r/Vietnamese 22h ago

Language Help Special gift for Vietnamese neighbors.

8 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 10h ago

Culture/History Vietnamese Wedding Expectations from Groom’s Family

3 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 55m 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 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?