Speak basic Vietnamese
A few words goes a long way
The language of Vietnam has a pleasant sing-song quality and should at first sight be easier to learn than neighbouring Thai as the script used is Romanised. But the language utilises several sounds which are not normally found in the West, and there are many symbols used which affect the pronunciation or tone. This makes progress very tricky unless you dedicate several months in Hanoi and speak to local people every day.
The history of the Vietnamese language through the ages has somewhat mirrored the turbulent history of the nation generally. Until the 1300s, the written form of Vietnamese employed Chinese characters, but soon after an indigenous script known as chu nom was introduced. This, however, was still largely based on the previous Chinese.
Then in the 17th century a French Jesuit scholar called Alexandre de Rhodes introduced a Romanized script known as quoc ngu. This, however, was not immediately popular and it was not until 300 years later that Vietnamese society stopped using all three types of script and settled on quoc ngu as the norm. Today, however, it is the only method of writing used.
Every Vietnamese syllable can be spoken using one of six different tones, which are mid-level, low rising, low falling, high broken, low broken and low rising. Needless to say, this takes some getting used to for visitors from the West, and understanding the difference is as difficult as attempting to pronounce them oneself. But it is worth persevering as this is a key facet of the language.
But the complications with the Vietnamese language do not stop there. Depending on where exactly in the country you are, the pronunciation of words can vary a great deal, much like other countries such as the UK. This means that people from different ends of the country can have great difficulty understanding each other.
Another important characteristic of learning Vietnamese language is changing your lexical choice depending on who you speaking to. An older man, for example, should always be addressed as ong, and an older woman with ba. But the tones must be perfect in order to be sure of not unwittingly insulting them.
Another key point of learning Vietnamese to keep in mind is the way in which local people give their names. Unlike the West, where a person’s ‘Christian’ name comes first and their family name (or surname) comes after, this order is reversed in Vietnamese. So if you meet a person called Dang Duc Thuc and want to address him in a informal manner, he should be called ‘Thuc’ rather than ‘Dang’.
Basic Vietnamese phrases
Good evening! chào buổi tối
Good morning! chào buổi sáng
Hi! chào
How are you? bạn có khỏe không? or khỏe chứ?
Welcome! (to greet someone) Chào mừng bạn ( đã đến đây )!
I’m fine, thanks! Cám ơn bạn tôi khỏe
You’re welcome! Đừng ngại
Thank you (very much)! Cám ơn (rất nhiều)
Good/ So-So. Tốt / cũng tàm tạm
Good night! Chúc ngủ ngon!
Hey! Friend! Này!, Ê!
Good bye! Tạm biệt
See you later! Gặp lại sau nhé
Asking for directions or help in Vietnamese
Can you help me? Bạn giúp tôi đựơc không?
Where is the bathroom? Phòng tắm nhà thuốc?
How much is this? Cái này giá bao nhiêu?
I’m lost Tôi bị lạc
I’m looking for Larry Tôi đang tìm Larry
Go straight! then turn left/ right! Đi thẳng, sau đó rẽ trái / phải
Come with me! Đi với tôi
One moment please! Làm ơn đợi một lát!
Excuse me …! (asking for something) Xin lỗi cho hỏi?
Excuse me! (to pass someone) Xin lỗi, làm ơn nhé!
