Ever interested in learning an Asian language but too hesitant because of the dreadful sets of characters that are seemingly impossible to write? Then you have come to the right place, for this article will give you a crash-course of Vietnamese – arguably one of the most unique languages in the world (in my opinion), as well as a couple fun facts about the language itself.
1. The Vietnamese alphabet uses Latin script
This is probably what makes this language so accessible to wider range leaners, particularly those from the western world. Similar to Pinyin used in Mandarin, the Vietnamese language contains 29 letters, but no F, J, W and Z are present in it.
2. The Vietnamese language has six different tones
The changing the tone can change the meaning of a word entirely. It is comparable to a change in pitch when asking a question. Different moods can be interpreted just from the tones and the inflections with which a person speaks: an interrogation, a sarcastic comment, a rhetorical question, etc. Everything is dependent on the tone or pitch.
3. Three distinct Vietnamese accents exist
Although there are dialects everywhere throughout the country, Vietnam is generally considered to be split into three main regions (northern, central, and southern), which each region contains its own dialects and accents. Residents of the North, particularly in the capital Hanoi, will say that their pronunciation is the universal and most standard one for which all Vietnamese people can understand.
4. Speaking of dialects, the Vietnamese language encompasses far more than just the national Vietnamese language
The language that I am discussing, refers to the mother tongue of Kinh people, which account for 86.2% of Vietnam’s population. Because a vast majority of the total population resides within this ethnicity, Vietnamese is the official language of the country. There are other languages in Vietnam spoken by minor ethnicities such as “Tày”, “Mường”, “Cham”, “Khmer”, “Nùng”, “Thái” and “H’Mông”.
5. The Vietnamese language was originally only an oral language
Vietnamese was initially written using a modified set of Chinese characters but later the natives of Vietnam developed their own script which later became known as “chữ Nôm” or 𡨸喃. The written Vietnamese found today is known as “Quốc Ngữ” (literally means National Language) that uses Latin Script is the result of 17th century missionaries and Vietnamese scholars, and later a 18th century French Jesuit missionary by the name of Alexandre de Rhodes.
Writing this article truly helps me become more appreciative of the fundamental truth that I am Vietnamese, and makes me so much more grateful for having the privilege to call this wonderful language my mother tongue.
