis
olderthanyouorhigherstatus)

Em y

She

C y

Miss.

Ch y

MissorMrs.

B y

Lady,Mrs,Madam(personis
olderthanyouorhigherstatus)

It

Boy(youngerthan
you)

Girl(youngerthan
you)

Thingingeneral

*Plural pronoun
Sound

First
person

Pronoun

English
equivalenc
e

Howtouseit

Chngti

We

Refertoagroupof
yourselves(formal)

You

Addresstoboysor
girls(youngerthan
you)

They

Addresstoagroup

Chngta
Second
person

Third

Cc

Anh

Agroupofyoungmales(olderthan
you)

Ch

Agroupofyoungfemales(olderthan
you,)

Agroupofwomen(Miss)

Agroupofoldfemales(Mrs.,ladies)

ng

Agroupofoldmales(Mr.,Sir)
H

Em

13

person

ofpeople(ingeneral)
Cc

Em

Agroup
ofboys
andgirls
(younger
thanyou)

Anh

Agroupofyoungmales

Ch

Agroupoffemales(Miss,Mrs.)

Agroupofyoungfemales(ingeneral)

Agroupofoldfemales

ng

Agroupofoldmales

Chngn

Agroup
ofyoung
people
(younger
thanyou,
informal)

In addition, there are different pronouns for each kind of relative. For a listing of
those pronouns, see family terms:
Pronoun

Sound

Usage

yourgrandgrandparents

Yourgrandmother

ng

yourgrandfather

ch

yourunclewhoisyourfathersyoungerbrother

bc

Yourunclewhoareyourparentssoldersiblings

youraunt,whoisyourfathersyoungersister

youraunt,whoisyourmothersyoungersister

ch

youreldersisterorsiblings

anh

yourelderbrotherorsiblings

em

youryoungersisterorbrotherorsiblings

th y

theteacher(ifheisaman)

theteacher(ifsheisawoman)

14

3.2. Greeting:
Cho/ xin cho: Hello
The Vietnamese greet others by using the word cho or xin cho. This is
followed by either a name or a kinship term (or both).
Example:
Cho Lan! Hello Lan!
Xin cho c Lin! Hello Ms. Lin!
Cho ng! Hello Sir!
However, you can use cho only in formal cases for example with close friends.
In Vietnam, cho means both hello and goodbye; therefore the above
examples also mean Goodbye Lan, Good bye Ms. Lien, Goodbye sir.
There is no Vietnamese equivalent for Good morning, Good afternoon, Good
evening, etc. thats why cho can be used at any time of the day.
3.3. L: To be
* L in Vietnamese has function as to be in English. It forms a simple
sentence with the logical word order of Subject-Verb.
Form:
S+L
Example:
Ti

Nam

tobe

Nam

Tnti

David

Myname

tobe

David

IamNam

MynameisDavid

* Ngha ph nh Negative form: khng phi l-> to be not

To express the negation, Vietnamese put the word khng phi before l to
make the form. See the below form and example for detail.
Mu cu-(form):
S+khngphi+l+danht
(noun)
* Note: The noun can be a personal name, name of job, country.
V d- Example:
- Tn ti khng phi l David -> My name is not David.
- David khng phi l ngi Anh -> David is not an American
- y khng phi l David -> This is not David.

20-12-2011 03:41 PM#4

Introducing someone

15

1. Hi thoi (Dialogue):
On the way to class, David and Nam meet Lan, after greeting Nam introduce
David to Lan.
Nam: Cho Lan!
Lan: Cho Nam!
Nam: Bn th no? c khe khng?
Lan: Cm n! mnh khe. Cn bn?
Nam: Cm n!mnh cng vy.
! mnh gii thiu nh, y l David, thnh vin mi ca lp mnh.
Lan: Cho bn! mnh l Lan
David: Cho bn! tn mnh l David.
Lan: Bn n t nc Anh, phi khng?
David: Khng phi! Mnh n t nc M.
Nam: n gi ri, chng ta vo hc thi.
Nam: Hi!
Lan: Hi!
Nam: How are you?
Lan: Im fine. Thanks! And you?
Nam: Thank you! Me too!
Ah! Let me introduce, this is David, a new member of our class.
Lan: Hello! I am Lan.
David: Hello! My name is David.
Lan: You come from England. Arent you?
David: No! I come from America.
Nam: Its time for the lesson. Lets go to class.

16

2. T mi (New word)
Vietnamese

Sound

Englishequivalent

c m n

Thanks

kh e

fine/healthy

mnhcngv y

metoo

gi ithi u

introduce

this

thnhvin

member

m i

new

c a

of

l p/l ph c

nt

class
comefrom

n c/ tn c

country

n cAnh

England

n cM

America

gi

time

vo/ivo

chngta

goto
we

3. Ng php (Grammar):
1.

t nc v quc tch (Country and nationality)

In vietnamese, stating country and nationality is very simple.

For stating country, the word nc is used followed by the countrys name and
for stating nationality as well, we state the word ngi before the countrys
name. See the below for the detail:
tnc(Country)

Quctch(Nationality)

N c+Tnn c(nameofcountry)

Ng i+Tnn c(Nameofcountry)

Tn mt s t nc v quc tch (List of country and

nationality)

17

Country

Nationality

Vietnamese

English

Vietnamese

English

N cAnh

England

Ng iAnh

English

N cVi tNam

Vietnam

Ng iVi tNam

Vietnamese

N cphp

France

Ng iPhp

French

N cM

America

Ng iM

American

N c c

Germany

Ng i c

German

N cNh t

Japan

Ng iNh t

Japanese

N cThiLan

Thailand

Ng iThiLan

Thai

N cCanada

Canada

Ng iCanada

Canadian

N cNga

Russia

Ng iNga

Russian

N cTrungQu c

China

NgiTrungQuc/Ngi
Tu

Chinese

Note: Sometimes, Vietnamese use ngi Tu replacing

for ngi Trung Quc
3.1.1. When asking for country, Vietnamese often use:
Mu cu 1- (form 1)- Tag question
S+nt+tnnc(1),(c)phikhng?
+)Vng/phi,S+nt+tnnc(1)
)Khng(phi),S+nt+tnnc(2)
Example:
- Bn n t nc M, phi khng? -> You come from America, arent you?
- Vng, ti n t nc M. -> Yes, I come from America.
- Khng, ti n t nc Anh. -> No, I come from England.
Besides, there is another way to ask for someone which country he/she is from.
You can follow the below form:
Mu cu 2 (Form 2)
S+nt+nc+no?
+)S+nt+tnnc
Example:
- Anh n t nc no? -> Which country are you from?/ Where are you from?
- Ti n t nc Anh. -> I am from England.
3.1.2. Asking for nationality.
There are several ways to ask for someones nationality. Here, we would like to
mention two common ways.

18

Mu cu 1 (form 1):
S+l+ngi+nc+no?
+)S+l+ngi+nc+tnnc
Example:
- Ch l ngi nc no? -> What is your nationality?
- Ti l ngi (nc) Anh. -> I am an English
Mu cu 2 (form 2)- Tag question
S+l+ngi+tnnc(1),(c)phikhng?
+)Vng/phi,S+l+ngi+tnnc(1).
)Khngphi,S+l+ngi+tnnc(2).

Example:
- Anh y l ngi Php, c phi khng? -> He is a French, isnt he?
- Vng/ phi, anh y l ngi Php. -> Yes, He is a French
Hoc Or
- Khng phi, anh y l ngi Anh -> No, he is an English
* Note:
In Vietnamese, the difference between the way to ask for country and for
nationality is not so clear. You can use these aboves to ask for others country or
nationality.

: Let
Vietnamese use when request someone to do something or offer to do
something. It is used as an imperative (order clause or offer clause).
+S+ngt(verb)
Example:
- ti gii thiu -> Let me introduce.
- anh y lm -> Let him does it.
- ti n -> Let me eat.

Demonstratives: y l (this is)

y l is used as a demonstrative pronoun. Besides, there are several
demonstratives which are listed below:
Vietnamese

Sound

English

Usage

This

Referstosomethingorsomebodynearthespeakerandfar
fromthepersonbeingspokento.

Ny

This

Alsoreferstosomethingorsomebodynearandinfrontofthe
speaker.

That

Referstosomethingorsomebodynearthepersonbeingspoken
tobutfarfromthespeaker.

19

Kia

Thatoverthere

Referstosomethingorsomebodylocatedfarfromboththe
speakerandthepersonbeingspokento.

Ka

Thatoverthere

Referstosomethinglocatedveryfarfromboththespeakerand
thepersonbeingspokento.

That

referstosomethingthatisfarfromthespeakerbutneartothe
personbeingspokento.

That

Alsoreferstosomethingthatisfarfromthespeakerbutnearto
thepersonbeingspokento.

For example:
Khch sn ny -> This hotel
Khch sn kia -> That hotel over there
Khch sn y -> That hotel
These demontratives can follow two word orders depend on which are used as
demonstrative pronoun or not.
* When introducing something or someone to others.
itchnh+l+tnngi/vt
(Demonstrative)+(tobe)+(Noun)
Example:
y l Nam -> This is Nam
l nh ti -> That is my house
* When describing something or someone look like, we use:
Tnngi/vt+itchnh+tnht
(Noun)+(Demonstrative)+(Adjective)
Example:
Ngi nh ny p -> This house is beautiful
Chic xe y t -> That car is expensive

Introducing yourself

Hi thoi (Dialogue):

In short break time, David and Lan are talking to each other, they are talking
about themselves.
Lan: Nm nay David bao nhiu tui ri?
David: Mnh 22 tui.
Lan: Th th bng tui mnh. Mnh cng 22 tui. David n Vit Nam lu cha?
David: Mnh n Vit Nam c 2 tun ri.
Lan: By gi bn ang sng u?
David: Mnh sng s nh 109, ng Nguyn Tri, qun Thanh Xun, H Ni.
Lan: Bn sng mt mnh ?
David: , mnh c mt mnh thi. y l ln u tin mnh xa nh, li sng
mt mnh na nn thy nh nh lm.
Lan: Th nh bn c my ngi?
David: Nh mnh c 6 ngi. Bn c mun xem nh khng?
Lan: ! c ch.

