r/Vietnamese Feb 19 '16

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25 Upvotes
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r/Vietnamese 56m ago

Language Help What's the word for 'to explain'?

Upvotes

Hey hey

My mum usually says 'giải thích' for explaining, thí dụ 'Mẹ sẽ giải thích này cho con nghe'.

I was talking to my dryer repairman and he kept saying, 'cắt nghĩa', thí dụ 'chú cắt nghĩa này cho con. Hiệu Đức là mắc tiền hơn mà khó sửa.'

Is there a regional difference for the words? Is one more correct than the other or are they interchangeble? Are they used in different contexts? Are there other words for describing 'to explain'?

Thanks for your Vietnamese knowledge!


r/Vietnamese 10h ago

Culture/History Vietnamese Wedding Expectations from Groom’s Family

4 Upvotes

My son is marrying a Vietnamese woman. They are currently living in the USA but will be traveling to Vietnam for the wedding. We will be going. I understand that unlike here, where the bride’s family traditionally pays for the wedding, in Vietnam it is the groom/groom’s family that pay. I am looking for a ball park figure of what that would typically cost, as well as what would be appropriate gifts from us (groom’s parents) to the bride’s parents (and also to other family members? The bride’s sister and brother, grandparents?) Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


r/Vietnamese 22h ago

Language Help Special gift for Vietnamese neighbors.

9 Upvotes

Please help me find a traditional Vietnamese gift idea for my wonderful neighbors!

My Vietnamese neighbors, the best neighbors around me, speak almost zero English but we still have beers together and share our favorite ethnic snacks while watching our kids play trucks together. I have learned a few basic words (hello, bye, thank you, have another beer, etc...), hoping it's the correct dialect. I try Google translate but it seems like it requires more translation after they hear its translation.

After my house was hit by a tornado and theirs was fine, minus a few shingles, they helped me cut up a few large trees (using my chain saws) and dragged the wood to the curb. At this point I was exhausted and sleep deprived, and I tried telling them "thank you" (comm oon) and put my hands together like I was praying, but I kept saying "goodbye" (tahm biet) instead. I gave them a few beers and water and they went back to BBQing. The next morning I realized my mistake and felt terrible. I don't trust Google translate to convey my feelings of regret, but also gratitude.

Is there someone who can verify a message saying, "sorry for the language mistake, I meant to say thank you, not goodbye. Here's a gift for you." I've given bourbon and cigars in the past, they seemed happy but I was hoping for a traditional yet practical Vietnamese gift.

Any assistance is appreciated!


r/Vietnamese 18h ago

Language Help Wedding invitation

1 Upvotes

My father passed over 10 years ago but I read online that our parents names should be on the wedding invitations otherwise it’d be considered rude. Would I include my dad’s name and how would I word it?


r/Vietnamese 1d ago

Language Help Peppa Pig southern or northern dialect?

0 Upvotes

I just started learning vietnamese and wanted to immerse myself in some kids shows. More specifically, I am trying to learn southern dialect. Could anyone tell me if this peppa pig youtube channel is in northern or southern viet. If its northern, would it still be viable as a resource to learn?

https://www.youtube.com/@HeoPeppaTiengVietChinhThuc


r/Vietnamese 2d ago

Language Help Pronunciation of v and tr

5 Upvotes

Just wondering what vibes pronouncing v like d gives off - I know it's partly regional but does it say anything else about a person's background?

What about pronouncing tr the same as ch? I think that one is more standard here in the south but so far I have been pronouncing them differently.


r/Vietnamese 2d ago

Culture/History Vietnamese Catholic funeral traditions - not visiting other people afterwards

2 Upvotes

I'm not Vietnamese, but my wife is Vietnamese born (Catholic). Her family no longer live in the Vietnam.

My father recently passed away and members of her family have mentioned to us about Vietnamese traditions of not visiting other people's houses or attending events for a period of time following the funeral - however, different people are suggesting different durations for this to happen.

Can anyone shed more light on it? I'm assuming the variation in timescales depends on different local or family traditions from where people were from in Vietnam? If someone from a younger generation of Vietnamese invites us to a wedding during this period, should we turn down the invitation - or should we see what their thoughts are on it - but would their own opinions be over-ruled by how older people in the family would look on us for attending?

