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Vietnam language

Vietnam language: Find the linguistic beauty in every single word

24/03/2023 1338 views

Vietnam language is believed to be one of the most sophisticated language systems in the world. This article provides an overview of the origin, linguistic features, and diversity of the Vietnamese language.

Vietnam language

Vietnamese language refers to the language of the Kinh people – the biggest ethnic group in Vietnam (Source: Collected)

Vietnam language refers to the official language which is the mother tongue of roughly 85% of the country’s population. It is considered one of the most sophisticated systems in the world with a long-rooted origin, distinctive linguistic characteristics, and diversity in accents and dialects. If you are about to have a Vietnam travel journey, it will be great to learn some basics of the Vietnamese language beforehand.

1. The origin of the official national Vietnam language

It is estimated that there are around 77 million Vietnamese native speakers all over the world. Before digging into the linguistic features of Vietnam language, let’s take a quick look at its origin.

There have been controversies on the origin of Vietnamese. The majority of linguists place the Vietnamese language in the Mon-Khmer sub-branch of the Austroasiatic language family. Meanwhile, some have grouped Vietnam language with the Chinese, Austronesian, and Tai-Kadai language groups based on the fact that a large proportion of Vietnamese vocabulary derived from these languages.

Vietnam language

Vietnamese is enormously influenced by the Chinese language (Source: Collected)

Periods of Vietnam language

Vietnam language history is divided into 6 periods:

  • Proto-Viet–Muong: before the 7th century
  • Proto-Vietnamese: from the 7th to 9th century
  • Archaic Vietnamese: from the 9th to 10th century, under the Ngo Dynasty, when Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary started to be built
  • Ancient Vietnamese: from the 10th to 16th century, when “Chữ Nôm” (Nom script which used Chinese letters to write Sino-Vietnamese words) was introduced in the 15th century
  • Middle Vietnamese: from the 17th to 19th century, when “Chữ Quốc ngữ” (Vietnamese Latin-based writing system) was developed
  • Modern Vietnamese: from the 19th century

2. The distinctive features of the main language of Vietnam

What is Vietnam language? It is the mother tongue of the Kinh people – the majority of the Vietnamese population. Influenced by different language groups, Vietnamese has distinctive linguistic features. Especially, though using the same language system, the Vietnam language in 3 different regions isn’t exactly the same.

2.1. Vietnam language alphabet

Vietnam language

Vietnam language alphabet (Source: Collected)

Vietnamese language is phonemic, with one letter or a combination of letters per syllable. Although Vietnam language pronunciation of some syllables varies in regions, in all dialects, a syllable typically corresponds to the same letters or combination of letters. There are 23 consonants and 12 vowels in the main language of Vietnam.

2.2. The 6 Vietnamese tones

Tones are what makes the Vietnamese language special. The 6 tones (mid-level, low falling, high broken, low rising, high rising, and heavy) are represented in writing by small markings over or under a vowel of a syllable. It is quite hard to describe the differences among the tones. Hence, the best way for foreigners to differentiate them is to ask for a Vietnamese native speaker to demonstrate each tone. The lexical meaning of the word will be totally different when you pronounce the tone wrong.

2.3. Dialects

The ways Vietnamese people pronounce words vary from speaker to speaker due to dialects. Basically, there are 3 main dialects in the 3 regions of Vietnam: the northern, central, and southern dialects.

Not only is there a difference in vocabulary between dialects, Vietnam language spoken also varies across regions. For example, for Vietnam language in the central region, the locals often produce the low rising tone the same as the high broken tone. They also tend to replace the high broken tone with the heavy tone.

Although pronunciations vary across dialects, the graphemes used in Vietnamese language writing remain the same in all regions.