20

David: y l nh gia nh mnh. y l b m mnh, ngi ng bn cnh l anh

trai mnh, cn 2 ngi ngi trc l ng b mnh.
Lan: l ng b ni ca bn ?
David: ng b ni ngha l g?
Lan: ! ng b ni l ngi sinh ra b, cn ng b ngoi l ngi sinh ra m.
David: ! ra th, mnh hiu ri. Cn nh bn?
Lan: Nh mnh t ngi hn nh David. Khi no rnh David n nh mnh chi
nh, b m mnh mn khch lm, chc chn bn s thy thch.
David: Th nh bn u?
Lan: Nh mnh gn y thi, ng Xun Thy, qun Cu Giy, H Ni.
David: Nht nh mnh s n.
Lan: Nht nh nh!
Lan: How old are you, David?
David: I am 22 years old.
Lan: The same to me. I am also 22 years old.
How long have you been here?
David: I have been here for 2 weeks.
Lan: Where are you living now?
David:I am living at No.109, Nguyen Trai street, Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi.
Lan: you live there alone, arent you?
David: Yes, I live alone.It is the first time I live alone and also the first time I live
far from my home so I miss my family very much.
Lan: How many people are there in your family?
David: There are six people in my family. Do you want to see my family photo?
Lan: Yes, of course.
David: Here are my parents, the person stands next to me is my older brother.
Sitting in front of us are my grandparents.
Lan: They are your ng b ni?
David: What is ng b ni?
Lan: Ah! ng b ni are the people who born your father, and ng b ngoi
are the people who born your mother.
David: Ah! I see. How about your family?
Lan: My family has less people than yours. When you have free time, please
come to my house, my parents are so hospitable, you will like them.
David: Where is your house?
Lan: My house is quite near here. It is on Xuan Thuy Street, Cau Giay district,
Hanoi.
David:I will come to visit your house.
Lan: You are sure!
* Note:
- ng b ni means paternal grandparents
- ng b ngoi means maternal grandparents.
2. T mi (New word)
Vietnamese

Sound

Englishequivalent

baonhiu

howmany

tu i

yearold

b ng

Equal/thesame

21

cng

also

lu

long

baolu

howlong

tu n

week

bygi

now

ang

be+Ving

s ng

live

where

number

ng

street

qu n/huy n

district

m tmnh

alone

l n utin

thefirsttime

xanh

farfromhome

nn

so,therefore

nh (nh nh)

Miss(homesick)

m y

howmany

ng i

people

mu n

want

xem

see/look

nh

photo

gianh

family

bnc nh

nextto

ng i

tosit

tr c/( ngtr c)

infrontof

ngbn i

paternalgrandparents

ngbngo i

maternalgrandparents

sinh(sinhra)

tobear

22

th n

lessthan

khino

when

r nh(r nhr i)

free

m nkhch

hospitable

ch cch n

tobesure

will

thch

like

g n

near

3. Ng php (Grammar):
3.1. S m (Cardinal number):
Number

Vietnamese

Sound

English

Khng

Zero

M t

One

Hai

Two

Ba

Three

B n

Four

Nm

Five

Su

Six

B y

Seven

Tm

Eight

Chn

Nine

10

M i

Ten

11

M im t

Eleven

12

M ihai

Twelve

13

M iba

Thirteen

14

M ib n

Fourteen

15

Milm

Fifteen

23

16

M isu

Sixteen

17

M ib y

Seventeen

18

M itm

Eighteen

19

M ichn

Nineteen

20

Haim i

Twenty

21

Hai(m i)m t

Twentyone

30

Bam i

Thirty

31

Ba(m i)m t

Thirtyone

40

B nm i

Forty

50

Nmm i

Fifty

60

Sum i

Sixty

70

B ym i

Seventy

80

Tmm i

Eighty

90

Chnm i

Ninety

100

M ttrm

Onehundred

101

M ttrmlinhm t

Onehundredandone

1000

M tnghn/m tngn

Onethousand

1001

M tnghnkhngtrmlinhm t

Onethousandandone

2000

Hainghn/haingn

Twothousand

3.2. Cu so snh (comparative clause):

* So snh ngang bng: bng= to be equal
To express that something or somebody is equal to something or somebody else,
the Vietnamese use the word bng = to be equal:
Mu cu (form):
S1+(Tnht)+bng+S2
(Adjective)
V d (example):
- Lan bng tui David means Lan has the same age with David so we can say:
Lan tr bng Daivid -> Lan is as young as David.
- M ti gi bng b ti. -> My mother is as old as my father.
- Nam cao bng David -> Nam is as tall as David.
* So snh hn: (comparative: more than)
Vietnamese use hn to form the comparative clause, it follows the word order

24

as below:
Mu cu (form):
S1+(Tnht)+hn+S2
(Adjective)

V d (example):
Nam tr hn Peter -> Nam is younger than Peter
David cao hn Peter -> David is taller than Peter
Nh Lan t ngi hn nh David -> Lans family has less people than Davids
family
* So snh bc nht (Superlative):
To form the superlative clause, the word nht is used and it also places after the
adjective.
Mu cu (form):
S+(l)+(danht)+tnht+nht+phmvisosnh
(noun)(adjective)(place,org,group)
V d: (example)
H Ch Minh l thnh ph ln nht Vit Nam.
(S) (l) (Noun) (adj) (nht) (country)
Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam.
Lan tr nht trong lp hc.
(S) (adj) (nht) (class)
Lan is the youngest in the class.
3.3. Cu hi (Question): c . khng?
The most common way to form a question in Vietnamese is to follow the below
construction:
Mu cu (form):
S+c+ngt+khng?
(verb)
V d: (example)
David c hc ting Vit khng? -> Does David study Vietnamese?
Lan c sng H Ni khng? -> Does Lan live in Hanoi?
And the answer can be possitive or nagative. For example:
For the first question the answer can be:
- Vng, David hc ting Vit. -> Yes, David studies Vietnamese.
Hoc Or
- Khng, David khng hc ting Vit. -> No, David does not study Vietnamese.
Sometimes, we can use the word l in the question. Let see some examples:
David c phi l sinh vin khng? -> Is David a student?
Bn c phi l nh bo khng? -> Are you a journalist?
After these questions, we can have the form as:
S+cphil+danht+khng?
(noun)

25

The way to answer these questions is also as the way we mentioned above. For
example:
David c phi l sinh vin khng? -> Is David a student?
+ Vng, David l sinh vin -> + Yes, David is a student
Hoc Or
- Khng, David khng phi l sinh vin. -> No, David is not a student.
1.1. L means To be
The most simple sentence in Vietnamese is formed by l.
Form:
S+L
Example:
- y l Nam -> This is Nam
- Nam l mt sinh vin -> Nam is a student
1.2. Ngha ph nh Negative form: khng phi l-> to be not
Only add khng phi before l we have negative meaning.
Form:
S+khngphi+l+danht
(noun)
Example:
- y khng phi l Nam -> This is not Nam
- Nam khng phi l sinh vin -> Nam is not a student.
1.3. Country and Nationality
In order to state country, the word nc is used followed by the countrys name
and to state nationality as well, we state the word ngi before the countrys
name as below:
tnc(Country)

Quctch(Nationality)

N c+Tnn c(nameofcountry)

Ng i+Tnn c(Nameofcountry)

Example:
- Nc Vit Nam -> Vietnam
- Ngi Vit Nam -> Vietnamese
* To ask for others their country, we use the below structures
Form 1- Tag question
S+nt+tnnc(1),(c)phikhng?
+)Vng/phi,S+nt+tnnc(1)
)Khng(phi),S+nt+tnnc(2)
Example:
- Bn n t nc Anh, phi khng? -> You come from America, arent you?
- Vng, ti n t nc Anh. -> Yes, I come from America.
- Khng, ti n t nc M. -> No, I come from England.
Form 2:
S+nt+nc+no?
+)S+nt+tnnc

26

Example:
- Anh n t nc no? -> Which country are you from?/ Where are you from?
- Ti n t nc Anh. -> I am from England.
* Asking for nationality.
The most common way to ask for someone his/ her nationality is to follow:
Form 1:
S+l+ngi+nc+no?
+)S+l+ngi+nc+tnnc
Example:
- Anh ngi nc no? -> What is your nationality?
- Ti l ngi (nc) Anh. -> I am English
Form 2- Tag question
S+l+ngi+tnnc(1),(c)phikhng?
+)Vng/phi,S+l+ngi+tnnc(1).
)Khngphi,S+l+ngi+tnnc(2).
Example:
- C y l ngi Php, c phi khng? -> She is French, isnt he?
- Vng/ phi, c y l ngi Php. -> Yes, she is French
Hoc Or
- Khng phi, c y l ngi Anh -> No, she is English
* Note:
In Vietnamese, the difference between the way to ask for country and for
nationality is not so clear. You can use these aboves to ask for others country or
nationality.

: Let
Vietnamese use when request someone to do something or offer to do
something. It is used as an imperative (order clause or offer clause).
+S+ngt(verb)
Example:
- ti gii thiu -> Let me introduce.
- anh y lm -> Let him does it.
- ti yn -> Let me alone.
2.
Demonstratives: y l (this is)
y l is one of demonstrative pronoun. Besides, there are several
demonstratives which are listed below:
Vietnamese

English

Sound

Usage

This

Referstosomethingorsomebodynearthespeakerand
personbeingspokento.

Ny

This

Alsoreferstosomethingorsomebodynearandinfron
speaker.

That

Referstosomethingorsomebodynearthepersonbein

27

butfarfromthespeaker.
Kia

Thatoverthere

Referstosomethingorsomebodylocatedfarfrombot
andthepersonbeingspokento.

