1.

Vietnamese for foreigners - Ti ng Vi t cho ng i n c ngoi

INTRODUCTION The Vietnamese language is the communicative language of Vietnamese people and also the mother-tongue of Viet people (also named as Kinh, the major ethnic group in Vietnam). The formation of a common language used by the entire people is a hard task due to the diversity of dialects and accents. Vietnamese is based on melodious syllables and stressed accent. Accent has an important role to play in helping distinguish and identify the meaning of the sayings. There also exist numerous accents in the Vietnamese language, among which the most common and favorite is the Southern one. This accent seems to be different form the a standard one as its pronunciation is based heavily on the main sound disregard of the standard accent and even grammar. Vietnamese is a monosyllabic language with each articulated sound carrying a certain meaning. Also, it offers innumerable pairs of compound words, which are comprised of 2, 3 or even for constituent single sounds. The Vietnamese language has been formed and developed for many centuries now. Documents of early feudal dynasties used Chinese and not until the birth of Nom (Demotic script) language in 14th century was it employed in both speaking and writing, especially in composing literature. In 17th century, Vietnamese or namely national language came to existing. Its origin is closely related to Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French propagators working in South East Asia countries. Those invented a new writing script as the mean to express the Vietnamese language. The most noticeable contributors to the formation and studying Vietnamese at that time was a French vicar named Alexandre de Rhode with his publication of one of the first Vietnamese dictionary and grammar called Vietnamese Portuguese Latin Dictionary. Initially, Vietnamese was used merely for the purpose of propagation but was soon popularised officially when French people imposed their colonial regime on Vietnam. To some extents, Vietnamese was originally the tools for ruling of colonists, but then, thanks to its convenience, Vietnamese became popular. Moreover, its easy-to-pronounce alphabet system and combination enabled it to overcome any criticism. (VietSens) Vietnamese (ting Vit, or less commonly Vit ng) is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam. It is part of the Austro-Asiatic language family, of which it has the most speakers by a significant margin (several times larger than the other Austro-Asiatic languages put together). Much of Vietnamese vocabulary has been borrowed from Chinese, and it was formerly written using the Chinese writing system, albeit in a modified format and was given vernacular pronunciation. As a byproduct of French colonial rule, the language displays some influence from French, and the Vietnamese writing system (quc ng) in use today is an adapted version of the Latin alphabet, with additional diacritics for tones and certain letters. As the national language of the majority ethnic group, Vietnamese is spoken throughout Vietnam by the Vietnamese people, as well as by ethnic minorities. It is also spoken in overseas Vietnamese communities, most notably in the United States, where it has more than one million speakers and is the seventh most-spoken language (it is 3rd in Texas, 4th in Arkansas and Louisiana, and 5th in California). In Australia, it is the sixth most-spoken

language. According to the Ethnologue, Vietnamese is also spoken by substantial numbers of people in Cambodia, Canada, China, Cte d'Ivoire, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Laos, Martinique, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, Norway, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vanuatu. " At first, as Vietnamese has tones and shares a large vocabulary with Chinese, it was grouped into Sino-Tibetan. Later, it was found that the tones of Vietnamese appeared very recently (Andr-Georges Haudricourt-1954) and the Chinese-like vocabulary is also borrowed from Han Chinese during their shared history (1992); these two aspects had nothing to do with the origin of Vietnamese. Vietnamese was then classified into the KamTai subfamily of Daic together with Zhuang (including Nung and Ty in North Vietnam) and Thai, after removing the surface influences of Chinese. Nevertheless, the Daic aspects were also borrowed from Zhuang in their long history of being neighbors (Andr-Georges Haudricourt) , not original aspects of Vietnamese. Finally, Vietnamese was classified into the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family, the Mon-Khmer subfamily, Viet-Moung branch (1992) after more studies were done. Kinh is the largest population in Vietnam. According to Fudan University's 2006 study, it belongs to Mon-Khmer linguistically, but there is no last word for its origin. Henri Maspero maintained the Vietnamese Language of Thai-Origin, and the Reverend Father Souvignet traced it to the Indo-Malay group. A.G. Haudricourt had refuted the thesis of Maspero and concluded that Vietnamese is properly placed in the Austro-Asiatic family. None of these theories quite explain the origin of the Vietnamese language. One thing, however, remains certain: Vietnamese is not a pure language. It seems to be a blend of several languages, ancient and modern, encountered throughout history following successive contacts between foreign peoples and the people of Vietnam. While spoken by the Vietnamese people for millennia, written Vietnamese did not become the official administrative language of Vietnam until the 20th century. For most of its history, the entity now known as Vietnam used written classical Chinese. In the 13th century, however, the country invented Ch nm, a writing system making use of Chinese characters with phonetic elements in order to better suit the tones associated with the Vietnamese language. Ch nm was proven to be much more efficient than classical Chinese characters that it was extensively used in the 17th and 18th centuries for poetry and literature. Ch nm was used for administrative purposes during the brief H and Ty Sn Dynasties. During French colonialism, French superseded Chinese in administration. It was not until independence from France that Vietnamese was used officially. It is the language of instruction in schools and universities and is the language for official business. Like many other Asian countries, as a result of close ties with China for thousands of years, much of the Vietnamese lexicon relating to science and politics is derived from Chinese. At least 60% of the lexical stock has Chinese roots, not including naturalized word borrowings from China, although many compound words are composed of native Vietnamese words combined with Chinese borrowings. One can usually distinguish between a native Vietnamese word and a Chinese borrowing if it can be reduplicated or its meaning does not change when the tone is shifted. As a result of French occupation, Vietnamese has since had many words borrowed from the French language, for example c ph (from French caf). Nowadays, many new words are being added to the language's lexicon due to heavy Western cultural influence; these are usually borrowed from English, for example TV (though usually seen in the written form as tivi). Sometimes these borrowings are calques literally translated into Vietnamese (for example, software is calqued into phn mm, which literally means "soft part").

(wiki)

Vietnamese Alphabet
1. Vietnamese alphabet system There are 29 letters in the Vietnamese alphabet system which consists of 12 vowels and 17 consonants. See the list below:

Aa Hh Ii Qq Rr

Kk Ss

Bb Ll Tt

Cc Mm Uu

Dd Nn

Oo Vv

Ee Xx

Yy

Gg Pp

2. Vowels As mentioned above, there are 12 vowels in the Vietnamese alphabet system. They are including:

a o

e u

i y

How to pronoun these vowels is to follow the below

Front High i, y [i]

Central []

Back u [u]

Upper mid [e] Lower mid Low e []

[] / [] [o] o [ ]

[a] / a [a]

Front, central, and low vowels (i, , e, , , , , a) are unrounded, whereas the back

vowels (u, , o) are rounded. The vowels [] and [a] are pronounced very short, much shorter than the other vowels. Thus, and are basically pronounced the same except that [] is long while [] is short the same applies to the low vowels long a [a] and short [a]. * Diphthongs and Tripthongs In addition to single vowels (or monophthongs), Vietnamese has diphthongs and triphthongs. The diphthongs consist of a main vowel component followed by a shorter semivowel offglide to either a high front position [], a high back position [], or a central position []. See the table below:

Vowel nucleus I

Diphthong with front offglide -

Diphthong with back offglide iu~yu [i] ~

Diphthong with centering offglide ia~i~y~ya [i] ~~~ -

Tripthong with front offglide -

Tripthong with back offglide iu [i]

u [e]

eo []

i []

u []

a~ [] ~

i []

u []

y []

u []

i []

ay [a]

au [a]

ai [a]

ao [a]

ui [u]

ua~u [u] ~

ui [u]

i [o]

oi []

The centering diphthongs are formed with only the three high vowels (i, , u) as the main vowel. They are generally spelled as ia, a, ua when they end a word and are spelled i, , u, respectively, when they are followed by a consonant. There are also restrictions on the high offglides: the high front offglide cannot occur after a front vowel (i, , e) nucleus and the high back offglide cannot occur after a back vowel (u, , o) nucleus. The correspondence between the orthography and pronunciation is complicated. For example, the offglide [] is usually written as i however, it may also be represented with y. In addition, in the diphthongs [a] and [a] the letters y and i also indicate the pronunciation of the main vowel: ay = + [], ai= a + []. Thus, tay hand is [ta] while tai ear is [ta]. Similarly, u and o indicate different pronunciations of the main vowel: au = + [], ao = a + []. The four triphthongs are formed by adding front and back offglides to the centering diphthongs. Similarly to the restrictions involving diphthongs, a triphthong with front nucleus cannot have a front offglide (after the centering glide) and a triphthong with a back nucleus cannot have a back offglide. With regards to the front and back offglides [, ], many phonological descriptions analyze these as consonant glides /j, w/. Thus, a word such as uwhere [] would be /w/. It is difficult to pronoun these sounds:

Liu xiu m khuya

ma

lao xao mi hai

chai ru tay

tai

lu bu hiu hiu

3. Consonant The consonants that occur in Vietnamese are listed below in the Vietnamese orthography with the phonetic pronunciation to the right.

