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VIETNAMESE LANGUAGES:

There have been many theories regarding the origin of the Vietnamese language. The most persuasive one argues that the Vietnamese language previously belonged to the Mon-Khmer group of the Southeast Asian linguistic system, it was later transformed into Viet-Muong language (or old Vietnamese language) and then separated to form the modern Vietnamese language. In the present-day Vietnamese language, many words have been proved to contain Mon-Khmer roots and to be phonetically and semantically relevant to the Muong language. Throughout a millennium of Chinese domination and under the Vietnamese feudal dynasties, the official language was the Han, but the Vietnamese always demonstrated its strength for self preservation and development. The Han language was pronounced in the Vietnamese way, called the Han-Viet way of pronunciation, and Vietnamized in various ways to create many commonly used Vietnamese words. The diverse development of the Vietnamese language brought about the birth of a system of writing scripts transcribing the Vietnamese language on the basis of the Han characters in the 13th century, called the Nom character.

Under the French domination, Han characters were gradually eliminated and replaced by French that was used in administrative, educational and diplomatic languages. Thanks to the National language that boasts the advantages of simple figure, composition, spelling and pronunciation the modern Vietnamese prose was actually formed and then accepted positive influence from the Western cultural language. The National language characters were produced by some Western evangelists including Alexandre de Rhodes; they cooperated with some Vietnamese to transcribe the Vietnamese language on the basis of the Latin alphabet for using in evangelism in the 17th century. The National language characters were completed and popularized to become a significant cultural tool. In late 19th century, publications were published in the National language characters.

After the August 1945 Revolution, the Vietnamese language and the National language characters have seized a dominating position and strongly developed and established itself as a multi-functional language that has been used in every field, every educational level and has reflected every reality of life. Today, thanks to the Revolution, some ethnic minority groups have their own writing scripts.

The Vietnamese language is characterized by mono-phonology with a concrete, abundant acoustic and imaginary vocabulary and a proportionate, rhythmical, lively, flexible, symbolic and emotional way of statement, which tremendously facilitates artistic and literary creation.

Further information on Vietnam can be obtained from:

Vietnamese Consulate General
1700 California Street 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94109

tel: 1.415.922.1577

Short cut to Vietnamese phrase

Basic and Greeting At the Hotel

More Basics Days, Months and Seasons

Numbers and Time At the Restaurant

Transportation Drugstore, Doctors and Hospital

Who? What? Where?.. Shopping

Car and Driving Action Words

The Basics and Greeting

I Tôi

You Ông/Bà (older male/female)
Anh/Chị(about same age male/feamle)
Em (younger male or female kid)

How are you? Anh khoẻ không? (Whenever you see Anh in Italic please keep in mind of the sex/age of the person you speak with and change to appropriate word as describe above)

Very well, thank you Khoẻ, cám ơn

Thank you Cám ơn

You're welcome Không có chi (same expression as "oh it's nothing")

Hello, Goodbye Chào anh (change "Anh" to appropriate word as described above)

Please Làm ơn

Yes Có

No Không, Không có

Maybe Có thể

Pardon me Xin lổi

More Basics

Do you speak English Anh nói tiếng Anh không?

To speak Nói

English Tếng Anh

I speak a little Tôi nói chút đỉnh

Do you understand? Anh có hiểu không?

I don't understand Tôi không có hiểu

My name is .. Tên của tôi là

My, mine Của tôi

What is your name? Tên của anh là gì

Your, yours Của anh

Numbers and Time

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Một, Hai, Ba, Bốn, Năm, Sáu, Bảy, Tám, Chín.

10, 11, 12,.. 19 Mười, Mười Một, Mười Hai.. , Mười Chín

20, 21, 22,…, 29 Hai mươi, Hai mươi mốt, Hai mươi hai.. ,Hai mươi chín.

40, 50, ..,100 Bốn mươi, Năm mươi,.. Một trăm

143 Một trãm bôìn mýõi ba

200, 300, .. ., 1000 Hai trãm, ba trãm,.. . Môòt ngàn.

1143 Một ngàn một trãm bốn mươi ba

2000, 3000,.. .,10000000 Hai ngàn, Ba ngàn, Một triệu

Hundred Trăm

Thousand Ngàn

Million Triệu

Billion Tỉ

What is your phone number? Số điện thoại của anh là gì?

555-1212 Năm năm năm một hai một hai

How old are you? Anh bao nhiêu tuổi ?

I am thirty five years old Tôi được ba mươi lăm tuổi

How much this cost? Cái này giìa bao nhiêu?

One million two thousand Một triệu hai ngàn

Second(s) Giây

Minute(s) Phút

Hour(s) Giờ

What time is it? Mấy giờ rồi ?

.. one thirty Một giờ ba mươi phút, (or) Một giờ rưởi

The train leaves at two Xe lửa đi lúc hai giờ

I get up at seven. Tôi dậy lúc bảy giờ

Today Hôm nay

Tomorrow Ngày mai

Yesterday Hôm qua

Night Buổi tối

Tonight Buổi tối hôm nay

Lastnight Buổi tối hôm qua

Noon Buổi trưa

Evening Buổi Chiều

Morning Buổi sáng

Transportation

Where is .. Đâu là ..