Ka

Thatoverthere

Referstosomethinglocatedveryfarfromboththespe
personbeingspokento.

That

referstosomethingthatisfarfromthespeakerbutnea
beingspokento.

That

Alsoreferstosomethingthatisfarfromthespeakerb
personbeingspokento.

For example:
Khch sn ny -> This hotel
Khch sn kia -> That hotel over there
Khch sn y -> That hotel
The usage of demonstrative pronouns is as below:
* When introducing something or someone to other people:
itchnh+l+tnngi/vt
(Demonstrative)+(tobe)+(Noun)
Example:
y l Nam -> This is Nam
l nh ti -> That is my house
* When describing something or someone:
Tnngi/vt+itchnh+tnht
(Noun)+(Demonstrative)+(Adjective)
Example:
Ngi nh ny p -> This house is beautiful
Chic xe y t -> That car is expensive
1.6. S m (Cardinal number):
Number

Sound

Vietnamese

English

Khng

Zero

M t

One

Hai

Two

Ba

Three

B n

Four

Nm

Five

Su

Six

B y

Seven

28

Tm

Eight

Chn

Nine

10

M i

Ten

11

M im t

Eleven

12

M ihai

Twelve

13

M iba

Thirteen

14

M ib n

Fourteen

15

Milm

Fifteen

16

M isu

Sixteen

17

M ib y

Seventeen

18

M itm

Eighteen

19

M ichn

Nineteen

20

Haim i/haich c

Twenty

30

Bam i/bach c

Thirty

40

B nm i/b nch c

Forty

50

Nmm i/nmch c

Fifty

60

Sum i/such c

Sixty

70

B ym i/b ych c

Seventy

80

Tmm i/tmch c

Eighty

90

Chnm i/chnch c

Ninety

100

M ttrm

Onehundred

101

M ttrmlinhm t/m ttrml

m t

Onehundredand
one

1000

M tnghn/m tngn

Onethousand

1001

M tnghnkhngtrmlinhm t

Onethousandand
one

The power of ten:

Number

Sound

Vietnamese

English

29

10

M i

Ten

100

M ttrm

Onehundred

1000

M tnghn/m t
ngn

Onethousand

10000

M tnghn/m t
v n

Tenthousand

100000

M ttrmnghn

Onehundredthousand

1000000

M ttri u

Onemillion

10000000

M itri u

Tenmillion

100000000

M ttrmtri u

Onehundredmillion

1000000000

M tt

Onebillion

10000000000

M it

Tenbillion

100000000000

M ttrmt

Onehundredbillion

1000000000000

M tnghnt

Onethousandbillion

10000000000000

M inghnt

Tenthousandbillion

100000000000000

M ttrmnghnt

Onehundred
thousandbillion

1000000000000000

M ttri ut

Onemillionbillion

1000000000000000
000

M tt t

Onebillionbillion

1.7. Cu so snh (comparative clause):

* So snh ngang bng: bng= to be equal
To express the equality between two things two people, Vietnamese uses the
word bng = to be equal:
Form:
S1+(Tnht)+bng+S2
(Adjective)
V d (example):
- Lan bng tui David means Lan has the same age with David so we can say:
Lan tr bng Daivid -> Lan is as young as David.
- M ti gi bng b ti. -> My mother is as old as my father.
- Nam cao bng David -> Nam is as tall as David.
* So snh hn: (more than)
Vietnamese uses hn to form the comparative clause, it follows the word order
as below:
Form:

30

S1+(Tnht)+hn+S2
(Adjective)
V d (example):
Nam tr hn Peter -> Nam is younger than Peter
David cao hn Peter -> David is taller than Peter
Nh Lan t ngi hn nh David -> Lans family has less people than Davids
family
* So snh bc nht (Superlative):
To form the superlative clause, the word nht is used and it also places after the
adjective.
Mu cu (form):
S+(l)+(danht)+tnht+nht+phmvisosnh
(noun)(adjective)(place,org,group)
V d: (example)
H Ch Minh l thnh ph ln nht Vit Nam.
(S) (l) (Noun) (adj) (nht) (country)
-> Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam.
Lan tr nht trong lp hc.
(S) (adj) (nht) (class)
-> Lan is the youngest in the class.
1.8. Question: c . khng?
The most common way to form a question in Vietnamese is to follow the below
structure:
Form 1:
S+c+ngt+khng?
(verb)
Example:
David c hc ting Vit khng? -> Does David study Vietnamese?
It can be answer as
- Vng, David hc ting Vit. Yes, David studies Vietnamese.
Hoc Or
- Khng, David khng hc ting Vit. No, David does not study Vietnamese.
Lan c sng H Ni khng? -> Does Lan live in Hanoi?
Khng, Lan khng sng H Ni. -> No, Lan doesnt live in Hanoi.
Sometimes, we can use the word l in the question. Let see below structure:
S+cphil+danht+khng?
(noun)
Example:
David c phi l sinh vin khng? -> Is David a student?
And the answer can be
+ Vng, David l sinh vin. -> + Yes, David is a student.
Hoc Or
- Khng, David khng phi l sinh vin. -> - No, David is not a student.
Bn c phi l nh bo khng? -> Are you a journalist?
+ Vng, ti l nh bo. -> Yes, I am a journalist.
hoc or
- Khng, ti khng phi l nh bo -> No, I am not a journalist.

31

Asking the time

3. Hi thoi (Dialogue)
To day is Wednesday, David and Nam are going to visit Quoc Tu Giam with
Vietnamese class, they gather at the main gate of Quoc Tu Giam at 7:30, but it is
7:20 am, Nam is so anxious waiting for David.
Nam: A David! Sao n mun th? bn mt ?
David: Cho Nam! mnh khng sao. Th by gi l my gi ri?
Nam: By gi l 7 gi 20 ri, nhanh ln khng mnh mun mt.
David: 7 gi 30 mi vo lp hc m.
Nam: Bn khng nh sao? hm nay l th t, lp mnh c bui i thm quan
Quc T Gim m.
David: ! xin li mnh qun mt, mnh c ngh hm nay mi l th ba thi.
Nam: Ti th 7 tun ny bn c ri khng?
David: mnh xem , nhng m c vic g khng?
Nam: Mnh c 2 v i xem phim, mnh mun mi David i cng.
David: ! hay qu nh, nhng m sng th 7 mnh phi i hc thm ting Vit,
bui chiu cn phi ln th vin na.
Nam: Th cn bui ti?
David: Bui ti th mnh ri.
Nam: Th th tt ri, 7 gi ti th 7 tun ny bn mnh gp nhau rp chiu
phim Quc Gia nh.
David: !Th nh.
(see the translation)
Nam: Ah! David! Why did you come late? Are you tired?
David: Hi Nam! I am ok. What time is it now?
Nam: It is 7:20 am, be quick we will be late.
David: The lesson starts at 7:30 am.
Nam: Do you remember? Today is Wednesday, and our class are going to visit
Quoc Tu Giam.
David: Ah! Sorry, I forgot, I still think today is Tuesday.
Nam: Are you free on this Saturday?
David: Let me see, but is there any thing?
Nam: I have two cinema tickets, I would like to invite you to go with me.
David: Oh! thats great. But, on Saturday morning I have an extra-Vietnamese
lesson and on the afternoon I need to go to library.
Nam: How about Saturday night?
David: I am free on Saturday night?
Nam: Thats ok, so at 7:00 this Saturday night we gather at Quoc Gia cinema
David: Thats ok.
4. T mi (New word)
Vietnamese

Sound

Englishequivalent

mu n

tobelate

m t

tobetired

m y

howmany(useforquestion)

gi

time

nhanh

quick

nh

remember

32

hmnay

today

th t

Wednesday

ithmquan

gotovisit

xinl i

sorry

qun

toforget

ngh

think

th ba

Tuesday

t i(bu it i)

night

th b y

Saturday

tu nny

thisweek

r i(r nhr i)

tobefree

mnhxem

letmesee!

nh ng

but

ticket

phim

film

vixemphim

cinematicket

m i

toinvite

icng

togowith

hayqu

thatsgreat

sng(bu isng)

morning

ph i

haveto

h cthm

extraclass

chi u(bu ichi u)

afternoon

th vi n

library

g p

tomeet(inthislesson:togather)

r pchi uphim

cinema

5. Ng php (Grammar):
3.1. To tell the time
Vietnamese uses three units to express the time, which are shown below:
Gi -> hour

33

Pht -> minute

Giy -> second
* How to state the time: (need a clock)
Depending on the exact time, we have several ways to state the time.
+) Even hour: the word gi is added after the number referring the time.
Example:
11:00 -> 11 gi -> 11 oclock
8:00 -> 8 gi -> 8 oclock
+) Other cases:
6. Vietnamese often use the word qua, km to express
the time.
Example:
8: 15 -> 8 gi (qua) 15 (pht)
10: 20 -> 10 gi (qua) 20 (pht)
- The word qua and pht can be omit, but in this case
7: 45 -> 7 gi 45 (pht) or we can say 8 gi km 15 (pht), and Vietnamese
prefer the later to the former and only the word pht can be omit. When the
time past over 30 minutes, Vietnamese often use the word km to express
time.
Example:
8:50 -> 9 gi km 10 -> ten to nine
11:35 -> 12 gi km 25 -> twenty five to twelve
7. Besides, Vietnamese often use the word ri to stand
for the time which past 30 minutes.
Example:
9:30 -> 9 ri -> half past nine
10: 30 -> 10 ri -> half past ten
8. To express the time in which period of day, Vietnamese
use the below words, which refer to the period of day, to
add after the time.
Periodoftime

Vietnamese

Sound

Englishequivalent

1:00am~11:00am

sng

morning

11:00am~1:00pm

tr a

atnoon

1:00pm~7:00pm

chi u

afternoon

7:00pm~11:00pm

t i

evening

11:00pm~1:00am

night

Example:
2: 15 pm -> 2 gi 15 chiu
9:20 am -> 9 gi 20 sng
12:00 pm -> 12 gi tra
1:00 am -> 2 gi m
* Asking and answering about time.
When asking for the time, Vietnamese use the question:
Bygilmygiri?
(Now)(tobe)(howmany)(time)(interjection)
To answer this question, we replace the word my by the exact time as below:
Bygi+l+thigian+gi+(ri)