Labial Stop aspirated voiced b [ ] voiceless p[p] th [t ] [ ] ph [f] gi [z] m [m] u/o [w]

Alveolar t [t]

Retroflex palatal tr [~]

Velar

Glottal

ch [c~t] c/k [k]

d [] x [s] r [~] n [n] l [l] s [] g/gh [] nh [] y/i [j] ng/ngh [] kh [x] h [h]

Fricative voiceless voiced Nasal Approximant v [v]

Some consonant sounds are written with only one letter (like p), other consonant sounds are written with a two-letter disgrah (like ph), and others are written with more than one letter or digraph (the velar stop is written variously as c, k, or q). The tables below show detail and it may help you easier to understand * There are 17 single consonants as listed below:

Consonants Sound B C D G H K L M

Phoneme English equivalent sounds /b/ /k/ /z/ /d/ /g/ /h/ /k/ /l/ /m/ but, bike car, clean zoo, do, does go, get hat, house keep, leaf, lose meet, mouse

N P Q R S T V X

/n/ /p/ /k/ /r/ /sh/ /t/ /v/ /s/

not, no pipe, people Queen run, road show, shower tea, top video, vowel see, sea

* There are 11 consonants clusters:

Consonants Sound Ch Gh Gi Kh Nh Ng Ngh Ph Th Tr Qu

Phoneme English equivalent sounds /ts/ /g/ /j/ /x/ // // // /f/ // // /kw/ Cheap Ghost Yes Loch Canyon Sing Single Fine thin, theory Try Queen

* There are 8 final consonants:

Consonants Sound c ch m n nh ng P T

Phoneme English equivalent sounds /k/ /ts/ /m/ /n/ // // /p/ /t/ Car Lunch Them Then Canyon Sing Stop Top

It is necessray to make a difference between these two sounds: +) K vs. Kh K & kh are two of the consonant symbols in the Vietnamese language. K is produced fortis and unaspirated. It is similar to the c in cat. In Vietnamese language it is similar to c and q. Perhaps one of the most common words beginning with k is kem which means ice cream and ko which means candy. Kh is produced lenis voiceless dorsorelar spirant. The most common kh word is khng which means no or not though there are less common meanings as well. Khe which means strong and healthy is another common word. To place khe khng after a personal referent is to enquire as to anothers health literally: you well no? as in bn khe khng? Also in these times of fast food, the ubiquitous french fry is known as khoai ty chin meaning potato fry. +) Ng and Ngh The sound that ng and ngh make in Vietnamese is by far the hardest sound for Westerners to make. Ng and ngh simply make the last sound in king or running (as long as you dont make the hard /g/ sound at the end). The problem arises when ng or ngh come at the beginning of a word, as the common family name Nguyn clearly demonstrates. Here, the speaker has to isolate the // sound, which even many Western dictionaries dont recognize in their pronunciation guides. (Those that do tend to represent it as /ng/.) This lesson will help you to at least pronounce the // sound well enough for a native listener.

One thing you have to take a notice of is the combination of these above consonants Ng/ ngh with vowels. See below for detail:

a Ngh Ng nga

i nghi

nghe ngh

ngo 1.

Ng

ng

ngu

Ng

Ngh can only combine with the vowels which are started with i, e, . 2. Ng can combine with vowels started with a, o, , , u, . Besides, Vietnamese has another pair of sound (g/ gh) which are all pronouned as /g/, for these consonants, there is also rule in combining with vowels.

a g g h ga

i gi*

o go

U Gu

g g

ghe Gh ghi

- gh can only combine with vowel started with e, , i. -g can go with vowel started with a, o, , , u, . * g can also go with i but in this case it will be pronoun as /j/, e.g. ci g. 3. Tones Vietnamese is a tonal language, It means that different voice inflections on any word will change the meaning of that word. For example, if you say banwith a rising tone, it means sell, but if you say it with a falling tone, it means table. Tone is the central part of a word. There are five tones in Vietnamese, plus a mid-level non-tone. Press each symbol button below to hear what each tone sounds like, and the name of the tone. Then press the word buttons to hear how one word can be pronounced with all six tones. Underneath is the English translation of each word.

Description Midrange voice goes flat and level.

Name of tones Ngang

Symbol Sample word & meaning three

High rising Low falling Start in a low tone, go down and gently back up Start high, bring voice down, cut off, and go back up

Sc Huyn Hi Ng

b to hug grandmother bane residue

Bring voice down and cut Nng off abruptly.

haphazardly

It is time to practice.

1 Ba

2 Ma M M M M M

3 Be

4 Me m

5 Le

* How to type Vietnamese on computer: To use Vietnamese on your computer, you need to download Unikey and then choose vietnamese. You also need to follow this rule:

Letters Tones = a w Huyn = F

=aa =dd =ee =oo =ow =uw

nh

Sc = S Hi = R Ng = X Nng = J

- The rest is to follow the normal rule. Example: Ting Vit = t i e e n g s v i e e t j

Greeting
3. Dialogue David is a student he has just attended a Vietnamese class, he has not known somebody in the class. Nam is also a member of that class and when he saw David he actively makes Davids acquaintance. Nam: Xin cho! David: Xin cho! Nam: Mnh l Nam. Bn tn l g? David: Tn mnh l David. Nam: Rt hn hnh c lm quen vi bn David: Rt vui c gp bn. Nam: Hello! David: Hello! Nam: I am Nam. What is your name? David: My name is David. Nam: Nice to meet you. David: Glad to see you. 4.

New word:

Vietnamese xin cho Cho Mnh Tn L G ci g

Sound

English equivalent hello hello I Name to be what what

Rt hn hnh c lm quen vi bn Rt vui c gp bn

Nice to meet you Glad to see you

Note: Rt vui c gp bn and Rt hn hnh c lm quen vi bn have the same meaning. We use these phrases for the first time. 3. Grammar: 3.1 Personal Pronoun. Vietnamese use terms denoting family relationships (kinship terms) when addressing each other (even when talking to whom they are not related). In fact, they are used as personal pronouns. The system is rather complicated and the choice of the correct expression depends on many factors such as sex, age, social status, the family relationship, the relationship between the speaker and the person he or she is addressing or the overall degree of intimacy between them. You may find it difficult to make sure which term should be used; thus, you need a little bit experience to get it right. The below list will help you understand more. 3.1.1. The first person The first person pronoun in Vietnamese is ti which means I in English. It is the only personal pronoun that can be used in polite speech. Beside it, the first person can be ta, tao but they are only used in informal case, e.g. when talking with close friends. 3.1.2. The second person The below table shows you some personal addresses and their usage

Personal pronoun Sound Em Bn Anh Ch C B

How to use Use for person who are younger than you as your younger sisters or brothers Use for person who is as the same age as you or your friends a young male who is a little older than you or your elder brothers a young female who is a little older than you or your elder sisters in formal case; to a young female (Miss ) Formal, an old female (Mrs., lady); informal, as your grandmother

ng/ ngi my

Formal, an old male (Mr., gentleman); informal, as your grandfather informal; people are younger than you

3.1.3. The third person It is simple that when adressing the third person, Vietnamese adds the word y after the personal pronoun. Example: Anh y, ng y / -> He Ch y, c y, b y / / -> She N * -> It N* often refers to the things, animals but sometimes, n can denote for a little child in informal case. *Plural personal pronoun: - For the first person, the word chng is added before the personal address. Example: Ti -> Chng ti Ta -> chng ta T -> chng t - For the second person, we use the word cc before the personal address. Example: Anh -> cc anh ch -> cc ch Bc -> cc bc - When addressing plural pronoun for the third person, the word h is used. It refers to a group of people in general both male and female. - The second way to form the plural personal pronoun for the third person is to add the word y after the second person pronoun. Example: Anh -> cc anh y ch -> cc ch y bc -> cc bc y The below table will show you general information. * Singular pronoun

