Learn Vietnamese

Why Learn Vietnamese?

Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam, spoken by over 90 million people. If you're planning to visit Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, or any other part of the country, learning Vietnamese will enrich your experience. Mastering the basics will help you engage with Vietnamese people, explore local culture, and improve your speaking skills.

How to Start Learning Vietnamese

1. Build a Strong Foundation

Start with basic Vietnamese words and phrases. Apps like Loecsen or Duolingo and resources such as Vietnamese with Annie can help you practice pronunciation and expand your vocabulary.

2. Focus on Pronunciation and Vocabulary

The Vietnamese language has six distinct tones, which are crucial for understanding meaning. Practice common Vietnamese phrases, vowels, and grammar rules to improve your fluency.

3. Engage with Native Speakers

To enhance your conversation skills, try speaking with Vietnamese native speakers. You can find online tutors or join language exchange programs to immerse yourself in real conversations.

4. Use Structured Lessons

Join Vietnamese classes or online courses. A structured approach will help you grasp essential grammar rules and improve your proficiency in the Vietnamese language.

Key Aspects of the Vietnamese Language

• Learn common Vietnamese words and phrases.
• Understand the differences between Southern Vietnamese and Northern accents.
• Improve your pronunciation with listening exercises.
• Master essential grammar rules for clear communication.
• Practice Vietnamese online through language apps and tutors.

Resources to Improve Your Vietnamese

• Vietnamese lessons on YouTube and online platforms.
• Language exchange programs with native Vietnamese speakers.
• Books and study guides for in-depth learning.
• Apps like Vietnamese with Annie for structured learning.
• Podcasts and subtitles for listening practice.

The Importance of Social Position in Vietnamese Grammar

Learning to situate oneself socially in relation to your interlocutor is essential for expressing yourself correctly in Vietnamese. Depending on the gender, age, relationship, level of familiarity, and parental lineage, you will have to employ a different turn of phrase. To express yourself well is also to master a knowledge of manners, to which the Vietnamese are very sensitive.

However, do not be too alarmed because it is accepted that a foreigner may not be able to master all these subtleties. So you should not get too stuck in your learning at the start - but it is certain that your true integration will only begin when you know how to use the determinants correctly.

In addition, the modernization of Vietnamese society has accompanied a certain relaxation of these rules, which used to be codified in a very strict way: do not rely too much on old textbooks on this subject, nor on foreigners who learned the language a long time ago and have not kept their language learning up to date, and try to persuade you that they know the authentic turns of phrase.

Once you have overcome this barrier, you will find that the grammar of this language is simple, especially because all the words are invariable (there are no masculine or feminine words, for example).

The formulations used in this table are extracted from the most frequent cases. Most expressions use the determinants "Anh" and "Em". If the person you are speaking with changes, simply replace the determinant proposed in our conversation guide by one appropriate to the situation by referring to the table below.

The bottom of the boxes allows you to determine the gender of the speaker and the interlocutor: grey for the female, white for male. Finally, it is interesting to know that these determinants are all derived from the vocabulary of the family (little brother, big sister, grandmother, etc.), which demonstrates how Vietnamese society is centered around the notion of a group.