34

(Now)(tobe)(time)(hour)
Example:
A: By gi l my gi?
B: By gi l 8 gi (ri).
* To ask someone what time he/she does something we use:
Form:
CN+T+lc/volcmygi?
S+V
Example:
Nam i hc vo lc my gi? -> What time does Nam go to school?
And the answer is
Nam i hc vo lc 7 gi. -> Nam goes to school at 7 oclock
3.2. Parts of a day
The main distinction between the day time and night-time is expressed by the
word ban, so we have ban ngy (daytime) and ban m (night-time). To
express the part of the day, the word bui is made use of. See the list for more
detail.
Vietnamese

Sound

Englishequivalent

bu isng(sng)

morning

bu itr a(tr a)

atnoon

bu ichi u(chi u)

Afternoon

bu it i(t i)
Vietnamese

Sound

English

banm(m)
Th
nh t

Thefirst

Th

hai*

Thesecond

Th

ba

Thethird

Th

t *

Thefourth

Th

nm

Thefifth

Th

su

Thesixth

Th

b y

Theseventh

Th

tm

Theeightth

Th

chn

Thenineth

Th

m i

Thetenth

Th

m im t

Theeleventh

Th

m ihai

Thetwelveth

Th

m iba

Thethirteenth

Th

m ib n

Theforteenth

Th

milm

Thefifteenth

Th

m isu

Thesixteenth

evening
night
3.3. Days in
a week
* S th t
(Ordinal
number)
Ordinal
number is
formed from
cardinal
number by
adding the
ordinal
designator
th. This
element
precedes the
cardinal
number.
-Th nh is
sometime
used instead
of th hai
- Th t is
sometime
replaced by

35

th bn, but Vietnamese prefer the former to the later.

* Days in a week:
In Vietnamese the terms denoting the days of the week are ordinal numbers
except Sunday. The week starts from Sunday, therefore Monday is the second day
in the week, Tuesday is the third day, Wednesday is the fourth day, etc.
Vietnamese

Sound

English

Ch nh t

Sunday

Th hai

Monday

Th ba

Tuesday

Th t

Wednesday

Th nm

Thursday

Th su

Friday

Th b y

Saturday

* Asking and answering for the day in a week.

When asking for what the day today is, Vietnamese often use the below question:
Hmnaylthmy?
(today)(tobe)(ordinaldesignator)(howmany)
The answer is to replace my by the day in the week.
Example:
A: Hm nay l th my? What day is it today?
B: Hm nay l th t. Today is Wednesday.
If we want to ask the day of tomorrow, replacing hm nay by ngy mai in the
question and the answer is also follow the above form.
Examle:
A: Ngy mai l th my? What day is it tomorrow?
B: Ngy mai l Ch nht. Tomorrow is Sunday
Accordingly, using that form we can ask for other days base on the below
suggestion:
Vietnamese

Sound

English

hmnay

today

ngymai

tomorrow

ngykia

thedayaftertomorrow

hmqua

yesterday

hmkia

thedaybeforeyesterday

Example:
A: Hm kia l th my? What day is it the day before yesterday?
B: Hm kia l th hai. The day before yesterday is Monday
(See Vietnamese calendar)
Vietnamese calendar
Vietnamese use a solar calendar (dng lch) for official purposes but religious

36

activities and celebrations are governed by the lunar calendar (m lch) formed
by a sixty-year cycle divided into five twelve-year groups. Each year is associated
with an animal. (The names of the animals are traditionally referred to using, a
Sino-Vietnamese expression.) The following table lists one twelve-year cycle and
the Sino-Vietnamese terms together with their Vietnamese and English
equivalents.
SinoVietnamese

Vietnamese

English

T
S u
D n
Mo
Thn
T
Ng
Mi
Thn
D u
Tu t
H i

Chu t
Tru
H
Mo
R ng
R n
Ng a
D
Kh
G
Ch
L n

Mouserat
Buffalo
Tiger
Cat
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Goat
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Pig

The new year festival

The Vietnamese have many festivals and celebrations but without doubt the
biggest one is the new year festival (Tt Nguyn n). The Vietnamese celebrate
the new year according to the lunar calendar. Tt Nguyn n is an opportunity
for the whole family to meet together. It is a festival which marks the beginning
of the spring and it is filled with hopes and expectations that the new year will be
happier and better than the previous one. Tt Nguyn n is rich in customs
and traditions and many special dishes are prepared. Traditionally ,firecrackers
(Pho) are set off to welcome the new year.
Vietnamese folk prints are used to decorate houses on the occasion of Tt. These
are ng H prints made in a village of the same name.
Asking for and Giving Directions

9. Hi thoi (Dialogue)
This Friday, Mary wants to go to British Embassy to completel procedure, but she
is not sure how to get there, she is asking Lan for the way to get there.
Mary: Cho Lan!
Lan: Cho Mary!
Mary: Xin li cho mnh hi mt cht.
Lan: C g Mary c ni
Mary: Chiu nay mnh cn n i S Qun Anh hon tt mt s th tc,
nhng m mnh li khng r ng i ti lm, Lan ch gip mnh vi.
Lan: Bn c a ch ch cha?
Mary: Mnh c ri, s 31 ph Hai B Trng.
Lan: Th th tt ri, bn nhn ln bn ny nh. By gi bn ang trn ng
Xun Thy, c i thng vo ng Kim M, n cui ng r phi vo ng
Nguyn Thi Hc, n ng t n xanh n bn r tri, l ng Hai B
Trng, i theo ng bn s nhn thy i S Qun bn phi ng.
Mary: ! Xa nh, t y n khong bao xa?
Lan: ! Cng kh xa, chc khong 12 km . Th bn nh i n bng g?
Mary: Mnh cng cha bit na, theo bn mnh nn n bng phng tin g

37

th tin nht?
Lan: Hnh nh bn cng cha r ng ph H Ni lm, mnh ngh bn nn bt
taxi i l hay nht.
Mary: ! C l mnh s i taxi, cm n Lan nhiu nh.
Lan: Khng c g.
(see the translation)
Mary: Hi Lan!
Lan: Hi Mary!
Mary: Excuse me! Could I ask you a question?
Lan: please!
Mary: This afternoon I need to go to British Embassy for completing procedure,
but I am not sure about the way, could you tell me how to get there?
Lan: Do you have address?
Mary: Yes, I have, it is at 31 Hai Ba Trung Street.
Lan: Thats good. Look at the map, now you are on Xuan Thuy street, to the end
of this road you turn left to Kim Ma street, keep straight to the end of Kim Ma
road then turn right to Nguyen Thai Hoc street, at the end of the road you will see
the red-blue light you turn right to Le Duan street, when you see the first cross
road turn right that is Hai Ba Trung street, follow this road until you see the
British Embassy on your right hand side.
Mary: Oh! That is so far; how far is it from here?
Lan: Yes, it is about 12 km. How do you intend to get there?
Mary: I also dont know, do you think what transportation should I use to get
there?
Lan: You seem to be not so clear about Hanoi street arent you? So I just think
Taxi is the best choice for you.
Mary: Yes, maybe I will take a taxi to get there, thank you very much.
Lan: Youre welcome.
i s qun Anh nm ti im c du sao .

is qunAnh,T ng45,TonhTrungtm,31HaiBTr ng,HN i.T:++(84)(4)936

0500Fax:++(84)(4)9360561/9360562Email:emyeukhoahoc@gmail.com
10. T mi (New word)
Vietnamese

Sound

Englishequivalent

h i

toask

h i ng

toaskfortheway

ni

totell/say/speak

c n

need

is qun

Embassy

hont t

tocomplete

m ts

some

th t c

procedure

clear

38

 ng

way

ch( ng)

todrawamap/toshowtheway

gip

tohelp

ach

address

t t

good

nhn

tolook

b n

map

trn

on

cu i

theend

r tri

toturnleft

ith ng

tokeepstraight

r ph i

toturnright

nxanhn

redbluelight(trafficlight)

ngt

crossroad

itheo

tofollow

phabnph i

attherighthandside

kho ng

about

baoxa

howfar

nh/nh

tointend

b ng

by

cng

also

nn

should

ph ngti n

transportation

hnhnh

seemtobe

ngph

street

b t(xe)

totake

haynh t/t tnh t

thebest

cl

maybe

39

will

c m nb nnhi u

thankyouverymuch

11. Ng php (Grammar)

3.1. Talking about distance:
* T n:
The preposition .t n means from (place). to(place).
Form 1
t+aim1+n+aim2
from+place1+to+place2
This form is to express the movement from one place to another place.
Example:
- t nh ti n trng -> from my house to school
- t sn bay n khch sn -> from the airport to the hotel
These prepositions also express a period of time
Form 2
t+thigian+n+thigian
from+time+to/until+time
Example:
- t 8 gi sng n 5 gi chiu -> From 8 oclock in the morning
to 5 oclock in the afternoon
- t sng n ti -> from dawn till dusk
* Cch* v Bao xa
+) In order to state the distance between two places, the word cch is made
use of. See the form:
Form 3
aim1+cch+aim2+skm
place1+distance+place2+No.ofkm
Example:
- Sn bay cch khch sn 5 km -> The airport is five km from the hotel.
- Nh ti cch trng hc 8 km -> My house is eight km from school.
- H ni cch Hu kh xa -> Hanoi is quite far away from Hue.
+) when asking for the distance, Vietnamese often use the question:
Form 4
aim1+cch+aim2+baoxa?
place1+cch+place2+(howfar)?
Example:
- H Ni cch Hu bao xa? -> How far is it from Hanoi to Hue?
- Sn bay cch nh ga bao xa? -> How far is it from the airport to the station?
Besides, we can use the question which is combined with the prepositon t
n.
Let take an example to see how it is formed
- T H Ni n Hu khong* bao xa?
(Place 1) (place 2) (about) (how far)?
This question can be translated as: How far is it from Hanoi to Hue?