Pronoun First person Tao Second Em Ti

Sound

English equivalence I

How to use it

- Refer to yourself (form

- Refer to yourself with close friends (informal) You

- Miss, girl or boy (youn

person Anh Ch ng B My Third person Anh y Em y - Mr. (Older than you or slightly younger than you in formal address) - Mr., sir, gentleman (person is older than you or higher status) She - Miss. - Miss or Mrs. - Lady, Mrs, Madam (person is older than you or higher status) It - Thing in general - Girl (younger than you) - Mr. (older than you) - Miss or Mrs. in formal address - Mr., Sir., gentleman (formal) - Mrs., Madam, lady (formal) - Address between close friends (to use with tao first person) He

than you, informal)

- Boy (younger than you

ng y Em y C y Ch y B y N
*Plural pronoun

Sound Pronoun First person Chng ta Second person Cc Em Chng ti

English equivalence We

How to use it - Refer to a group of yourselves (formal)

You

- Address to boys or girls (younger than you)

Anh Ch

- A group of young males (older than you) - A group of young females (older than you, ) - A group of women (Miss) - A group of old females (Mrs., ladies) - A group of old males (Mr., Sir) H They - A group of boys and girls (younger than you) - Address to a group of people (in general)

C B ng Third person Cc Anh Ch C B ng

Em - A group of young males - A group of females (Miss, Mrs.) - A group of young females (in general) - A group of old females - A group of old males

Chng n

- A group of young people (younger than you, informal)

In addition, there are different pronouns for each kind of relative. For a listing of those pronouns, see family terms:

Pronoun c

Sound

Usage your grandgrand parents

b ng ch bc c d ch anh em thy c

Your grand mother your grandfather your uncle who is your fathers younger brother Your uncle who are your parentss older siblings your aunt, who is your fathers younger sister your aunt, who is your mothers younger sister your elder sister or siblings your elder brother or siblings your younger sister or brother or siblings the teacher (if he is a man) the teacher (if she is a woman)

3.2. Greeting: Cho/ xin cho: Hello The Vietnamese greet others by using the word cho or xin cho. This is followed by either a name or a kinship term (or both). Example: Cho Lan! Hello Lan! Xin cho c Lin! Hello Ms. Lin! Cho ng! Hello Sir! However, you can use cho only in formal cases for example with close friends. In Vietnam, cho means both hello and goodbye; therefore the above examples also mean Goodbye Lan, Good bye Ms. Lien, Goodbye sir. There is no Vietnamese equivalent for Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening, etc. thats why cho can be used at any time of the day. 3.3. L: To be * L in Vietnamese has function as to be in English. It forms a simple sentence with the logical word order of Subject-Verb. Form:

S+ L
Example:

Ti I Tn ti My name

l to be l to be

Nam Nam David David My name is David I am Nam

* Ngha ph nh Negative form: khng phi l-> to be not To express the negation, Vietnamese put the word khng phi before l to make the form. See the below form and example for detail. Mu cu-(form):

S + khng phi + l + danh t (noun)

* Note: The noun can be a personal name, name of job, country. V d- Example: - Tn ti khng phi l David -> My name is not David. - David khng phi l ngi Anh -> David is not an American - y khng phi l David -> This is not David.

Introducing someone
Hi thoi (Dialogue): On the way to class, David and Nam meet Lan, after greeting Nam introduce David to Lan. Nam: Cho Lan! Lan: Cho Nam! Nam: Bn th no? c khe khng? Lan: Cm n! mnh khe. Cn bn? Nam: Cm n!mnh cng vy. ! mnh gii thiu nh, y l David, thnh vin mi ca lp mnh. Lan: Cho bn! mnh l Lan David: Cho bn! tn mnh l David. Lan: Bn n t nc Anh, phi khng? David: Khng phi! Mnh n t nc M. Nam: n gi ri, chng ta vo hc thi. Nam: Hi! Lan: Hi! Nam: How are you? Lan: Im fine. Thanks! And you? Nam: Thank you! Me too! Ah! Let me introduce, this is David, a new member of our class. Lan: Hello! I am Lan. David: Hello! My name is David. Lan: You come from England. Arent you?

1.

David: No! I come from America. Nam: Its time for the lesson. Lets go to class.

2. Vietnamese cm n khe mnh cng vy gii thiu y thnh vin mi ca lp/ lp hc n t nc/ t nc nc Anh nc M gi vo/ i vo chng ta / / /

T mi (New word)

Sound English equivalent Thanks fine/ healthy me too Introduce This Member New Of Class come from Country England America Time go to We 3.
t nc v quc tch (Country and nationality) Ng php (Grammar):

In vietnamese, stating country and nationality is very simple. For stating country, the word nc is used followed by the countrys name and for stating

nationality as well, we state the word ngi before the countrys name. See the below for the detail:

t nc (Country) Nc + Tn nc (name of country)

Quc tch (Nationality) Ngi + Tn nc (Name of country)

Tn mt s t nc v quc tch (List of country and nationality)

Country Vietnamese Nc Anh English England

Nationality Vietnamese Ngi Anh Ngi Vit Nam Ngi Php Ngi M Ngi c Ngi Nht Ngi Thi Lan Ngi Canada Ngi Nga English English Vietnamese French American German Japanese Thai Canadian Russian

Nc Vit Nam Vietnam Nc php Nc M Nc c Nc Nht France America Germany Japan

Nc Thi Lan Thailand Nc Canada Nc Nga Nc Trung Quc Canada Russia China

Ngi Trung Quc / Chinese Ngi Tu

Note: Sometimes, Vietnamese use ngi Tu replacing for ngi Trung Quc 3.1.1. When asking for country, Vietnamese often use: Mu cu 1- (form 1)- Tag question

S + n t + tn nc (1), (c) phi khng? +) Vng/ phi, S + n t + tn nc (1) -) Khng (phi), S + n t + tn nc (2)
Example: - Bn n t nc M, phi khng? -> You come from America, arent you? - Vng, ti n t nc M. -> Yes, I come from America. - Khng, ti n t nc Anh. -> No, I come from England.

Besides, there is another way to ask for someone which country he/she is from. You can follow the below form: Mu cu 2 (Form 2)

S + n t + nc + no? +) S + n t + tn nc
Example: - Anh n t nc no? -> Which country are you from?/ Where are you from? - Ti n t nc Anh. -> I am from England. 3.1.2. Asking for nationality. There are several ways to ask for someones nationality. Here, we would like to mention two common ways. Mu cu 1 (form 1):

S + l + ngi + nc + no? +) S + l + ngi + nc + tn nc

Example: - Ch l ngi nc no? -> What is your nationality? - Ti l ngi (nc) Anh. -> I am an English Mu cu 2 (form 2)- Tag question

S + l + ngi + tn nc (1), (c) phi khng? +) Vng/phi, S + l + ngi + tn nc (1). -) Khng phi, S + l + ngi + tn nc (2).

Example: - Anh y l ngi Php, c phi khng? -> He is a French, isnt he? - Vng/ phi, anh y l ngi Php. -> Yes, He is a French Hoc Or - Khng phi, anh y l ngi Anh -> No, he is an English * Note: In Vietnamese, the difference between the way to ask for country and for nationality is not so clear. You can use these aboves to ask for others country or nationality. : Let Vietnamese use when request someone to do something or offer to do something. It is used as an imperative (order clause or offer clause).

+ S + ng t (verb)
Example: - ti gii thiu -> Let me introduce.

- anh y lm -> Let him do it. - ti n -> Let me eat. Demonstratives: y l (this is) y l is used as a demonstrative pronoun. Besides, there are several demonstratives which are listed below:

Vietnamese y Ny Kia Ka y y

Sound English This This That

Usage

Refers to something or somebody near the speaker and far from the pers being spoken to. Also refers to something or somebody near and infront of the speaker.

Refers to something or somebody near the person being spoken to but f the speaker.

That over there Refers to something or somebody located far from both the speaker and person being spoken to.

That over there Refers to something located very far from both the speaker and the pers being spoken to. That That

refers to something that is far from the speaker but near to the person be spoken to.

Also refers to something that is far from the speaker but near to the pers being spoken to.