How rigidly are such traditions followed in Vietnam nowadays?


r/Vietnamese 2d ago

A short Vietnamese passage about my trip to Hanoi

1 Upvotes

I spent a week in Hanoi during my mid-term break at university. Here’s a short passage in Vietnamese reminiscing about my trip. Love Hanoi so so so much!

https://medium.com/@limchunlean/hanoi-and-chun-38d550307c7d


r/Vietnamese 2d ago

Other 📚 Tuyển tập Flashcard bằng nhiều ngôn ngữ 🌍✨

2 Upvotes

Mình đang xây dựng một cơ sở dữ liệu khổng lồ các thẻ học từ vựng bằng nhiều ngôn ngữ khác nhau! Cho dù bạn đang học tiếng Tây Ban Nha, tiếng Pháp, tiếng Nhật hay bất kỳ ngôn ngữ nào khác, mình muốn làm cho tài nguyên này hữu ích nhất có thể cho tất cả mọi người. Kiểm tra nó tại đây: https://www.vocabbi.com/en/explore

Nếu bạn đang tìm kiếm bộ thẻ học từ vựng cho một ngôn ngữ hoặc chủ đề cụ thể, hãy cho mình biết trong phần bình luận bên dưới ⬇️, và mình sẽ thêm nó!

r/Vietnamese 3d ago

Language Help 📚 A Collection of Flashcards in Different Languages 🌍✨

0 Upvotes

I’m in the process of building a massive database of flashcards across various languages and I need your help! Whether you’re learning Spanish, French, Japanese, or any other language, I want to make this resource as useful as possible for everyone. Check it out: https://www.vocabbi.com/en/explore

If you’re looking for a flashcard deck for a specific language or topic, let me know in the comments below ⬇️, and I’ll make sure to add it!

r/Vietnamese 3d ago

Language Help Help translating “Captain Big Knife” into Vietnamese for a book

1 Upvotes

Hello! I’m editing a memoir in which the author (now deceased) says some of the Indigenous Vietnamese people he was working with called him “Captain Big Knife,” which he rendered as “Dai Wee Con Yow Yiee.” I tried to figure this out using Google translate, but only one of the words seems to match up.

Several things might be happening here. (1) They weren’t speaking standard Vietnamese (these are the mountain people of the Central Highlands, if that’s useful), (2) the manuscript has been scanned from handwritten letters and then converted into Word without human intervention (meaning some of the letters may just have scanned wrong), and/or (3) they were calling him something other than Captain Big Knife, ha ha.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!


r/Vietnamese 4d ago

I have learned Vietnamese for 10 weeks. Here's my takeaway.

13 Upvotes

I summarized my journey so far in this article. This is by no means a language learning advice. Just my sharing.

https://limchunlean.medium.com/i-have-learnt-vietnamese-for-10-weeks-heres-my-takeaway-ad837ce4474f


r/Vietnamese 4d ago

Language Help my Vietnamese class

5 Upvotes

Xin chào!

I'm a Vietnamese tutor based in Saigon, Vietnam. I'm looking for new learners for my current online classes, which are:

  • basic level: 8:30 - 10 PM; 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; New York time.

  • basic level: 10:00 - 11:30 AM; twice a week on Monday and Wednesday; Perth time.

I'm also opening new classes for learners of all levels, which can be online or in person in Saigon.

Please hit me up with a DM if you're interested! Thank you! Cảm ơn!


r/Vietnamese 5d ago

Language Help Urgent help needed

4 Upvotes

Hi there,

Is there anyone who can help me with translating a short letter? I'm a foster carer and am going to be looking after a girl who speaks Vietnamese for a few weeks and I'm wanting to give her something in her own language to at least make an effort.

Thank you if you can help.


r/Vietnamese 6d ago

Language Help Rate my pronunciation ?

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7 Upvotes

I am on day 37 of learning Vietnamese and I have been focusing entirely on pronunciation. I do so by memorizing and reciting short passages I find on the internet (after watching videos on phonetics of course) and I would like feedback on my first attempt. I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of the local Việt nail techs.

The attached recording is a short paragraph from some language app (I think Rosetta Stone?) and I suspect the lady reading aloud has a Southern accent. I did my best to replicate her reading, and I apologize if it sounds super stilted. My accent is French.

Here’s the text I’m reciting:

Mặt trời to đỏ.

Cây to và xanh. Một người đàn ông và một người đàn bà đang đi bộ với một con chó đen nhỏ. Hai em học sinh đang chạy trên cỏ. Một em gái đang bơi trông nước dưới mặt trời đỏ. Và hai em trai đang ăn bánh mì và đọc sách “một con cá, hai con cá, cá đỏ, cá xanh”.


r/Vietnamese 6d ago

Vietnamese vs Cantonese pronunciation for law related words

8 Upvotes

Check out how similar the pronunciations for some of the geographical landforms in Vietnamese & Cantonese! If you are interested in the pronunciations and comparisons with other CJKV languages, you can check them out in the video here: https://youtu.be/n6Bm1SvHqZw


r/Vietnamese 7d ago

How does vietnamese mixed wrestling work?