40

and the answer can be:

- T H Ni n Hu khong 500 km. -> It is about 500km from Hanoi to Hue.
Or we can answer by using the form 3 above as below:
- H Ni cch Hu khong 500 km. -> Hanoi is about 500km from Hue.
* Note:
- The word khong can be replace by the word l and cch.
Example:
T H Ni n Hu l 500 km -> It is 500km from Hanoi to Hue.
hoc
T H Ni n Hu cch 500 km -> It is 500km from Hanoi to Hue.
- cch can also be used to state the period of time. It is to describe how long
ago something happened.
Example:
Ti n Vit Nam cch y hai tun
-> I arrived Vietnam two week ago.
Ti bt u hc ting Vit cch y mt thng.
-> I started to learn Vietnamese a month ago.
3.2. Hnh nh: seem to be
In Vietnamese, when talking about something that is not so clear or may cause a
doubt, the word hnh nh is used and it often state at the beginning of the
sentence.
Example:
- Hnh nh bn cha quen ng ph H Ni lm.
-> You seem to be not so familiar to Hanoi Street.
- Hnh nh ti cha tng n ni ny.
-> It seems to be that I have ever been here.
3.3. Nn: should
Vietnamese use the word nn to give suggestion or advice to someone. It often
stands after the Subject. See below form for detail.
Form 5
CN+nn+T+VN
S+should+V+O
Example:
- Bn nn n bng taxi -> You should get there by taxi.
- Bn nn th gin mt cht -> You should relax.

Re: Vietnamese for foreigners - Ting Vit cho ngi nc ngoi

How to Take a Taxi
1. Hi thoi (Dialogue)
On the afternoon Mary is going to British Embassy, now she is calling to Hanoi
taxi agency to reserve a taxi.
Agency: D! H Ni taxi xin nghe!
Mary: Al! cho anh ! anh c th gi cho em mt xe taxi bn ch ti a ch s
27 ng Xun Thy, Cu Giy c khng ?
Agency: D vng ! ch vui lng ch mt lt, taxi s n ngay
Mary: Cm n anh nhiu, cho anh!
Agency: D khng c g , cho ch!
Some minutes later, Mary sees a four-seat taxi is coming; she waves her hand as
a sign.
Taxi driver: Xin li, c phi ch gi taxi khng ?
Mary: Vng! ng ri , anh c phi t bn H Ni taxi khng ?

41

Taxi driver: Vng! Tha ch, mi ch ln xe .

Mary: Cm n anh!
Taxi driver: By gi ch mun i n a im no ?
Mary: Anh a ti n i s qun Anh s 31 Hai B Trng.
Taxi driver: Vng! Phin ch tht dy an ton chng ta c th khi hnh .
Mary: Vng! ti sn sng, anh c th cho ti hi mt cht c khng ?
Taxi driver: Vng ch c ni .
Mary: T y n i s qun mt bao lu ?
Taxi driver: By gi ng khng ng lm nn khong 30 pht na chng ta s
n i s Qun.
Mary: Vng! vy l ti yn tm ri. Cm n anh!
Taxi driver: D! khng c g .
Thirty minutes later, Mary gets to British Embassy; she gets off the taxi and
makes the payment.
Taxi driver: Tha ch! i s qun y ri
Mary: Vng! cm n anh nh, xin hi ht bao nhiu tin ?
Taxi driver: D! ht 90.000 ng chn .
Mary: y tha anh, cm n anh nhiu .
Taxi driver: D! khng c g , ch c mun ti i khng ?
Mary: Khng cn u, cho anh!
Taxi driver: Cm n ch! Cho ch!
(See the translation)
Dialogue 1:
Agency: Hello! Thank you for calling to Hanoi taxi, can I help you?
Mary: Hello! Could you arrange one four-seat taxi to pick me up at No.27 Xuan
Thuy Street, Cau Giay Dist.?
Agency: Yes, Madam. Could you please wait for some minutes, our taxi will come
now.
Mary: Thank you very much and goodbye!
Agency: Youre welcome, goodbye!
Dialogue 2:
Taxi driver: Excuse me! Did you call for a taxi?
Mary: yes, I did. You are from Hanoi taxi, arent you?
Taxi driver: Yes, I am. Please get in the car.
Mary: Thanks you!
Taxi driver: Where would you go to now?
Mary: Please take me to British Embassy at No.31 Hai Ba Trung Street.
Taxi driver: yes, could you please wear seatbelt and we can departure.
Mary: Yes, I am ready, may I have a question?
Taxi driver: yes, please!
Mary: How long does it take from here to British Embassy?
Taxi driver: At the moment, the street is not so crowded, so it may take about 30
minutes.
Mary: Yes, Its good, thank you!
Taxi driver: Not at all!
Dialogue 3:
Taxi driver: Here is British Embassy.
Mary: Yes, thank you! How much is it?
Taxi driver: It is 90.000 VND.
Mary: Here you are!
Taxi driver: Thank you! Do you need me to wait for you?
Mary: No, thanks! Goodbye!
Taxi driver: Thank you and goodbye!
(make a list of Taxi agency in Hanoi and its phone number) see as reference of
the lesson)
Vietnamese

Sound

Englishequivalent

42

Ch (ch ng i)

seat

vuilng

please

ch

towait

m tlt

alittle(inthislesson:someminutes)

g i

tocall

lnxe

togetin

ai m

place

a/ an

totake,topickup

th t

totie

dyanton

seatbelt

cth

can,could,might,may

s nsng

ready

ng

crowed

nn

so

baonhiuti n

howmuch

T mi (New word)
*Note:
- The word vui lng is used when offering someone to do something politely.
Example:
Bn vui lng m ca gip mnh c khng?
-> Could you open the door please?
- In the dialogue you see so many word , but we can not translate it into
English because there is no equivalent meaning in English. It is used to show the
politeness and respect of the speaker to the person being spoken. For example,
before going to class children have to say goodbye to their parents Tha b m!
Con i hc as well as when they come back home they have to say hello to
their parents tha b m con v . It does not only convey the meaning of
informing but also expressing the respect to the olders.
2. Ng php (Grammar)
3.1. Bao lu: How long.
When asking for how long something done, Vietnamese use the question which is
formed by the word bao lu.
Form 1
CN+T+VN+(mt)baolu?
S+V+O+howlong?
Let analyse the example for futher detail:
- (S) i t y n i s qun mt bao lu?
- S (Verb) (Object) how long?
The subject is not appeared here but we still can understand that there is
someone moves to Embassy; therefore this sentence can be translated into

43

English as below:
-> How long does it take from here to Embassy?
See more examples:
- Bn i t nh n trng mt bao lu?
-> How long does it take you from your house to your school?
- i t H Ni vo Hu mt bao lu?
- > How long does it take from Hanoi to Hue?
* Note:
- The word mt can be replaced by trong or khong. Mt refers to the
exact time, trong refers to the approximate time but not over the time given,
and khong also refers to the approximate time and it can be less or more than
the time given. Therefore, Vietnamese applied this meaning of these words to
give clear answer. See the answer for these above questions:
Question 1
Q: i t y n i s qun mt bao lu?
A: i t y n i s qun mt 30 pht. (Exactly it takes 30 minutes)
Question 2:
Q: Bn i t nh n trng mt bao lu?
A: Mnh i t nh n trng trong 15 pht. (It takes less than 15 minutes)
Question 3:
Q: i t H Ni vo Hu mt bao lu?
A: i t H Ni vo Hu khong 4 ting. (It may take less than or more than 4
hour)
- In the question, the word bao lu can be replaced by the word bao nhiu
thi gian. The question and answer form as well as the meaning is the same with
the word bao lu. Vietnamese prefers using bao lu to using bao nhiu thi
gian.
3.2. Conjunction: nn means so
The conjunction nn is used to combine two clauses that have cause and
effect relationship. The first clause often shows the meaning of cause and the
second one has the meaning of effect.
To make you easy to remember we provide the form as below:
Causeclause+nn+effectclause
See the example for detail:
- By gi ng khng ng lm// nn // khong 30 pht na chng ta s n
i s qun.
(Cause clause) nn (Effect clause)
->Now the street is not so crowed so we can get to Embassy about 30 minutes
later.
In order to emphasize the reason we add the word vat the very beginning of
the cause clause.
Example:
- V // tri ma // nn // chng ti khng i chi.
v (cause) nn (effect)
-> Because it rains so we do not go out.
- V // Lan b m // nn // c y khng n lp.
-> Because Lan is ill so she does not come to class.
Similiar with English, the position of these two clauses can be exchanged, and in
this case the word nn can be omittied, and replaced by v.
See example:
- Chng ti khng i chi // v // tri ma.
(Effect) v (cause)
-> We do not go out because it rains.
- Lan khng n lp // v // c y b m
-> Lan does not come to class because she is ill.
* Note:

44

- If the subject in two clauses is the same, it can be omitted in one of these two
clauses.
Example:
- (V) b m nn Lan khng n lp
(v) (S) V nn S V
-> Because of being ill so Lan does not come to class.
Or
- Lan b m nn khng n lp.
S V nn (S) V
This sentence can be translated into English as:
-> Lan is ill so not come to class.
Tr li km Trch dn

21-12-2011 11:07 AM#10

Family relationships in Vietnamese Culture

Family structure
The family is the basic instituation in society; it perpetuates society and protects
the individual. Generally speaking, Vietnamese family structure is more complex
than that of the American family, which is essentially nuclear in nature and which
excludes relatives and in-laws. In the Vietnamese family roles are more numerous
and more fined than in its American counterpart.
Vietnamese people distinguish between the immediate family (tiu gia-nh) and
the extended family (i gia-nh). The Vietnamese immediate family includes
not only the husband, wife, and their unmarried children, but but also the
husbands parents and the sons wives and children, The extended family consists
of the immediate family and close relatiVes who share the same family name and
ancestors and who live in the same community.
Family relationships in Vietnamese Culture