For example: Khch sn ny -> This hotel Khch sn kia -> That hotel over there Khch sn y -> That hotel These demontratives can follow two word orders depend on which are used as demonstrative pronoun or not. * When introducing something or someone to others.

i t ch nh + l + tn ngi / vt (Demonstrative) + (to be) + (Noun)

Example: y l Nam -> This is Nam l nh ti -> That is my house * When describing something or someone look like, we use:

Tn ngi / vt + i t ch nh + tnh t

(Noun) + (Demonstrative) + (Adjective)

Example: Ngi nh ny p -> This house is beautiful Chic xe y t -> That car is expensive

Introducing yourself
1. Hi thoi (Dialogue):

In short break time, David and Lan are talking to each other, they are talking about themselves. Lan: Nm nay David bao nhiu tui ri? David: Mnh 22 tui. Lan: Th th bng tui mnh. Mnh cng 22 tui. David n Vit Nam lu cha? David: Mnh n Vit Nam c 2 tun ri. Lan: By gi bn ang sng u? David: Mnh sng s nh 109, ng Nguyn Tri, qun Thanh Xun, H Ni. Lan: Bn sng mt mnh ? David: , mnh c mt mnh thi. y l ln u tin mnh xa nh, li sng mt mnh na nn thy nh nh lm. Lan: Th nh bn c my ngi? David: Nh mnh c 6 ngi. Bn c mun xem nh khng? Lan: ! c ch. David: y l nh gia nh mnh. y l b m mnh, ngi ng bn cnh l anh trai mnh, cn 2 ngi ngi trc l ng b mnh. Lan: l ng b ni ca bn ? David: ng b ni ngha l g? Lan: ! ng b ni l ngi sinh ra b, cn ng b ngoi l ngi sinh ra m. David: ! ra th, mnh hiu ri. Cn nh bn? Lan: Nh mnh t ngi hn nh David. Khi no rnh David n nh mnh chi nh, b m mnh mn khch lm, chc chn bn s thy thch. David: Th nh bn u? Lan: Nh mnh gn y thi, ng Xun Thy, qun Cu Giy, H Ni. David: Nht nh mnh s n. Lan: Nht nh nh! Lan: How old are you, David? David: I am 22 years old. Lan: The same to me. I am also 22 years old. How long have you been here? David: I have been here for 2 weeks. Lan: Where are you living now? David:I am living at No.109, Nguyen Trai street, Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi. Lan: you live there alone, arent you? David: Yes, I live alone.It is the first time I live alone and also the first time I live far from my home so I miss my family very much. Lan: How many people are there in your family? David: There are six people in my family. Do you want to see my family photo?

Lan: Yes, of course. David: Here are my parents, the person stands next to me is my older brother. Sitting in front of us are my grandparents. Lan: They are your ng b ni? David: What is ng b ni? Lan: Ah! ng b ni are the people who born your father, and ng b ngoi are the people who born your mother. David: Ah! I see. How about your family? Lan: My family has less people than yours. When you have free time, please come to my house, my parents are so hospitable, you will like them. David: Where is your house? Lan: My house is quite near here. It is on Xuan Thuy Street, Cau Giay district, Hanoi. David:I will come to visit your house. Lan: You are sure! * Note: - ng b ni means paternal grandparents - ng b ngoi means maternal grandparents. 2. T mi (New word)

Vietnamese bao nhiu tui bng cng lu bao lu tun by gi ang sng u s ng qun / huyn

Sound

English equivalent how many year old Equal / the same also long how long week now be + Ving live where number street district

mt mnh ln u tin xa nh nn nh (nh nh) my ngi mun xem nh gia nh bn cnh ngi trc/ (ng trc) ng b ni ng b ngoi sinh ( sinh ra) t hn khi no rnh (rnh ri) mn khch chc chn s thch

alone the first time far from home so, therefore Miss (homesick) how many people want see/ look photo family next to to sit in front of paternal grandparents maternal grandparents to bear less than when free hospitable to be sure will like

gn

near

3. Ng php (Grammar): 3.1. S m (Cardinal number):

Number 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Vietnamese Khng Mt Hai Ba Bn Nm Su By Tm Chn Mi Mi mt Mi hai Mi ba Mi bn Mi lm Mi su Mi by Mi tm Mi chn

Sound

English Zero One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen

20 21 30 31 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 101 1000 1001 2000

Hai mi Hai (mi) mt Ba mi Ba (mi) mt Bn mi Nm mi Su mi By mi Tm mi Chn mi Mt trm Mt trm linh mt Mt nghn/ mt ngn Mt nghn khng trm linh mt Hai nghn/ hai ngn

Twenty Twenty-one Thirty Thirty- one Forty Fifty Sixty Seventy Eighty Ninety One hundred One hundred and one One thousand One thousand and one Two thousand

3.2. Cu so snh (comparative clause): * So snh ngang bng: bng= to be equal To express that something or somebody is equal to something or somebody else, the Vietnamese use the word bng = to be equal: Mu cu (form):

S1 + (Tnh t) + bng + S2 (Adjective)

V d (example): - Lan bng tui David means Lan has the same age with David so we can say: Lan tr bng Daivid -> Lan is as young as David. - M ti gi bng b ti. -> My mother is as old as my father. - Nam cao bng David -> Nam is as tall as David. * So snh hn: (comparative: more than) Vietnamese use hn to form the comparative clause, it follows the word order as below:

Mu cu (form):

S1 + (Tnh t) + hn + S2 (Adjective)

V d (example): Nam tr hn Peter -> Nam is younger than Peter David cao hn Peter -> David is taller than Peter Nh Lan t ngi hn nh David -> Lans family has less people than Davids family * So snh bc nht (Superlative): To form the superlative clause, the word nht is used and it also places after the adjective. Mu cu (form):

S + (l) + (danh t) + tnh t + nht + phm vi so snh (noun) (adjective) (place, org, group)
V d: (example) H Ch Minh l thnh ph ln nht Vit Nam. (S) (l) (Noun) (adj) (nht) (country) Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam. Lan tr nht trong lp hc. (S) (adj) (nht) (class) Lan is the youngest in the class. 3.3. Cu hi (Question): c . khng? The most common way to form a question in Vietnamese is to follow the below construction: Mu cu (form):

S + c + ng t + khng? (verb)
V d: (example) David c hc ting Vit khng? -> Does David study Vietnamese? Lan c sng H Ni khng? -> Does Lan live in Hanoi? And the answer can be possitive or nagative. For example: For the first question the answer can be: - Vng, David hc ting Vit. -> Yes, David studies Vietnamese. Hoc Or - Khng, David khng hc ting Vit. -> No, David does not study Vietnamese. Sometimes, we can use the word l in the question. Let see some examples: David c phi l sinh vin khng? -> Is David a student? Bn c phi l nh bo khng? -> Are you a journalist? After these questions, we can have the form as:

S + c phi l + danh t + khng? (noun)

The way to answer these questions is also as the way we mentioned above. For example: David c phi l sinh vin khng? -> Is David a student? + Vng, David l sinh vin -> + Yes, David is a student Hoc Or - Khng, David khng phi l sinh vin. -> No, David is not a student.

Some notes on grammar

1.1. L means To be The most simple sentence in Vietnamese is formed by l. Form:

S+ L
Example: - y l Nam -> This is Nam - Nam l mt sinh vin -> Nam is a student 1.2. Ngha ph nh Negative form: khng phi l-> to be not Only add khng phi before l we have negative meaning. Form:

S + khng phi + l + danh t (noun)

Example: - y khng phi l Nam -> This is not Nam - Nam khng phi l sinh vin -> Nam is not a student. 1.3. Country and Nationality In order to state country, the word nc is used followed by the countrys name and to state nationality as well, we state the word ngi before the countrys name as below:

t nc (Country) Nc + Tn nc (name of country)

Quc tch (Nationality) Ngi + Tn nc (Name of country)

Example: - Nc Vit Nam -> Vietnam - Ngi Vit Nam -> Vietnamese * To ask for others their country, we use the below structures Form 1- Tag question

S + n t + tn nc (1), (c) phi khng? +) Vng/ phi, S + n t + tn nc (1) -) Khng (phi), S + n t + tn nc (2)

Example: - Bn n t nc Anh, phi khng? -> You come from America, arent you? - Vng, ti n t nc Anh. -> Yes, I come from America. - Khng, ti n t nc M. -> No, I come from England. Form 2:

S + n t + nc + no? +) S + n t + tn nc
Example: - Anh n t nc no? -> Which country are you from?/ Where are you from? - Ti n t nc Anh. -> I am from England. * Asking for nationality. The most common way to ask for someone his/ her nationality is to follow: Form 1:

S + l + ngi + nc + no? +) S + l + ngi + nc + tn nc

Example: - Anh ngi nc no? -> What is your nationality? - Ti l ngi (nc) Anh. -> I am English Form 2- Tag question

S + l + ngi + tn nc (1), (c) phi khng? +) Vng/phi, S + l + ngi + tn nc (1). -) Khng phi, S + l + ngi + tn nc (2).
Example: - C y l ngi Php, c phi khng? -> She is French, isnt he? - Vng/ phi, c y l ngi Php. -> Yes, she is French Hoc Or - Khng phi, c y l ngi Anh -> No, she is English * Note: In Vietnamese, the difference between the way to ask for country and for nationality is not so clear. You can use these aboves to ask for others country or nationality. 2. : Let Vietnamese use when request someone to do something or offer to do something. It is used as an imperative (order clause or offer clause).