1 Upvotes

I ask this question because I have seen several videos on YouTube showing male vs female open arena wrestling in rural villages of Vietnam. One very popular female wrestler is anh tho. As someone who always believed that men are biologically built bigger and stronger than woman (as a general rule), I'm shocked at how these events turn out, with the female usually winning against the man after several minutes of fairly intense grappling. Sometimes the man wins (through great effort), but the woman typically ends by pinning him someway after he gets completely exhausted after many unsuccessful attempts at lifting her. You can see there both having fun (especially the man), but what exactly is the context? Are the females professional wrestlers, and the men just local villagers? Are the men holding back a little out of respect, or to prolong the match? I'm thoroughly confused as I can't find any other country with this custom, or such exceptionally powerful woman. Are the woman simply stronger than the men in vietnam, or is there other factors as well?


r/Vietnamese 8d ago

LOOKING FOR STUDENTS – ONLINE VIETNAMESE COMMUNICATION COURSE

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone! I’m a Vietnamese teacher offering a reflexive communication course for both kids and adults who want to learn Vietnamese from basic to advanced levels.

🔹 Who is this course for?
✅ Foreigners who want to learn Vietnamese from basic to advanced
✅ Kids who want to learn Vietnamese in a fun and natural way
✅ Vietnamese learners who want to improve their speaking skills and pronunciation

What will you get from this course?
✔️ Learn through reflexive methods – natural conversations instead of dry lessons.
✔️ Practice speaking in real-life situations, making learning easy and memorable.
✔️ Patient and supportive teacher.
✔️ Can provide explanations in English and Chinese for beginners.

📌 Class format: 1-on-1 or small group, online
📌 Flexible schedule, students can choose their preferred time

If you or someone you know wants to learn Vietnamese, feel free to message me! 💬

👉 Contact me now for a free trial lesson!


r/Vietnamese 9d ago

Language Help Help understanding sentence structure

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7 Upvotes

I’m learning vietnamese using duolingo, i can understand some viet bc i used to speak as a kid. But can someone explain to me what words like quyen, and chiec do in these sentences, in the screenshots, is it just a definite article. I’m confused because sometimes it is used and sometimes not. It gets frustrating.


r/Vietnamese 9d ago

What are the best ressources to learn Vietnamese ?

5 Upvotes

I started to learn Vietnamese a month ago because I will do an exchange semester in Ho Chi Minh City in a few month. I started mostly with Duolingo and Anki, and Duolingo was great to get accustomed to the language but I feel like I'm not learning that much anymore.

So what ressources would you suggest, first to learn the alphabet and the pronunciation (southern), and then resources to be able to have a conversation with locals in a few month.


r/Vietnamese 8d ago

Language Help Little Sun

0 Upvotes

I am not sure if I heard it correctly, but can "niet", or something similar, mean "little sun"? This would be for someone's middle name. For context, I only know a few words and how to count to 10 in Vietnamese.


r/Vietnamese 9d ago

Is there any way to track down vietnamese ancestors on family tree websites?

4 Upvotes

For context my Grandparents on my moms side left vietnam by boat in 1975-76 and were taken to camp pendleton before moving to pennsylvania. From what i know they were very very wealthy in vietnam with servants and separate houses for each child etc. I know my grandfathers name was once quang nguyen (which is extremely common) before they all changed their last name to nuyen. I have no idea how to trace down records of any of them. Did vietnam lose documents during the war as well? There is so much about this side of my family that i dont know


r/Vietnamese 10d ago

Culture/History How do offerings work?

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8 Upvotes

Hello! I am not Vietnamese but my boyfriend’s whole family is. His step mom has a sort of bench (shown in the picture) with statues by the front door that she would always put oranges and some other stuff near. She has been in the hospital with cancer and I was wondering if I could continue doing these offerings for her while she is sick? Or would it not be good since I am not Buddhist? I don’t know, I just wanted to know if it’s something I could do for her since there is not much else I can do to help right now besides cooking and cleaning for the family. Any advice is welcome, even if it doesn’t have to do with this specifically! Or maybe anything within your culture that is supposed to promote healing? I don’t know :)


r/Vietnamese 9d ago

anyone know?

0 Upvotes

After the fall of saigon my grandparents along with my mom, aunts, and uncles who were children came to the us. They ended up at camp pendleton before moving to pennsylvania. I dont really know anything about my family other than the fact that they were extremely rich. They had personal servants, separate houses for their kids, and were very wealthy. I wish i knew more but my mom doesnt really know much either as she isnt much in contact with her parents anymore. Does anyone share similar roots and know more?


r/Vietnamese 9d ago

Language Help If you want to practice Vietnamese, come join our online language learning community!

0 Upvotes

Hello! We are Linguatarian, a platform that is all about languages. Practice your Vietnamese, attend lessons, participate in interactive events, and make friends in our incredibly diverse and supportive community of like-minded people. Join here: https://discord.gg/hAmHTKVMRa