The complexity of the Vietnamese concept oF family is reflected in the rather

complex terminology designating kinship. Each member of the extended family
has a particular designation according to his/her relative position and his/her role
in the family structure. People are often referred to by the kinship term rather
than by given name.
In Vietnamese society, the father is the head of the family. However, unlike the
father in traditional Chinese society, who is empowered, at least theoretically,
with absolute rights over his children and wife, the Vietnamese father shares with
his wife and children collective and bilateral responsibility, legally, morally, and
spiritually.
In the relationship between parents and chilren, as well as between husband and
wife, the Vietnamese people retain much of their own custom and tradition,
despite the great influence of Chinese culture and Confucian doctrine. In the eyes
of the children, the Vietnamese mother has the same status as the father. She is
also the embodiment of love and the spirit of self-denial and sacrifice.
Parent-child relationship
Vietnamese parents consider it a most important responsibility to train their
children. By virtue of the principle of collective responsibility, the parents will bear
the disgrace brought about by the activities of children who dishonor themselves
just as they share the honor and fame of their virtuous and talented children.
At an early age, children are taught by their parents to behave according to the

45

principle of filial piety. The family is the school in which the child learns the
respect rules in both behavior and linguistic response. Filial piety consists of
loving, respecting, and obeying ones parents. Talking back or acting contrary to
the wishes of ones parents is evidence of lack of filial piety. For the Vietnamese,
the obligation to obey his parents does not end with coming of age or marriage.
Filial piety also means solicitude and support to ones parents, chiefly in their old
age. Vietnamese elderly people never live by themselves or in nursing homes but
with one of their children, usually their eldest son. This obligation is not
discontinued by the parents death. It survives in the form of ancestral cult and
the maintenance of ancestral tombs. Ancestor worship is practised in most, if not
all, Vietnamese homes even in the homes of Viettnamese people living overseas.
The child who lacks filial piety is rejected and ostracized by other members of the
family and comnlunity. The worst insult which a Vietnamese can receive and by
which he is deeply wounded is the ex- pression lack filial piety (con bt hiu).
Sibling relationships
In Vietnamese culture, the relationship between siblings is determined by the
principle of seniority, which requires younger siblings to respect and obey older
ones. The eldest brother is entrusted with a heavy responsibility that of
substituting for the parents in case of emergency. He is considered by his siblings
as their leader. Concord and love among siblings is a token of happy and virtuous
family.
Attitude towards relatives
As with members of the immediate family, members of the extended family are
boud together by a strong sense of collective responsibility and mutual obligation.
The notion of blood relalionship is always present in the mind of the Vietnamese.
In honor or in disgrace, members of the extended family will share the same fate
as if they were members of the immediate family. They are expected to give one
another moral and material assistance, especially in time of stress. On the social
and political planes, this strong sense of loyalty to the extended family tends to
encourage the spirit of sectarianism and nepotism.
The notion of family ties is imprinted in the mind of the Vietnamese because of
the importance of filial piety. Respect and love are demanded of young people to
members of the parental generation and above. Uncles and aunts must be treated
with respect as if they were ones own parents. In addition to the consciousness
of blood relationships and the linguistic ties that reinforce kinship relationships
and age seniority, members of the Vietnamese extended family are closely bound
by the common veneration of the dead. Ancestor worship is a hyphen between
the dead and the living and a strong tie between members sharing the same
ancestry. Through such rites as the cleaning of the ancestral tombs and
celebration of ancestral death anniversaries, which all members of the extended
family are expected to attend, the ties which bind the Vietnamese to other
members of his family are reinforced.
In the last decades the Vietnamese family insitution has been attacked on all
fronts. The Western doctrine of individualism advocated the liberation of the
individual from the encroachment of the family upon his personal freedom. Under
the communist regime, the state replaced parents in the filial piety relationship,
and children were taught to spy on their own parents and report to the Party any
subversive talk or behavior. The war devastated the countryside and brought
people to the cities where narrow spaces were not suitable to the pattern of the
extended family. Since 1975, with the communist takeover of the whole country
and the tragic exodus of the Vietnamese people throughout the world to search
for freedom, the Vietnamese family has become increasingly broken and

46

separated by distance. Husbands and wives, fathers and sons, mothers and
daughters live thousands and thousands of miles apart. But despite of all this,
deep family feelings and ties are still strong and the Vietnamese family concept
still survives through time and change

Going shopping
Hi thoi (Dialogue)
At the weekend, Mary goes shopping; she wants to buy a shirt, a
Vietnamese dictionary and then some fruit.
1. Mary is at a clothes shop
Saller: Cho em! Ch c th gip g cho em?
Mary: Cho ch! Em c th xem chic o mu hng kia khng ?
Saller: y! Em xem th i.
Mary: Ch i! Em c th mc th c khng ?
Saller: Em mc th i.
Mary: Trng c v hi cht mt cht, ch c c no rng hn khng?
Saller: Em ang mc th c S phi khng?
Mary: em xem , vng ng ri ch .
Saller: Th th em mc c M l va y, em th li o ny i.
Mary: Vng!
Saller: Em thy th no? C va khng?
Mary: Va ch . Bao nhiu tin chic o ny?
Saller: Chic o 110.000 em .
Mary: i! Hnh nh hi t, ch c th bt cho em mt cht c
khng?
Saller: Thi c! Ch bn m hng, bt cho em 10.000.
Mary: Cm n ch!
Saller: Em c mua thm g na khng?
Mary: D khng , cho ch nh!
2. Mary is in the book shop
Seller: Em ang tm sch g th?
Mary: Ch i y c bn t in ting Vit khng ?
Seller: C, pha bn ny c, ch ly cho.
Mary: Em mi bt u hc ting Vit th nn dng quyn no ch
nh?
Seller: Th th em nn dng quyn ny, ton nhng t thng dng
thi.
Mary: Vng! Cm n ch nhiu nh. Quyn ny gi bao nhiu th
ch?
Seller: Quyn ny gi 45.000 thi em .
Mary: Cm n ch . Cho ch!
Seller: Cho em!
3. Mary is at the market.
Seller: Chu i! Vo y mua hoa qu cho c.
Mary: C i! Bao nhiu tin mt cn nho ?
Seller: Nho 25.000 mt cn chu . Chu mua i nho ti v ngt
47

lm.
Mary: C bn gim cho chu nh, 20.000 mt cn thi .
Seller: Thi c bn 22.000 chu mua gip c nh?
Mary: Vng! Th c cn gip chu .
Seller: Chu mua g na khng?
Mary: D! khng . Chu cho c.
Seller: cho chu! Ln sau li vo mua hoa qu cho c nh.
Dialogue 1:
Saller: Hello! Can I help you?
Mary: Hello! Can I see that pink shirt?
Saller: Here you are.
Mary: Can I try it on?
Saller: Yes, you can.
Mary: It looks a little bit small. Do you have a bigger size?
Saller: You are trying on S size, arent you?
Mary: Let me see, yes it is.
Saller: So the M size is fit to you, can you try on this one?
Mary: Yes,
Saller: How about it? Is it fit to you?
Mary: Yes, it is. How does it cost?
Saller: It cost 110.000 VND.
Mary: Oh! It is expensive. Could you cut the price down?
Saller: Alright! It is the first purchase of day for you; I reduce
10.000 VND for you.
Mary: Thank you!
Saller: Would you like to buy more?
Mary: No, thanks and goodbye!
Dialogue 2:
Saller: Which book are you looking for?
Mary: Is there any Vietnamese dictionary here?
Saller: Yes, it is over there; let me take it for you.
Mary: I just started to learn Vietnamse, so which Dictionary should
I use?
Saller: Oh! You should use this book; it is contain almost common
words.
Mary: Yes, thank you very much. How much is it?
Saller: It is only 45.000 VND.
Mary: Thank you and goodbye!
Saller: Goodbye!
Dialogue 3:
Saller: Hey girl! Come to buy my fruit!
Mary: How much does a kilo of grapefruit cost?
Saller: One kilo grapefruit costs 25.000 VND. It is very fresh and
sweet, you should buy it.
Mary: Could you reduce the price? 20.000 a kilo?
48

Saller: Alright! I wil sell it with the price of 22.000 VND, let buy it.
Mary: Yes, could you give me a kilo.
Saller: Do you need anything else?
Mary: No, thanks and goodbye!
Saller: Goodbye! Shall you come to my shop next time?
4. T mi (New word)
Vietnamese

English equivalent

gip

to help

xem

to look, to see

chic

a classifier

o (o s mi)

Shirt

o phng

T-Shirt

o vt

Jacket

mu hng

pink

mc th

to try it on

hi

a little bit

cht

small

size

rng

Big/ large

va

fit

tin

money

expensive

bt = gim gi

sale off / ct the price off

bn

to sale

mua

to buy

bn/ mua m
hng

to make the first purchase

tm

to search, to look for

sch ( quyn

book
49

sch)
t in

dictionary

ly

to take

bt u

to begin

hc

to learn

dng = s dng

to use

quyn

a classifier

Ton (ton b)

all

thng dng

common

gi

price

qu

fruit

cn

Kilo

qu nho (nho)

grapefruit

ti

fresh

ngt

sweet

ln sau

next time

* Note:
1. Shopping
In Vietnam, the most popular place for doing shopping is the
market. There are many things available here and you can buy
anything you need from food to electrical goods. The market is not
only the place for doing shopping but also the place for meeting to
exchange information, and especially, it is a place for young people
who want to find the other part of their life, the popular market like
this are Sapa love market, Khau vai love market. It is popular that
Vietnameses largest markets are ng Xun in Hanoi, ng Ba in
Hue and Bn Thnh in Sai Gon. Market is the most useful place for
foreigners who want to learn Vietnamese language and to practice.
2. Vietnamese currency
The currency of Vietnam is named as ng, in the past there
existed smaller monetary units called xu and ho, but they are
no longer used. At the present, the smallest banknote denomination
is 100 ng, and the biggest one is 500.000 ng. Beside that,
50

there are some coins in Vietnamese circulation including 200 ng,

500 ng, 1000 ng, 2000 ng and 5000 ng.
See the below system (range from the smallest to the biggest)
Paper money

Coin

100 ng
200 ng

200 ng

500 ng

500 ng

1000 ng

1000 ng

2000 ng

2000 ng

5000 ng

5000 ng

10 000 ng
20 000 ng
50 000 ng
100 000 ng
200 000 ng
500 000 ng

3. Ng php (Grammar)
5. Classifier
Vietnamese uses a system of classifiers to indicate word classes of
nouns. It sounds slightly complecated at first but the below
examples show that it is not too difficult.
* Usage of classifiers:
- Use to specify an object, a person, an animal, etc. in specific case.
Example:
Specific reference
Con ch ca ti rt p
-> My dog is very beautiful
This statement refers to a
specific dog, i.e. my
dog;therefore the classifier
con is used.