+ S + ng t (verb)
Example: - ti gii thiu -> Let me introduce. - anh y lm -> Let him does it. - ti yn -> Let me alone. 2.

Demonstratives: y l (this is)

y l is one of demonstrative pronoun. Besides, there are several demonstratives which are listed below:

Vietnamese English y Ny Kia This This That That over there That over there That That

Sound

Usage Refers to something or somebody near the speaker and far from the person being spoken to. Also refers to something or somebody near and infront of the speaker. Refers to something or somebody near the person being spoken to but far from the speaker. Refers to something or somebody located far from both the speaker and the person being spoken to. Refers to something located very far from both the speaker and the person being spoken to. refers to something that is far from the speaker but near to the person being spoken to. Also refers to something that is far from the speaker but near to the person being spoken to.

Ka y y

For example: Khch sn ny -> This hotel Khch sn kia -> That hotel over there Khch sn y -> That hotel The usage of demonstrative pronouns is as below: * When introducing something or someone to other people:

i t ch nh + l + tn ngi / vt (Demonstrative) + (to be) + (Noun)

Example: y l Nam -> This is Nam l nh ti -> That is my house * When describing something or someone:

Tn ngi / vt + i t ch nh + tnh t (Noun) + (Demonstrative) + (Adjective)

Example: Ngi nh ny p -> This house is beautiful Chic xe y t -> That car is expensive 1.6. S m (Cardinal number):

Number 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 30 40

Sound

Vietnamese Khng Mt Hai Ba Bn Nm Su By Tm Chn Mi Mi mt Mi hai Mi ba Mi bn Mi lm Mi su Mi by Mi tm Mi chn Hai mi / hai chc Ba mi / ba chc Bn mi / bn chc

English Zero One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Thirty Forty

50 60 70 80 90 100 101 1000 1001

The power of ten:

Nm mi / nm chc Su mi / su chc By mi / by chc Tm mi / tm chc Chn mi / chn chc Mt trm

Fifty Sixty Seventy Eighty Ninety One hundred

Mt trm linh mt / mt trm l mt One hundred and one Mt nghn/ mt ngn Mt nghn khng trm linh mt One thousand One thousand and one

Number 10 100 1 000 10 000 100 000 1 000 000 10 000 000 100 000 000 1 000 000 000 10 000 000 000 100 000 000 000 1 000 000 000 000 10 000 000 000 000

Sound

Vietnamese Mi Mt trm

English Ten One hundred

Mt nghn / mt ngn One thousand Mt nghn / mt vn Ten thousand Mt trm nghn Mt triu Mi triu Mt trm triu Mt t Mi t Mt trm t Mt nghn t Mi nghn t One hundred thousand One million Ten million One hundred million One billion Ten billion One hundred billion One thousand billion Ten thousand billion

100 000 000 000 000 1 000 000 000 000 000 1 000 000 000 000 000 000

Mt trm nghn t Mt triu t Mt t t

One hundred thousandbillion One million billion One billion billion

1.7. Cu so snh (comparative clause): * So snh ngang bng: bng= to be equal To express the equality between two things two people, Vietnamese uses the word bng = to be equal: Form:

S1 + (Tnh t) + bng + S2 (Adjective)

V d (example): - Lan bng tui David means Lan has the same age with David so we can say: Lan tr bng Daivid -> Lan is as young as David. - M ti gi bng b ti. -> My mother is as old as my father. - Nam cao bng David -> Nam is as tall as David. * So snh hn: (more than) Vietnamese uses hn to form the comparative clause, it follows the word order as below: Form:

S1 + (Tnh t) + hn + S2 (Adjective)
V d (example): Nam tr hn Peter -> Nam is younger than Peter David cao hn Peter -> David is taller than Peter Nh Lan t ngi hn nh David -> Lans family has less people than Davids family * So snh bc nht (Superlative): To form the superlative clause, the word nht is used and it also places after the adjective. Mu cu (form):

S + (l) + (danh t) + tnh t + nht + phm vi so snh (noun) (adjective) (place, org, group)
V d: (example) H Ch Minh l thnh ph ln nht Vit Nam. (S) (l) (Noun) (adj) (nht) (country) -> Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam. Lan tr nht trong lp hc. (S) (adj) (nht) (class) -> Lan is the youngest in the class. 1.8. Question: c . khng? The most common way to form a question in Vietnamese is to follow the below structure: Form 1:

S + c + ng t + khng? (verb)
Example: David c hc ting Vit khng? -> Does David study Vietnamese? It can be answer as - Vng, David hc ting Vit. Yes, David studies Vietnamese. Hoc Or - Khng, David khng hc ting Vit. No, David does not study Vietnamese. Lan c sng H Ni khng? -> Does Lan live in Hanoi? Khng, Lan khng sng H Ni. -> No, Lan doesnt live in Hanoi. Sometimes, we can use the word l in the question. Let see below structure:

S + c phi l + danh t + khng? (noun)

Example: David c phi l sinh vin khng? -> Is David a student? And the answer can be + Vng, David l sinh vin. -> + Yes, David is a student. Hoc Or - Khng, David khng phi l sinh vin. -> - No, David is not a student. Bn c phi l nh bo khng? -> Are you a journalist? + Vng, ti l nh bo. -> Yes, I am a journalist. hoc or - Khng, ti khng phi l nh bo -> No, I am not a journalist.

Asking the time

3. Hi thoi (Dialogue) To day is Wednesday, David and Nam are going to visit Quoc Tu Giam with Vietnamese class, they gather at the main gate of Quoc Tu Giam at 7:30, but it is 7:20 am, Nam\ is so anxious waiting for David. Nam: A David! Sao n mun th? bn mt ? David: Cho Nam! mnh khng sao. Th by gi l my gi ri? Nam: By gi l 7 gi 20 ri, nhanh ln khng mnh mun mt. David: 7 gi 30 mi vo lp hc m. Nam: Bn khng nh sao? hm nay l th t, lp mnh c bui i thm quan Quc T Gim m. David: ! xin li mnh qun mt, mnh c ngh hm nay mi l th ba thi. Nam: Ti th 7 tun ny bn c ri khng? David: mnh xem , nhng m c vic g khng? Nam: Mnh c 2 v i xem phim, mnh mun mi David i cng. David: ! hay qu nh, nhng m sng th 7 mnh phi i hc thm ting Vit, bui chiu cn phi ln th vin na. Nam: Th cn bui ti? David: Bui ti th mnh ri. Nam: Th th tt ri, 7 gi ti th 7 tun ny bn mnh gp nhau rp chiu phim Quc Gia

nh. David: !Th nh. (see the translation) Nam: Ah! David! Why did you come late? Are you tired? David: Hi Nam! I am ok. What time is it now? Nam: It is 7:20 am, be quick we will be late. David: The lesson starts at 7:30 am. Nam: Do you remember? Today is Wednesday, and our class are going to visit Quoc Tu Giam. David: Ah! Sorry, I forgot, I still think today is Tuesday. Nam: Are you free on this Saturday? David: Let me see, but is there any thing? Nam: I have two cinema tickets, I would like to invite you to go with me. David: Oh! thats great. But, on Saturday morning I have an extra-Vietnamese lesson and on the afternoon I need to go to library. Nam: How about Saturday night? David: I am free on Saturday night? Nam: Thats ok, so at 7:00 this Saturday night we gather at Quoc Gia cinema David: Thats ok. 4. T mi (New word)

Vietnamese mun mt my gi nhanh nh hm nay th t i thm quan xin li qun ngh th ba ti (bui ti)

Sound

English equivalent to be late to be tired how many (use for question) Time Quick Remember Today Wednesday go to visit sorry to forget think Tuesday night

th by tun ny ri (rnh ri) mnh xem nhng v phim v i xem phim mi i cng hay qu sng (bui sng) phi hc thm chiu (bui chiu) th vin gp rp chiu phim 5.

