Learning to Speak Vietnamese Language Links

Congratulations on attempting to learn this difficult language!

As Vietnamese is a tonal language, meaning going up and down in your speech inflection creates different words, it is difficult for people without this linguistic background to learn. There are several pieces of good news. First, many more people in Vietnam now speak some English and the calculator on your phone, gestures, and a few words will get you by in most situations. It is helpful to have a basic, small dictionary if you are going to be adventurous in eating, for example. Second, a few words will provide rich benefits. Words like hello and thank you are most invaluable. Perhaps next would be the word for the WC or ladies or mens room. Lastly, Vietnamese is relatively easy to read. All words are short, and the alphabet is similar. Soon you will be able to identify some of the common words, such as places to eat. Here are a few resources to get you started.

Here are several Vietnamese travel dictionaries that don't weigh too much and are easy to carry. Vietnamese travel phrase books and dictionaries They can be very helpful when eating out!

Several apps on your phone or computer can be of great help as well. You can download and use translators if you have access to internet. Apps like Duolingo and Rosetta Stone are fun ways to learn simple speech.

You can find a few resources online, such as this university site: Vietnamese Language and Culture at NIU and Vietnamese Language: Consonants, Vowels, and Tones