General reference
Ch l loi ng vt thng minh
-> Dog is an intelligent animal
This statement there is no specific
dog is refered to, dog here is
refered as a species; therefore no
classifier is used.

51

6. Classifiers stand before the noun they classify

classifier + noun
E.g.
Con mo -> a cat
Ci bn -> a table
i giy -> a pair of shoes
7. When the statement refers to the certain number of
object, animal, etc. the classifiers is used normally
and placed after the number.
E.g.
Ba con mo -> three cats
Nm ci bn -> five tables
Hai i giy -> two pair of shoes
Sometimes, classifiers can stand without nouns, but it occurs in
clear context in which they refer to.
Example:
- Quyn sch ny rt hay, cho t mn quyn ny nh.
Classifier noun classifier
-> This book is very interesting, may I borrow it?
The below are the most common classifiers:
Classifie
rs

Usage

Examples

Ci

Used for most

ainanimate objects

ci (umbrella), ci ba
(hammer), ci inh (srew),
etc

Con

Usually for animals, but

can be used to
describe some
inanimate object

con dao (knife), con ng

(street), con mo (cat), etc.

Bi

Used for copositions

like songs, drawings,
poems, essays, etc.

bi ht (song), bi th
(poem), etc.

Cy

Used for stick like

objects

cy tre ( bamboo), cay ma

(cane), cy sng (gun), etc

Chic

Object that are worn or

moved by people

chic gh (chair), chic xe

(car), chic o (shirt), etc.

Ta

Building of authority

ta n (court), ta nh (hall),
ta thp (tower)

Qu/ tri

Used for globular

objects (Earth, fruit)

qu/ tri t (the Earth), qu

xoi (mango)(fruits)

52

quyn/
cun

Used for book-like

object

quyn sch (book), quyn v

(notebook), quyn nht k
(diary), etc.

Used for sheets and

other thin objects
made of paper

t bo (newspaper), t giy
(paper), t lch (calendar),
etc.

Vic

an event or an ongoing
process

vic ci xin (wedding

ceremony)

Cuc

Used for process,

activity like sport,
contests, meetings,
parties, struggles...

cuc chin tranh (war), cuc

thi hoa hu (beauty contest),
cuc cch mng (revolution),
etc.

Used for objects always

come in set of two

i giy ( pair of shoes) i

a ( pair of chopstick), etc.

Used for a set of group

objects

b bn gh (set of table and

chair), b m chn (tea-set)

Tm

Rectangular flat piece

of material, with cloth,
boards, etc.

tm vi (cloth), tm g
(wood), etc.

Bc

Flat and rectangular

objects

Bc th (letter), bc tranh
(picture), etc.

- Besides, the classifier ci has a special role in that it can extend

all other classifiers e.g. ci con mo ny (this cat), ci chic o ny
(this shirt), etc.
- Many other words can fulfil the role of a classifier:
~ Containers: hp (box), chai (bottle), bt (bowl), m (kettle), cc
(glass)
~ Unit of language: t (word), cu (sentence), ting (sound).
~ Spartial unit: ch (place), lp (class), phng (room), nc
(country).
~ Time unit: ba (meal), ln (time), gi (hour), pht (minute),
ngy (day), ma (season), thng (month), nm (year).
8. Bao nhiu tin? How much?
To ask for price of thing, Vietnamese often uses the question which
forms of the word bao nhiu tin. See the form below:
CN + (gi) + bao nhiu (tin)?
S + (cost) + how much?
Example:
53

- Chic o ny bao nhiu tin? -> How much is this shirt?

- Quyn sch ny bao nhiu tin? -> How much is this book?
- Bao nhiu tin mt cn nho? -> How much is a kilo of grapefruit?
It can be placed at the beginning or at the very end of the question,
but do not change the meaning of question.
See below examples:
- Chic o ny bao nhiu tin? -> How much is this shirt?
- Bao nhiu tin chic o ny? -> How much is this shirt?
Sometimes, the word gi is added before bao nhiu tin, or the
word tin can be omitted.
Example:
- Chic o ny gi bao nhiu (tin)? -> How much does this shirt
cost?
- Quyn sch ny gi bao nhiu (tin)? -> How much does this
book cost?
Have you relize how to answer this question, look again the
dialogue and you will see the way to answer. It is very simple if
follow these below order:
CN + gi + s tin
S + cost + money
Example: See the answer of these above questions.
- Chic o ny gi 110.000 ng. -> This shirt costs 110.000 VND.
- Quyn sch ny gi 45.000 ng -> this book costs 45.000 VND.
- Mt cn nho gi 25.000 ng -> One kilo grapefruit costs 25.000
VND.
* Note:
In some case, the word gi can be omitted, e.g. Chic o
110.000 ng.
It is not necessary that the answer has to follow the above order, it
can be changed or shortened as shown in the below examples:
- 25.000 ng mt cn nho. -> 25.000 VND for one kilo grapefruit.
- 110.000 chic o . -> 110.000 VND for that shirt.
- 45.000 quyn sch . -> 45.000 VND for that book.
Short answer like:
A: Nho bao nhiu tin mt cn?
B: 25.000 ng.
A: How much is one kilo grapefruit?
B: 25.000 VND.
In this case the both seller and buyer all know exactly thing, but it
occurs in spoken language.
9. Quantifier: mt cht, mt t (a) few, (a) little.
The using of quantifier in Vietnamese is not so different from that in
English, there are two types of quantifiers, one is used for count
noun and the other is used for non-count noun.
The most common quantifiers are:
54

Used with count noun

Used with non-count noun

Mt vi

Mt
Mt
Mt
Mt
Mt

lt (used for time only)

lc (used for time only)
cht
t
t

The position of the quantifiers is before the nouns

Example:
- Mt vi ci bnh -> A few cakes
- Vi ci ko -> some sweets
- Mt cht ng -> a little sugar
- Mt t mui -> a little salt
- Mt t kem -> a little cream
Exceptionally, mt lt, mt lc are the quantifiers for time only
therefore they are no longer need the existence of the noun time,
Example:
- i ti mt lt -> wait me for some minutes.
- Ti i bn c mt lc ri -> I am waiting for you for some
minutes.
In the clear context when the conversation attendants all know the
thing they refer to, the quantifiers can stand alone without the noun
Example:
- Mary points to a pack of sweet and says to Lan: cho t vi ci
nh Can I have some?. In this case, Mary does not need to refer to
sweet, but Lan can understand Mary wants some sweets.

1.
1.1. S th t (Ordinal number)
Ordinal number is formed from cardinal number by adding the
ordinal designator th. This element precedes the cardinal
number.
Vietnamese

English

Th

nht

The first

Th

hai*

The second

Th

ba

The third

Th

t*

The fourth

Th

nm

The fifth
55

Th

su

The sixth

Th

by

The seventh

Th

tm

The eightth

Th

chn

The nineth

Th

mi

The tenth

Th

mi mt

The eleventh

Th

mi hai

The twelveth

Th

mi ba

The thirteenth

Th

mi bn

The forteenth

Th

mi lm

The fifteenth

Th

mi su

The sixteenth

1.2. Talking about time

* To tell the time
There are three words to express the time in Vietnamese are
gi hour, pht minute and giy second.
* To state the time:
In Vietnamese, the way to state the time is various.
In even hour we say
11:00 -> 11 gi -> 11 oclock
8:00 -> 8 gi -> 8 oclock
In other cases, Vietnamese uses qua and km to express.
Example:
9:15 -> 9 gi (qua) 15 (pht) -> a quarter past nine / nine fifteen.
11: 20 -> 11 gi (qua) 20 (pht) -> eleven twenty
And use km
8: 45 = 9 gi km 15 (pht) -> a quarter to nine / fifteen to nine
9:50 -> 10 gi km 10 -> ten to ten
To express the time past 30 minutes we use ri.
Example:
8:30 -> 9 ri -> half past eight
10:30 -> 10 ri -> half past ten
10.
To express the time in which period of day,
Vietnamese use the below words, which refer to the
period of day, to add after the time.
Period of time

Vietnamese

English equivalent

56

1:00am~11:00am

sng

morning

11:00am~1:00pm

tra

at noon

1:00pm~7:00pm

chiu

afternoon

7:00pm~11:00pm

ti

evening

11:00pm~1:00am

night

Example:
2: 15 pm -> 2 gi 15 chiu
9:20 am -> 9 gi 20 sng
12:00pm -> 12 gi tra
1:00 am -> 2 gi m
* Ask and answer about time.
When asking for the time, Vietnamese use the question:
By gi l my gi (ri)?
And the answer is by gi l (time) gi (ri).
Example:
A: By gi l my gi?
B: By gi l 9 gi (ri).
* To ask someone what time he/she does something we use:
S + V + lc/ vo lc my gi?
Example:
Nam i hc vo lc my gi? -> What time does Nam go to school?
And the answer is
Nam i hc vo lc 7 gi. -> Nam goes to school at 7 oclock
* Days in a week:
When denoting the day in a week we use the ordinal number to
express except Sunday. The week starts from Sunday, so we have:
Vietnamese

English equivalence

Ch nht

Sunday

Th hai

Monday

Th ba

Tuesday

Th t

Wednesday

Th nm

Thursday

Th su

Friday

Th by

Saturday

57

* Ask and answer about the day in a week.