Vietnam language

The 6 tones in Vietnamese language (Source: Collected)

2.4. Some common words and phrases in Vietnamese to use on your trip

For anyone who is about to travel to Vietnam, a handy list of common Vietnamese expressions is absolutely necessary. You can definitely use English in popular tourist attractions, but knowing a few words in Vietnam language will help you communicate with the locals easier. Below are some Vietnam language basic words and phrases to learn by heart to prepare for your journey:

  • Hello in Vietnamese language: Xin chào
  • Goodbye in Vietnamese language: Tạm biệt
  • Thank you in Vietnam language: Cảm ơn
  • Excuse me: Xin làm phiền
  • Sorry: Xin lỗi
  • Nice to meet you: Rất vui được gặp bạn
  • Do you speak English?: Bạn có nói tiếng Anh không?
  • Help me!: Giúp tôi với!
  • I want to buy this: Tôi muốn mua cái này
  • How much is it?: Bao nhiêu tiền?
  • Too expensive!: Đắt quá!
  • I don’t understand: Tôi không hiểu
  • Could you repeat that?: Bạn nói lại được không?
  • Merry Christmas in Vietnam language: Giáng sinh an lành!
  • Beautiful in Vietnamese language: Đẹp quá!

Pronouncing Vietnamese words is not an easy game. Therefore, it is better to install a translation application (Google Translate for example) on your phone so that when you want to express anything but there is no interpreter or tour guide beside you, it can help you communicate better with the locals.

3. Other popular languages in Vietnam

The Vietnam language that you often see and hear is the language of the Kinh people – the biggest ethnic group in Vietnam. In fact, Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country with 54 ethnic groups.

What language is spoken in Vietnam? During more than 4,000 years of history, there has been no ethnolinguistic war between the Kinh ethnic group and other minorities, as well as between other minority groups. There are statistically more than 100 different languages in 3 language families and 8 language groups in this country.

Compared to the official Vietnam language, other minority languages have a smaller number of social functions. Based on the number of native speakers, the 4 minority languages below are the most spoken ones, following the Kinh language.

3.1. Khmer language

Vietnam language

The Khmer language is spoken by the Khmer people in the Mekong Delta (Source: Collected)

This is the language spoken by the Khmer people who live in the southern region of Vietnam, especially in the Mekong Delta. It is considered the southern dialect (Khmer Krom) of the Cambodian Khmer language.

This language is written with Khmer script. Due to the influence of the national Vietnamese language, the Khmer language in Vietnam nowadays has developed some lexical and tonal differences from the standard Khmer language of Cambodia.

3.2. Tay language

This is the language of the Tay people – an ethnic group with a population of more than 1.7 million people. Most Tay people live in northeastern Vietnam. Tay language varies across regions. There are 3 main variations: Tay Bao Lac in western Cao Bang, Tay Trung Khanh in northeastern Cao Bang, and Tay Binh Lieu in northeastern Quang Ninh.

3.3. H’Mong language

The H’Mong language is spoken by the H’Mong people in southern China and northern Vietnam. Unlike the H’Mong language in China and Laos, this language in Vietnam does not have a writing system.

3.4. Cham language

The roots of the Cham language go back to the 2nd century, during the era of the Cham Kingdom. It is spoken by the Cham people in central and southern Vietnam nowadays. There are 2 main dialects: western Cham and eastern Cham. The western Cham dialect is popular in An Giang and Tay Ninh provinces, while the eastern Cham dialect is mainly heard in southeastern provinces like Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, and Dong Nai.

The Cham language

The Cham language (Source: Collected)

The charm of Vietnam is not only shown through Vietnam language but also in other cultural aspects and natural attractions. A trip to Vietnam will help you grasp the full beauty of the S-shaped country.

Aside from natural and cultural appeals, Vietnam is also a joyful destination with many modern entertainment areas. Notably, Vincom Mega Mall Times City in Hanoi, with its VinKE & Vinpearl Aquarium, is a great place for a family outing. Tourists can observe marine life up-close or take part in several fascinating games here. Moreover, there are large amusement parks in other parts of Vietnam such as VinWonders Phu Quoc, VinWonders Nha Trang, and VinWonders Nam Hoi An, where you can unwind to your heart’s content after long busy working days.

Vietnam language

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To non-native ears, Vietnam language is somewhat difficult to learn. Speaking Vietnamese is more like singing with continuous changes in tones and pitches. For anyone planning to travel to this beautiful Asian country, consider learning some Vietnamese before going. It won’t be easy, but it will be lots of fun!

>>> Book tickets of VinWonders Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Nam Hoi An, VinKE & Vinpearl Aquarium to have exciting experiences on your trip to Vietnam!

 

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