Saturday this week to be free let me see! but ticket film cinema ticket to invite to go with thats great morning have to extra-class afternoon library to meet (in this lesson: to gather) cinema
Ng php (Grammar):

3.1. To tell the time Vietnamese uses three units to express the time, which are shown below: Gi -> hour Pht -> minute Giy -> second * How to state the time: (need a clock) Depending on the exact time, we have several ways to state the time. +) Even hour: the word gi is added after the number referring the time. Example: 11:00 -> 11 gi -> 11 oclock

8:00 -> 8 gi -> 8 oclock +) Other cases: 6. Vietnamese often use the word qua, km to express the time. Example: 8: 15 -> 8 gi (qua) 15 (pht) 10: 20 -> 10 gi (qua) 20 (pht) - The word qua and pht can be omit, but in this case 7: 45 -> 7 gi 45 (pht) or we can say 8 gi km 15 (pht), and Vietnamese prefer the later to the former and only the word pht can be omit. When the time past over 30 minutes, Vietnamese often use the word km to express time. Example: 8:50 -> 9 gi km 10 -> ten to nine 11:35 -> 12 gi km 25 -> twenty five to twelve 7. Besides, Vietnamese often use the word ri to stand for the time which past 30 minutes. Example: 9:30 -> 9 ri -> half past nine 10: 30 -> 10 ri -> half past ten 8. To express the time in which period of day, Vietnamese use the below words, which refer to the period of day, to add after the time.

Period of time 1:00am~11:00am 11:00am~1:00pm 1:00pm~7:00pm

Vietnamese sng tra chiu

Sound

English equivalent morning at noon afternoon evening night

7:00pm~11:00pm ti 11:00pm~1:00am m

Example: 2: 15 pm -> 2 gi 15 chiu 9:20 am -> 9 gi 20 sng 12:00 pm -> 12 gi tra 1:00 am -> 2 gi m * Asking and answering about time. When asking for the time, Vietnamese use the question:

By gi l my gi ri? (Now) (to be) (how many) (time) (interjection)

To answer this question, we replace the word my by the exact time as below:

By gi + l + thi gian + gi + (ri) (Now) (to be) (time) (hour)

Example: A: By gi l my gi?

B: By gi l 8 gi (ri). * To ask someone what time he/she does something we use: Form:

CN + T + lc/ vo lc my gi? S+V

Example: Nam i hc vo lc my gi? -> What time does Nam go to school? And the answer is Nam i hc vo lc 7 gi. -> Nam goes to school at 7 oclock 3.2. Parts of a day The main distinction between the day time and night-time is expressed by the word ban, so we have ban ngy (daytime) and ban m (night-time). To express the part of the day, the word bui is made use of. See the list for more detail.

Vietnamese bui sng (sng) bui tra (tra)

Sound

English equivalent morning at noon Afternoon English The first The second The third The fourth The fifth The sixth The seventh The eightth The nineth The tenth Evening Night
3.3. Days in a week * S th t (Ordinal number) Ordinal number is formed from cardinal number by adding the ordinal designator th. This element precedes the cardinal number. -Th nh is sometime used instead of th hai - Th t is sometime replaced by th bn, but Vietnamese prefer the former to the later. * Days in a week: In Vietnamese the terms denoting the days of the week are ordinal numbers except Sunday. The week starts from Sunday, therefore Monday is the second day in the week, Tuesday is the third day, Wednesday is the fourth day, etc.

bui chiu (chiu) Vietnamese Sound bui ti (ti) Th nht ban m (m) Th hai* Th Th Th Th Th Th Th Th ba t* nm su by tm chn mi Sound

Vietnamese Th mi mt Ch nht Th mi hai Th hai Th mi ba Th Th Th mi bn mi lm mi su

English The eleventh Sunday The twelveth Monday The thirteenth The forteenth The fifteenth The sixteenth

Th ba Th t Th nm Th su Th by

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

* Asking and answering for the day in a week. When asking for what the day today is, Vietnamese often use the below question:

Hm nay l th my? (today) (to be) (ordinal designator)(how many)

The answer is to replace my by the day in the week. Example: A: Hm nay l th my? What day is it today? B: Hm nay l th t. Today is Wednesday. If we want to ask the day of tomorrow, replacing hm nay by ngy mai in the question and the answer is also follow the above form. Examle: A: Ngy mai l th my? What day is it tomorrow? B: Ngy mai l Ch nht. Tomorrow is Sunday Accordingly, using that form we can ask for other days base on the below suggestion:

Vietnamese hm nay ngy mai ngy kia hm qua hm kia

Sound

English today tomorrow the day after tomorrow yesterday the day before yesterday

Example: A: Hm kia l th my? What day is it the day before yesterday? B: Hm kia l th hai. The day before yesterday is Monday (See Vietnamese calendar) Vietnamese calendar Vietnamese use a solar calendar (dng lch) for official purposes but religious activities and celebrations are governed by the lunar calendar (m lch) formed by a sixty-year cycle divided into five twelve-year groups. Each year is associated with an animal. (The names of the animals are traditionally referred to using, a Sino-Vietnamese expression.) The following table lists one twelve-year cycle and the Sino-Vietnamese terms together with their Vietnamese and English equivalents.

Sino-Vietnamese Vietnamese

English

T Su Dn Mo Thn T Ng Mi Thn Du Tut Hi

Chut Tru H Mo Rng Rn Nga D Kh G Ch Ln

Mouse rat Buffalo Tiger Cat Dragon Snake Horse Goat Monkey Rooster Dog Pig

The new year festival The Vietnamese have many festivals and celebrations but without doubt the biggest one is the new year festival (Tt Nguyn n). The Vietnamese celebrate the new year according to the lunar calendar. Tt Nguyn n is an opportunity for the whole family to meet together. It is a festival which marks the beginning of the spring and it is filled with hopes and expectations that the new year will be happier and better than the previous one. Tt Nguyn n is rich in customs and traditions and many special dishes are prepared. Traditionally ,firecrackers (Pho) are set off to welcome the new year. Vietnamese folk prints are used to decorate houses on the occasion of Tt. These are ng H prints made in a village of the same name.

Asking for and Giving Directions

9.

Hi thoi (Dialogue)

This Friday, Mary wants to go to British Embassy to completel procedure, but she is not sure how to get there, she is asking Lan for the way to get there. Mary: Cho Lan! Lan: Cho Mary! Mary: Xin li cho mnh hi mt cht. Lan: C g Mary c ni Mary: Chiu nay mnh cn n i S Qun Anh hon tt mt s th tc, nhng m mnh li khng r ng i ti lm, Lan ch gip mnh vi. Lan: Bn c a ch ch cha? Mary: Mnh c ri, s 31 ph Hai B Trng. Lan: Th th tt ri, bn nhn ln bn ny nh. By gi bn ang trn ng Xun Thy, c i thng vo ng Kim M, n cui ng r phi vo ng Nguyn Thi Hc, n ng t n xanh n bn r tri, l ng Hai B Trng, i theo ng bn s nhn thy i S Qun bn phi ng. Mary: ! Xa nh, t y n khong bao xa? Lan: ! Cng kh xa, chc khong 12 km . Th bn nh i n bng g? Mary: Mnh cng cha bit na, theo bn mnh nn n bng phng tin g th tin nht? Lan: Hnh nh bn cng cha r ng ph H Ni lm, mnh ngh bn nn bt taxi i l

hay nht. Mary: ! C l mnh s i taxi, cm n Lan nhiu nh. Lan: Khng c g. (see the translation) Mary: Hi Lan! Lan: Hi Mary! Mary: Excuse me! Could I ask you a question? Lan: please! Mary: This afternoon I need to go to British Embassy for completing procedure, but I am not sure about the way, could you tell me how to get there? Lan: Do you have address? Mary: Yes, I have, it is at 31 Hai Ba Trung Street. Lan: Thats good. Look at the map, now you are on Xuan Thuy street, to the end of this road you turn left to Kim Ma street, keep straight to the end of Kim Ma road then turn right to Nguyen Thai Hoc street, at the end of the road you will see the red-blue light you turn right to Le Duan street, when you see the first cross road turn right that is Hai Ba Trung street, follow this road until you see the British Embassy on your right hand side. Mary: Oh! That is so far; how far is it from here? Lan: Yes, it is about 12 km. How do you intend to get there? Mary: I also dont know, do you think what transportation should I use to get there? Lan: You seem to be not so clear about Hanoi street arent you? So I just think Taxi is the best choice for you. Mary: Yes, maybe I will take a taxi to get there, thank you very much. Lan: Youre welcome. i s qun Anh nm ti im c du sao .

