Let's Speak Vietnamese
Culture Notes: Chapters 1- 8
(Chapters 9 -16)
Chương 1 - Meeting People
*In social settings, Chào + term of address is commonly used when Vietnamese people meet one another for the first time. Chào means to greet; its English equivalents are ‘good morning, good afternoon, good night, and goodbye’. Vietnamese do not say chào alone without a term of address. However, Xin chào! is often used lately as a generic greeting on many occasions.
*To say ‘Goodbye’ we can either say: Chào + terms of address or Tạm biệt. or Hẹn gặp lại.
*Thưa and ạ are particles to express politeness and respect. Thưa / Dạ thưa [Southern dialect] is used at the beginning of a response and ạ at the end (ạ is mostly used in Northern dialect).
Greeting Vietnamese people
Meeting and greeting
How to address people and yourself in Vietnamese
Who is Ms. Nguyen?
Greetings and meeting Vietnamese people in business setting
To hear what isn't say
Gesture & postures in greetings:
*Note: The video clip below shows the gestures and postures when Vietnamese people greet each other. However, saying "Xin chào!" in all situations as shown in the video is not recommended. You should use "Chào and appropriate term of address when greeting people.
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Chương 2 - Personal Information
Asking someone's age
Unlike Westerners, age is one of the first questions you would be asked in Vietnam after names and nationality. It is not impolite to ask a Vietnamese his or her age. In fact, knowing the age would facilitate the way to address that person.
How old are you?
How to read addresses in Vietnamese
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Chương 3 - Daily Routines
Greeting the Vietnamese ways
Vietnamese people do not ask: "How are you?" (Anh/Chị có khỏe không?) right away when greeting people. When acquaintances meet on the street, the first greeting phrase is "Anh/Chị đi đâu đó?" (Where are you going there?). Similarly, when one enters a room and sees an acquaintance doing something, the greeting is: "Anh/Chị (đang) làm gì đó?" (What are you doing there?).
If a friend is writing or reading, you could ask: "Anh/Chị viết / đọc cái gì đấy?" (What are you writing/reading there?) even if the answer is obvious.
Ngủ trưa / When it's time for siesta
Chương 4 - Academic Life
Lunar calendar versus solar calendar
*The use of both solar and lunar calendars in Vietnam:
lịch tây = western calendar = solar calendar is officially used for work and school
lịch ta = our calendar = lunar calendar is used for holidays, traditional weddings and funerals, and death commemoration
How to determine leap year
Vietnamese students still influenced by parents in choosing their careers
Education system in Vietnam
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Chương 5 - Hobbies and Pastimes
Soccer and bicycle racing, French sport legacies, are two most loved sports in Vietnam. All daily activities come to a standstill while people gather in public spaces to watch the broadcast of the World Cup of Le tour de France on wide screens. Row of chairs are placed in front of big TV screens outside coffee stalls for people to watch while drinking and cheering their favorite team or their favorite sport heroes. Heavy betting also takes place during sport events.
Vietnamese soccer teams now participate in regional and international competitions. Each time a Vietnamese team wins a soccer match there are celebrations in the streets.
Recreation Activities in Vietnam
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Chương 6 - Family and Relatives
Family structure: https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/vietnamese-culture/vietnamese-culture-family
Families in Vietnam
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Chương 7 - Physical Appearance
The Evolution of Vietnamese Beauty Through Old Ads
Đẹp (Ramblings on the Topic of Beauty in Vietnam)
What is the standard of beauty in your country?
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Chương 8 - Personality & Character
Character and Personality of the Vietnamese