We use the question: Hm nay l th my?
The answer is to replace my by the day in the week.
Example:
A: Hm nay l th my? -> What day is it today?
B: Hm nay l th t. -> Today is Wednesday.
If we want to ask for other days we use these terms to make
question:
Vietnamese

English equivalence

hm nay

today

ngy mai

tomorrow

ngy kia

the day after tomorrow

hm qua

yesterday

hm kia

the day before yesterday

Example:
A: Hm kia l th my? -> What day is it the day before yesterday?
B: Hm kia l th hai. -> The day before yesterday is Monday
2. Talking about distance:
2.1. Preposition: T...... nmeans ..from....to...
+)Used to express the movement from one place to another place.
...t + place 1 + n + place 2
Example:
- t nh ti n trng -> from my house to school
- t sn bay n khch sn -> from the airport to the hotel
+) To express a period of time: t + time 1 + n + time 2
Example:
- t 8 gi sng n 5 gi chiu -> From 8 oclock in the morning
to 5 oclock in the afternoon
- t sng n ti -> from dawn till dusk
2.2. Cch v Bao xa
- We use the word cch and bao xa to state the distance
between two places. it follow the form:
Question form: Place 1 + cch + place 2 + bao xa (how far)?
Answer form is Place 1 + cch + place 2 + s km (number of
km).
Example:
Sn bay cch nh ga bao xa? -> How far is it from the airport to
the station?
Sn bay cch nh ga 20 km -> The airport is 20 km from the
station.
58

Besides, we can use the question which is combined with the

prepositon t... n.
Example:
- T H Ni n Hu khong* bao xa?
(Place 1) (place 2) (about) (how far)?
This question can be translated as: How far is it from Hanoi to Hue?
and the answer can be:
- T H Ni n Hu khong 500 km. -> It is about 500km from
Hanoi to Hue.
Or we can answer by using the form 3 above as below:
- H Ni cch Hu khong 500 km. -> Hanoi is about 500km from
Hue.
* Note:
+) The word khong can be replace by the word l and cch.
Example:
T H Ni n Hu l 500 km. -> It is 500km from Hanoi to Hue.
hoc
T H Ni n Hu cch 500 km. -> It is 500km from Hanoi to Hue.
+) cch can also be used to state the period of time. It is to
describe how long ago something happened.
Example:
Ti n Vit Nam cch y hai tun
-> I arrived Vietnam two week ago.
Ti bt u hc ting Vit cch y mt thng.
-> I started to learn Vietnamese a month ago.
3. Bao lu: How long.
To ask for how long something done we use the question: S + V +
(mt) bao lu? and the answer is S + V + (mt) time
Example:
A: Bn i t nh n trng mt bao lu?
-> How long does it take you from your house to school?
B: Ti i t nh n trng mt 30 pht.
-> It takes me 30 mintes from my house to school.
C: i t H Ni vo Hu mt bao lu?
- > How long does it take from Hanoi to Hue?
D: i t H Ni n Hu mt khong 6 ting.
-> It takes about 6 hours from Hanoi to Hue.
4. Conjunction:
4.1. nn means so
We use the conjunction nn to combine two clauses that have
cause and effect meaning.
See the example for detail:
- Tri ma// nn // chng ti s khng i ra ngoi na.
(Cause) nn (Effect)
It rains so we will not go out.
To emphasize the reason we add the word vat the very beginning
of the cause clause.
59

Example:
- V // tri ma // nn // chng ti s khng i ra ngoi na.
v (cause) nn (effect)
-> Because it rains so we will not go out.
The position of these two clauses can be exchanged, and in this
case the word nn can be omittied, and replaced by v.
See example:
- Chng ti s khng i ra ngoi na // v // tri ma.
(Effect) v (cause)
-> We will not go out because it rains.
* Note:
- When both two clauses refer to the same subject, it can be
omitted in one of these two clauses.
Example:
- (V) b m nn Lan khng n lp.
(v) (S) V nn S V
-> Because of being ill so Lan does not come to class.
Or
- Lan b m nn khng n lp.
S V nn (S) V
This sentence can be translated into English as:
-> Lan is ill so not come to class.
4.2. Hnh nh: seem to be
In Vietnamese, when talking about something that is not so clear or
may cause a doubt, the word hnh nh is used and it often state
at the beginning of the sentence.
Example:
- Hnh nh bn cha quen ng ph H Ni lm.
-> You seem to be not so familiar to Hanoi Street.
- Hnh nh ti cha tng n ni ny.
-> It seems to be that I have ever been here.
4.3. Nn: should
Vietnamese use the word nn to give suggestion or advice to
someone. It often stands after the subject S + nn + V
Example:
- Bn nn n bng taxi -> You should get there by taxi.
- Bn nn th gin mt cht -> You should relax.
11.
Classifier
Vietnamese uses a system of classifiers to indicate word classes of
nouns. It sounds slightly complecated at first but the below
examples show that it is not too difficult.
- Classifiers are used to specify an object, a person, an animal, etc.
in specific case.
- Classifiers stand before the noun they classify classifier +
noun
E.g.
Con mo -> a cat
60

Ci bn -> a table
i giy -> a pair of shoes
- When the statement refers to the certain number of object,
animal, etc. the classifiers is used normally and placed after the
number.
E.g.
Ba con mo -> three cats
Nm ci bn -> five tables
Hai i giy -> two pair of shoes
Sometimes, classifiers can stand without nouns, but it occurs in
clear context in which they refer to.
Example:
- Bnh ny ngon lm, mnh mua my ci nh.
noun classifier
-> This cake is very delicious, shall we buy some?
The below are the most common classifiers:
Classifie
rs

Usage

Examples

Ci

Used for most

ainanimate objects

ci (umbrella), ci ba
(hammer), ci inh (srew),
etc

Con

Usually for animals, but

can be used to describe
some inanimate object

con dao (knife), con ng

(street), con mo (cat), etc.

Bi

Used for copositions

like songs, drawings,
poems, essays, etc.

bi ht (song), bi th
(poem), etc.

Cy

Used for stick like

objects

cy tre ( bamboo), cay ma

(cane), cy sng (gun), etc

Chic

Object that are worn or

moved by people

chic gh (chair), chic xe

(car), chic o (shirt), etc.

Ta

Building of authority

ta n (court), ta nh (hall),
ta thp (tower)

Qu/ tri

Used for globular

objects (Earth, fruit)

qu/ tri t (the Earth), qu

xoi (mango)(fruits)

quyn/
cun

Used for book-like

object

quyn sch (book), quyn v

(notebook), quyn nht k
(diary), etc.

Used for sheets and

t bo (newspaper), t giy
61

other thin objects made

of paper

(paper), t lch (calendar),

etc.

Vic

an event or an ongoing
process

vic ci xin (wedding

ceremony)

Cuc

Used for process,

activity like sport,
contests, meetings,
parties, struggles...

cuc chin tranh (war), cuc

thi hoa hu (beauty contest),
cuc cch mng (revolution),
etc.

Used for objects always

come in set of two

i giy ( pair of shoes) i

a ( pair of chopstick), etc.

Used for a set of group

objects

b bn gh (set of table and

chair), b m chn (tea-set)

Tm

Rectangular flat piece

of material, with cloth,
boards, etc.

tm vi (cloth), tm g
(wood), etc.

Bc

Flat and rectangular

objects

Bc th (letter), bc tranh
(picture), etc.

- Besides, the classifier ci has a special role in that it can extend

all other classifiers e.g. ci con mo ny (this cat), ci chic o ny
(this shirt), etc.
6. Bao nhiu tin? How much?
+) To ask for price of thing, Vietnamese uses the question: S +
(gi) bao nhiu (tin)? and the answer is S + (gi) + money
Example:
A: Chic o ny (gi) bao nhiu tin? -> How much is this shirt?
B: Chic o ny (gi) 100.000 ng. -> This shirt costs 100.000
VND.
C: Quyn sch ny (gi) bao nhiu tin? -> How much is this book?
D: Quyn sch ny gi 45.000 ng. -> This book costs 45.000
VND.
+) The word order in the question can be changed but do not affect
the meaning of question.
Examples:
- Chic o ny bao nhiu? -> How much is this shirt?
- Bao nhiu tin chic o ny? -> How much is this shirt?
+) Sometimes, tin can be omitted but we still understand the
meaning of sentence.
- Chic o ny gi bao nhiu (tin)? -> How much does this shirt
cost?
7. Quantifier: mt cht, mt t (a) few, (a) little.
The using of quantifier in Vietnamese is not so different from that in
62

English, there are two types of quantifiers, one is used for count
noun and the other is used for non-count noun.
The most common quantifiers are:
Used with count noun

Used with non-count noun

Mt vi

Mt
Mt
Mt
Mt
Mt

lt (used for time only)

lc (used for time only)
cht
t
t

The position of the quantifiers is before the nouns

Example:
- Mt vi ci bnh -> A few cakes
- Vi ci ko -> some sweets
- Mt cht ng -> a little sugar
- Mt t mui -> a little salt
- Mt t kem -> a little cream
Exceptionally, mt lt, mt lc are the quantifiers for time only
therefore they are no longer need the existence of the noun time,
Example:
- i ti mt lt -> wait me for some minutes.
- Ti i bn c mt lc ri -> I am waiting for you for some
minutes.
In the clear context when the conversation attendants all know the
thing they refer to, the quantifiers can stand alone without the noun
Example:
- Mary points to a pack of sweet and says to Lan: cho t vi ci
nh Can I have some?. In this case, Mary does not need to refer to
sweet, but Lan can understand Mary wants some sweets.

63