ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vietnamese

n. C / U
A2 Elementary US //viˌɛtnɑˈmis// viet·namese

n. a person from Vietnam or the language spoken there. You use this word to talk about the people, the culture, or the way they speak.

n. a native or inhabitant of Vietnam, or the Austroasiatic language spoken by the majority of the population in Vietnam. When referring to the language, it is uncountable; when referring to people, it is countable.


SIMPLE

I am learning how to speak Vietnamese.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community center offers classes for those who want to learn Vietnamese or improve their English.

COMPLEX

While many people recognize the tonal beauty of spoken Vietnamese, few realize the complexity of its various regional dialects and the historical evolution of its writing system.

Synonyms
Origin

From Vietnam + -ese.

Usage

Always capitalized. When referring to the people as a group, it is preceded by 'the' (e.g., 'the Vietnamese').

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