.. the ticket office? .. phòng bán vé

.. the train station? .. trạm xe lửa

.. the airport? .. phi trường

.. the restroom? .. nhà cầu

What time does the ferry leave? Mấy giờ phà đi?

the ferry Phà, tàu

the train Xe lửa

the plane Máy bay

the bus Xe búyt, xe đò

to leave

to arrive Đến

This is my .. Đây là .. của tôi.

This is my luggage Đây là hành lý của tôi

luggage hành lý, va li

passport Giấy passport

ticket vé

Who? What? Where?

Who ? Ai ?

What? Cái gì?

Where? Ðâu?

When? Khi nào? Lúc nào

Why? Tại sao?

Because Tại vì

How? Làm sao?

How much? Bao nhiêu?

How many? Bao nhiêu cái?

How far? Bao nhiêu xa?

Car and Driving

No more .. Hết

Gasoline Xăng

Oil Dầu, nhớt

Air Hơi

Water Nước

Battery Bình điện

Tires Bánh xe

Car Xe hơi

Mechanic Thợ sửa xe

Can you fix it? Anh sửa được không?

How long will it take? Bao lâu sẽ xong?

I am lost Tôi bị lạc

Please, where is ? Làm ơn chỉ giùm đâu là . ..

police station Sỡ cãnh sát

gas station Trạm xăng

station Trạm

hotel Khách sạn

restaurant Tiệm ăn, nhà hàng, quán ăn

Right Phải

Left Trái

Front Trước

Back, behind, rear Sau

Kilometer Cây số, ki lo mét

About Khoãng chừng

Map Bản đồ

At the Hotel

I want .. Tôi muốn . ..

a room một phòng

with bath có phòng tắm

for one cho một

person(s) người

Can you Anh có thể

bring mang . ..

for me cho tôi

toilet paper giấy đi cầu

soap xà bông

towels khăn lông

blanket mền

key chìa khóa

Any messages for room number ..? Có ai nhắn tin cho phòng số.. . không?

How much per night? Một đêm bao nhiêu?

Days, Months and Seasons

Monday Thứ Hai

Tuesday Thứ Ba

Wednesday Thứ Tư

Thursday Thứ Năm

Friday Thứ Sáu

Saturday Thứ Bảy

Sunday Chúa Nhật

Month Tháng

January, Feburary, .., December Tháng một, tháng hai, .. tháng mười hai (see numbers)

Seasons Mùa

Spring Mùa xuân

Summer Mùa hè, mùa hạ

Autumn Mùa thu

Winter Mùa đông

At the restaurant

the menu menu, thực đơn

I want Tôi muốn

to drink Uống

to eat Ăn

coffee Ccà phê

beer bia

wine Rượu

soda soda

breakfast Điểm tâm, ăn sáng

lunch Ăn trưa

dinner Ăn tối

meat thịt

beef Thịtt bò

chicken gà, thịt gà

pork thịt heo

shrimp tôm

fish cá

potatoes khoai tây

rice Cơm

salad sà lách

salt muối

pepper tiêu

fish sauce nước mấm

oil dầu ăn

vinegar Dấm

water nước

Drugstore, Doctors and Hospital

Cough drops Kẹo ho

Pills Thuốc

Aspirin Thuốc nhức đầu

Laxative Thuốc đau bụng

I need .. Tôi cần .. .

a doctor bác sĩ

an ambulance xe cứu thương

I have .. Tôi bị. ..

headache Nhức đầu

stomach ache Ðau bụng

a sore throat Ðau cổ, khang cổ

a cold cảm, cúm

Shopping

Colors Màu

Blue Màu xanh da trời (sky bue)

Green Màu xanh lá cây

Yellow Màu vàng

White Màu trắng

Black Màu đen

Red Màu đỏ

Brown Màu đà

Gray Màu nâu

I like this one Tôi thích cái này

My size is .. Size của tôi là ..

I am looking for .. Tôi đang kiếm..

a shirt cái áo shơ mi

pants cái quần dài

shoes Ðôi dầy

hat cái nón

wallet cái bóp

watch cái đồng hồ

Gifts qùa tặng

Toys Ðồ chơi

Action Words

to ask hỏi to know Biết

to begin bất đầu to lift năng lên

to bill Ðóng tiền, trã tiền to look nhìn, nghó

to bring mang, cầm to make làm

to brush chà to operate Ðiều khiển

to call gọi to paint sơn

to carry mang, khiêng to plant (seeds) trồng

to change Ðổi to plant sấp đặt

to clean Rữa to prepare chuẫn bị

to close Ðóng to pull kéo

to cut Cất to push đẩy

to come Ðến to put đặt, để

to do làm to remove lấy đi, xóa đi

to drive lái to replace thay thế

to enter Ði vào to scrub chà

to empty Ðổ đi, vất đi, làm hết đi to sit ngồi

to finish làm xong to stop đứmg lại, ngừng lại

to fold gấp, xếp to take lấy đi

to forget quên to trim tỉa

to get lấy, được to turn quẹo

to give cho to use sài, dùng

to go Ði to vacuum hút

to have có to water tưới nước

to hold giữ, cầm lấy, ôm to wax Ðánh bống

to iron Ủi

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