i s qun Anh, Tng 4-5, To nh Trung tm, 31 Hai B Trng, H Ni. T: ++ (84) (4) 936 0500 Fax: ++ (84) (4) 936 0561 / 9360562 Email: emyeukhoahoc@gmail.com 10. Vietnamese hi hi ng ni cn i s qun hon tt mt s Sound
T mi (New word)

English equivalent to ask to ask for the way to tell/ say/ speak need Embassy to complete some

th tc r ng ch (ng) gip a ch tt nhn bn trn cui r tri i thng r phi n xanh n ng t i theo pha bn phi khong bao xa nh / nh bng cng nn

procedure clear way to draw a map/ to show the way to help address good to look map on the end to turn left to keep straight to turn right red-blue light (traffic light) cross-road to follow at the right hand side about how far to intend by also should

phng tin hnh nh ng ph bt (xe) hay nht / tt nht c l s cm n bn nhiu 11.

transportation seem to be street to take the best maybe will thank you very much
Ng php (Grammar)

3.1. Talking about distance: * T n: The preposition .t n means from (place). to(place). Form 1

t + a im 1 + n + a im 2 from + place 1 + to + place 2

This form is to express the movement from one place to another place. Example: - t nh ti n trng -> from my house to school - t sn bay n khch sn -> from the airport to the hotel These prepositions also express a period of time Form 2

t + thi gian + n + thi gian from + time + to/ until + time

Example: - t 8 gi sng n 5 gi chiu -> From 8 oclock in the morning to 5 oclock in the afternoon - t sng n ti -> from dawn till dusk * Cch* v Bao xa +) In order to state the distance between two places, the word cch is made use of. See the form: Form 3

a im 1 + cch + a im 2 + s km place 1 + distance + place 2 + No. of km

Example: - Sn bay cch khch sn 5 km -> The airport is five km from the hotel.

- Nh ti cch trng hc 8 km -> My house is eight km from school. - H ni cch Hu kh xa -> Hanoi is quite far away from Hue. +) when asking for the distance, Vietnamese often use the question: Form 4

a im 1 + cch + a im 2 + bao xa? place 1 + cch + place 2 + (how far)?

Example: - H Ni cch Hu bao xa? -> How far is it from Hanoi to Hue? - Sn bay cch nh ga bao xa? -> How far is it from the airport to the station? Besides, we can use the question which is combined with the prepositon t n. Let take an example to see how it is formed - T H Ni n Hu khong* bao xa? (Place 1) (place 2) (about) (how far)? This question can be translated as: How far is it from Hanoi to Hue? and the answer can be: - T H Ni n Hu khong 500 km. -> It is about 500km from Hanoi to Hue. Or we can answer by using the form 3 above as below: - H Ni cch Hu khong 500 km. -> Hanoi is about 500km from Hue. * Note: - The word khong can be replace by the word l and cch. Example: T H Ni n Hu l 500 km -> It is 500km from Hanoi to Hue. hoc T H Ni n Hu cch 500 km -> It is 500km from Hanoi to Hue. - cch can also be used to state the period of time. It is to describe how long ago something happened. Example: Ti n Vit Nam cch y hai tun -> I arrived Vietnam two week ago. Ti bt u hc ting Vit cch y mt thng. -> I started to learn Vietnamese a month ago. 3.2. Hnh nh: seem to be In Vietnamese, when talking about something that is not so clear or may cause a doubt, the word hnh nh is used and it often state at the beginning of the sentence. Example: - Hnh nh bn cha quen ng ph H Ni lm. -> You seem to be not so familiar to Hanoi Street. - Hnh nh ti cha tng n ni ny. -> It seems to be that I have ever been here. 3.3. Nn: should Vietnamese use the word nn to give suggestion or advice to someone. It often stands after the Subject. See below form for detail. Form 5

CN + nn + T + VN S + should + V + O
Example: - Bn nn n bng taxi -> You should get there by taxi. - Bn nn th gin mt cht -> You should relax.

How to Take a Taxi Hi thoi (Dialogue) On the afternoon Mary is going to British Embassy, now she is calling to Hanoi taxi agency to reserve a taxi. Agency: D! H Ni taxi xin nghe! Mary: Al! cho anh ! anh c th gi cho em mt xe taxi bn ch ti a ch s 27 ng Xun Thy, Cu Giy c khng ? Agency: D vng ! ch vui lng ch mt lt, taxi s n ngay Mary: Cm n anh nhiu, cho anh! Agency: D khng c g , cho ch! Some minutes later, Mary sees a four-seat taxi is coming; she waves her hand as a sign. Taxi driver: Xin li, c phi ch gi taxi khng ? Mary: Vng! ng ri , anh c phi t bn H Ni taxi khng ? Taxi driver: Vng! Tha ch, mi ch ln xe . Mary: Cm n anh! Taxi driver: By gi ch mun i n a im no ? Mary: Anh a ti n i s qun Anh s 31 Hai B Trng. Taxi driver: Vng! Phin ch tht dy an ton chng ta c th khi hnh . Mary: Vng! ti sn sng, anh c th cho ti hi mt cht c khng ? Taxi driver: Vng ch c ni . Mary: T y n i s qun mt bao lu ? Taxi driver: By gi ng khng ng lm nn khong 30 pht na chng ta s n i s Qun. Mary: Vng! vy l ti yn tm ri. Cm n anh! Taxi driver: D! khng c g . Thirty minutes later, Mary gets to British Embassy; she gets off the taxi and makes the payment. Taxi driver: Tha ch! i s qun y ri Mary: Vng! cm n anh nh, xin hi ht bao nhiu tin ? Taxi driver: D! ht 90.000 ng chn . Mary: y tha anh, cm n anh nhiu . Taxi driver: D! khng c g , ch c mun ti i khng ? Mary: Khng cn u, cho anh! Taxi driver: Cm n ch! Cho ch! (See the translation) Dialogue 1: Agency: Hello! Thank you for calling to Hanoi taxi, can I help you? Mary: Hello! Could you arrange one four-seat taxi to pick me up at No.27 Xuan Thuy Street, Cau Giay Dist.? Agency: Yes, Madam. Could you please wait for some minutes, our taxi will come now. Mary: Thank you very much and goodbye! Agency: Youre welcome, goodbye! Dialogue 2: Taxi driver: Excuse me! Did you call for a taxi? Mary: yes, I did. You are from Hanoi taxi, arent you? Taxi driver: Yes, I am. Please get in the car. Mary: Thanks you! Taxi driver: Where would you go to now? Mary: Please take me to British Embassy at No.31 Hai Ba Trung Street. Taxi driver: yes, could you please wear seatbelt and we can departure.

