Meaning & use
Vietnamese
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Belonging to or relating to Vietnam, its people, or its language.
Grammar: Used before a noun: Vietnamese food, Vietnamese culture. Can also be used after a linking verb: She is Vietnamese.
Patterns
- Vietnamese food
- Vietnamese people
- be Vietnamese
I love Vietnamese food, especially pho and fresh spring rolls.
My neighbor is Vietnamese and often shares traditional dishes with us.
She studies Vietnamese history at university.
noununcountable
The language spoken in Vietnam.
Grammar: Uncountable: no plural, no article. Say 'She speaks Vietnamese', not 'a Vietnamese'.
Patterns
- speak Vietnamese
- learn Vietnamese
- in Vietnamese
He learned Vietnamese while working in Hanoi.
Could you translate this letter into Vietnamese for me?
Vietnamese is a tonal language, so pronunciation can be tricky for learners.
nouncountable
A person from Vietnam.
Grammar: Countable: one Vietnamese, two Vietnamese (plural is the same).
Patterns
- a Vietnamese
- the Vietnamese (plural)
Many Vietnamese live in California.
She married a Vietnamese and moved to Ho Chi Minh City.
The Vietnamese are known for their strong sense of community.
Common combinations
- Vietnamese language
- The Vietnamese language uses the Latin alphabet with extra marks.
- Vietnamese coffee
- Vietnamese coffee is often served with condensed milk.
- Vietnamese community
- The Vietnamese community in the city holds a festival every spring.
Word family
- Vietnam proper noun
- The country in Southeast Asia.
Commonly confused: Vietnamese or Viet Cong?
Vietnamese vs Viet Cong
A historical term for a communist guerrilla force; not a synonym for Vietnamese people or language.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Language names are uncountable and take no article: 'speaks Vietnamese'. Option B wrongly adds 'a', option C wrongly adds 'the', and option D invents a plural form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Vietnamese”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.