Mary: Yes, I am ready, may I have a question? Taxi driver: yes, please! Mary: How long does it take from here to British Embassy? Taxi driver: At the moment, the street is not so crowded, so it may take about 30 minutes. Mary: Yes, Its good, thank you! Taxi driver: Not at all! Dialogue 3: Taxi driver: Here is British Embassy. Mary: Yes, thank you! How much is it? Taxi driver: It is 90.000 VND. Mary: Here you are! Taxi driver: Thank you! Do you need me to wait for you? Mary: No, thanks! Goodbye! Taxi driver: Thank you and goodbye! (make a list of Taxi agency in Hanoi and its phone number) see as reference of the lesson)

Vietnamese Ch (ch ngi) vui lng ch mt lt gi ln xe a im a/ a n tht dy an ton c th sn sng ng nn bao nhiu tin
T mi (New word) *Note:

Sound

English equivalent seat please to wait a little (in this lesson: some minutes) to call to get in place to take, to pick up to tie seatbelt can, could, might, may ready crowed so how much

- The word vui lng is used when offering someone to do something politely. Example: Bn vui lng m ca gip mnh c khng? -> Could you open the door please? - In the dialogue you see so many word , but we can not translate it into English because there is no equivalent meaning in English. It is used to show the politeness and respect of the speaker to the person being spoken. For example, before going to class children have to say goodbye to their parents Tha b m! Con i hc as well as when they come back home they have to say hello to their parents tha b m con v . It does not only convey the meaning of informing but also expressing the respect to the olders. Ng php (Grammar) 3.1. Bao lu: How long. When asking for how long something done, Vietnamese use the question which is formed by the word bao lu. Form 1

CN + T + VN + (mt) bao lu? S + V + O + how long?

Let analyse the example for futher detail: - (S) i t y n i s qun mt bao lu? - S (Verb) (Object) how long? The subject is not appeared here but we still can understand that there is someone moves to Embassy; therefore this sentence can be translated into English as below: -> How long does it take from here to Embassy? See more examples: - Bn i t nh n trng mt bao lu? -> How long does it take you from your house to your school? - i t H Ni vo Hu mt bao lu? - > How long does it take from Hanoi to Hue? * Note: - The word mt can be replaced by trong or khong. Mt refers to the exact time, trong refers to the approximate time but not over the time given, and khong also refers to the approximate time and it can be less or more than the time given. Therefore, Vietnamese applied this meaning of these words to give clear answer. See the answer for these above questions: Question 1 Q: i t y n i s qun mt bao lu? A: i t y n i s qun mt 30 pht. (Exactly it takes 30 minutes) Question 2: Q: Bn i t nh n trng mt bao lu? A: Mnh i t nh n trng trong 15 pht. (It takes less than 15 minutes) Question 3: Q: i t H Ni vo Hu mt bao lu? A: i t H Ni vo Hu khong 4 ting. (It may take less than or more than 4 hour) - In the question, the word bao lu can be replaced by the word bao nhiu thi gian. The question and answer form as well as the meaning is the same with the word bao lu. Vietnamese prefers using bao lu to using bao nhiu thi gian. 3.2. Conjunction: nn means so The conjunction nn is used to combine two clauses that have cause and effect relationship. The first clause often shows the meaning of cause and the second one has the meaning of effect. To make you easy to remember we provide the form as below:

Cause clause + nn + effect clause

See the example for detail: - By gi ng khng ng lm// nn // khong 30 pht na chng ta s n i s qun. (Cause clause) nn (Effect clause) ->Now the street is not so crowed so we can get to Embassy about 30 minutes later. In order to emphasize the reason we add the word vat the very beginning of the cause clause. Example: - V // tri ma // nn // chng ti khng i chi. v (cause) nn (effect) -> Because it rains so we do not go out. - V // Lan b m // nn // c y khng n lp. -> Because Lan is ill so she does not come to class. Similiar with English, the position of these two clauses can be exchanged, and in this case the word nn can be omittied, and replaced by v. See example: - Chng ti khng i chi // v // tri ma. (Effect) v (cause) -> We do not go out because it rains. - Lan khng n lp // v // c y b m -> Lan does not come to class because she is ill. * Note: - If the subject in two clauses is the same, it can be omitted in one of these two clauses. Example: - (V) b m nn Lan khng n lp (v) (S) V nn S V -> Because of being ill so Lan does not come to class. Or - Lan b m nn khng n lp. S V nn (S) V This sentence can be translated into English as: -> Lan is ill so not come to class. Family relationships in Vietnamese Culture Family structure The family is the basic instituation in society; it perpetuates society and protects the individual. Generally speaking, Vietnamese family structure is more complex than that of the American family, which is essentially nuclear in nature and which excludes relatives and in-laws. In the Vietnamese family roles are more numerous and more fined than in its American counterpart. Vietnamese people distinguish between the immediate family (tiu gia-nh) and the extended family (i gia-nh). The Vietnamese immediate family includes not only the husband, wife, and their unmarried children, but but also the husbands parents and the sons wives and children, The extended family consists of the immediate family and close relatiVes who share the same family name and ancestors and who live in the same community. Family relationships in Vietnamese Culture

The complexity of the Vietnamese concept oF family is reflected in the rather complex terminology designating kinship. Each member of the extended family has a particular designation according to his/her relative position and his/her role in the family structure. People are often referred to by the kinship term rather than by given name. In Vietnamese society, the father is the head of the family. However, unlike the father in traditional Chinese society, who is empowered, at least theoretically, with absolute rights over his children and wife, the Vietnamese father shares with his wife and children collective and bilateral responsibility, legally, morally, and spiritually. In the relationship between parents and chilren, as well as between husband and wife, the Vietnamese people retain much of their own custom and tradition, despite the great influence of Chinese culture and Confucian doctrine. In the eyes of the children, the Vietnamese mother has the same status as the father. She is also the embodiment of love and the spirit of self-denial and sacrifice. Parent-child relationship Vietnamese parents consider it a most important responsibility to train their children. By virtue of the principle of collective responsibility, the parents will bear the disgrace brought about by the activities of children who dishonor themselves just as they share the honor and fame of their virtuous and talented children. At an early age, children are taught by their parents to behave according to the principle of filial piety. The family is the school in which the child learns the respect rules in both behavior and linguistic response. Filial piety consists of loving, respecting, and obeying ones parents. Talking back or acting contrary to the wishes of ones parents is evidence of lack of filial piety. For the Vietnamese, the obligation to obey his parents does not end with coming of age or marriage. Filial piety also means solicitude and support to ones parents, chiefly in their old age. Vietnamese elderly people never live by themselves or in nursing homes but with one of their children, usually their eldest son. This obligation is not discontinued by the parents death. It survives in the form of ancestral cult and the maintenance of ancestral tombs. Ancestor worship is practised in most, if not all, Vietnamese homes even in the homes of Viettnamese people living overseas. The child who lacks filial piety is rejected and ostracized by other members of the family and comnlunity. The worst insult which a Vietnamese can receive and by which he is deeply wounded is the ex- pression lack filial piety (con bt hiu). Sibling relationships In Vietnamese culture, the relationship between siblings is determined by the principle of seniority, which requires younger siblings to respect and obey older ones. The eldest brother is entrusted with a heavy responsibility that of substituting for the parents in case of emergency. He is considered by his siblings as their leader. Concord and love among siblings is a token of happy and virtuous family. Attitude towards relatives As with members of the immediate family, members of the extended family are boud together by a strong sense of collective responsibility and mutual obligation. The notion of blood relalionship is always present in the mind of the Vietnamese. In honor or in disgrace, members of the extended family will share the same fate as if they were members of the immediate family. They are expected to give one another moral and material assistance, especially in time of stress. On the social and political planes, this strong sense of loyalty to the extended family tends to encourage the spirit of sectarianism and nepotism.

The notion of family ties is imprinted in the mind of the Vietnamese because of the importance of filial piety. Respect and love are demanded of young people to members of the parental generation and above. Uncles and aunts must be treated with respect as if they were ones own parents. In addition to the consciousness of blood relationships and the linguistic ties that reinforce kinship relationships and age seniority, members of the Vietnamese extended family are closely bound by the common veneration of the dead. Ancestor worship is a hyphen between the dead and the living and a strong tie between members sharing the same ancestry. Through such rites as the cleaning of the ancestral tombs and celebration of ancestral death anniversaries, which all members of the extended family are expected to attend, the ties which bind the Vietnamese to other members of his family are reinforced. In the last decades the Vietnamese family insitution has been attacked on all fronts. The Western doctrine of individualism advocated the liberation of the individual from the encroachment of the family upon his personal freedom. Under the communist regime, the state replaced parents in the filial piety relationship, and children were taught to spy on their own parents and report to the Party any subversive talk or behavior. The war devastated the countryside and brought people to the cities where narrow spaces were not suitable to the pattern of the extended family. Since 1975, with the communist takeover of the whole country and the tragic exodus of the Vietnamese people throughout the world to search for freedom, the Vietnamese family has become increasingly broken and separated by distance. Husbands and wives, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters live thousands and thousands of miles apart. But despite of all this, deep family feelings and ties are still strong and the Vietnamese family concept still survives through time and change