Name of twelve months

Name of twelve months

Below is how to read the name of month in Vietnamese calendar year and lunar year.

The name months in both Calendar and Lunar year always begin with the word THÁNG.

There are two differences in months of calendar and lunar in the First and last month of the year.

For example: January in English, if we refer to calendar year, we say Tháng một (1). in constrast, we say Tháng Giêng if we mean the the first month of Lunar year.

Below is the table of months for specific comparison.

Calendar Year  Lunar Year   English Equivalent    Serial Value

Tháng một            Tháng Giêng         January                 First Month

Tháng hai              Tháng hai              February              Second Month

Tháng ba                Tháng ba               March                Third Month

Tháng tư                Tháng tư                 April                  Fourth Month

Tháng năm              Tháng năm              May                  Fifth Month

Tháng sáu               Tháng sáu                June                 Sixth Month

Tháng bảy               Tháng bảy               July                   Seventh Month

Tháng tám              Tháng tám              August                Eighth Month

Tháng chín             Tháng chín            September          Nineth Month

Tháng mười           Tháng mười          October              Tenth Month

Tháng mười một   Tháng mười một    November           Eleventh Month

Tháng mười hai   Tháng Chạp           December           Twelveth Month

Hope you can distinguish them easily and use them naturally in daily conversation and writing.

Cách nói giờ: Telling the time

In order to telling time in Vietnamese, you have to learn some terms used to indicate time elements.

- Năm :  Year

- Tháng: Month

- Ngày : Day

- Giờ: Hour

- Phút : Minute

- Giây: Second.

Day comes before month and final is Year.

Example: Ngày 10 tháng 10 năm 2010

01h20' 20": Một giờ 20 phút ba mươi giây (one hour twenty minutes and thirty seconds)

If minute hand indicates at number 30, we can say Rưỡi or ba mươi

Example: 1:30: Một giờ rưỡi (Half past one), or một giờ ba mươi (one thirty)

From 31 to 59 in minutes, we can use the word Kém or thiếu, or we just say the hour number first, and then say the minute number

1:32: Hai giờ kém (hai giờ thiếu) hai mươi tám phút or Một giờ ba mươi hai (Phút)

1:45: Hai gời kém mười lăm (phút): quarter to two; or Một giờ bốn mươi lăm (phút)

When the minute hand at number 12, we say Giờ đúng (O'clock)

12:00: Mười hai giờ (đúng)

When minutes from 1 to 29: We say the our first and then the minute

2: 20: Hai giờ hai mươi phút: 

When you want to estimate the time, we can say, hơn (past) or kém (to), or khoảng (about)

- Một giờ hơn (More than 1 hour)

- Ba giời kém (less than 3 hours)

- khoảng 5 giờ (It's about five O'clock)

If we want to use 24-hour time, we can say the hour number normally.

14:25: Mười bốn giờ hai mươi lăm (Phút)

23: 30: Hai mươi ba giờ rưỡi.

Các buổi trong ngày:

4 a.m. to 10 a.m.:            Sáng (morning)

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.            Trưa (noon)

3 p.m. to 6 p.m.              Chiều (afternoon)

6 p.m. to 11 p.m.:           Tối (Everning)

11 p.m. to 4 a.m.:            Khuya (late at night)

Example: 

Mấy giờ mày đi? (What time do you go?

bốn giờ rưỡi sáng; it's four thirty a.m.

Hai giờ chiều: It's 2p.m. 

=> Actually, the time division from 1a.m to 6.a.m, we can use the word Sáng or Sáng sớm  or sáng tinh mơ (early morning) instead of Khuya.

Example:

Đã hai giời sáng rồi.

It's 2 a.m already.

In the old time systems, time at night can be devided into 5 Watches (Canh)

Canh một                   From about 7 to 9 p.m.

Canh hai                     From about 9 to 11 p.m.

Canh ba                      From about 11 to 1 a.m.

Canh bốn ( or Tư)      From about 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Canh năm                   From 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Another earlier time systems devided the entire twenty-four hour day into periods of two hour each. According to Đia Chi. This method begins at 11 p.m. and the word stand before each period is Giờ

Giờ Tý (or tí)	From 11p.m. to 1 a.m.	Giờ ngọ	From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Giờ sửu	From 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.	Giờ mùi	From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Giờ dần	From 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.	Giờ thân	From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Giờ mão (or mẹo)	From 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.	Giờ dậu	From 5 p.m. to 7 p a.m.
Giờ thìn	From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Giờ tuất	From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Giờ tỵ (or tị)	From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.	Giờ hợi	From 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Vị trí của phụ âm- Positions of Consonants

Consonants: Phụ âm

Consonants in Vietnamese are considered as Syllable.
There are twenty seven consonants in Vietnamese. Consonants are in two position such as initial syllable and Final syllable. Some consonants always standing intially in the words, some always at the end. and the rest can be used in initial or final positions

1. Chỉ đứng ở đầu từ: Begin the words.

- B as in Ba (three or dad)
- D as in Dùng (use) or in Dạy (Teach)
- Đ as in Đi (Go), or in Đường (Sugar)
- H as in Hồ (lake), hài (humorous)
- KH as in Không (zero) or khách (guests)
 Note: K+H=>KH , this syllable is pronouced like C in Car
- L as in Lớp (class)
- PH as in Phà (Ferris)
 Note: P+H=>PH , this syllable is pronouced like P in Picture or Power
- QU as in Quê (hometown)
 Note: Q+U=>QU , this syllable is pronouced like KW in Question
- R as in rung (vibration)
- T as in Tôi (I), tây (western)
- S as in Sữa (milk); Sàn nhà (Floor)
- TH as in Thính (ear)
- TR as in Tre (Bamboo), Trẻ (Young)
- V as in và (and); ví (wallet)
- X as in xe (Car), Xuân (spring)

2. Luôn đứng ở cuối từ: Always at the end of the words.

There is only one consonant that always stands at the end of the word. It's P.
Example:
Kịp ( in time)
Lớp (class)

3. Có thể đứng ở đầu hoặc cuối từ mà không có hạn chế (Can be initial or final without limitation)

- CH: C + H to form a new syllable (CH). this syllable is pronouced like tʃ in Check when it comes intinially in a word
Example:
Chè (tea)
Chọn (Choose)

But when it is a final syllable, we don't pronouce it clearly.
Example:
Cách (Manner)
Ích (useful)

M and N can be initial or final

Initial:
M: Mưa (rain), mạnh (Strong)
N: Này (this), nắng (Sunny)

Final
M: Tìm (Search), Mắm (Sauce fish)
N: Nên (had better), bán (sell)

NH: this sound don't have proper equivalent in English, However, when it comes intially in a word, it somehow can be pronounced like California, companion
Example:
Initial:

Nhà (House)
Nhưng (But)

Final:

Mạnh (Strong)
Tính (Counting)
or it can be initial and final in the same word.
Example:
Nhanh (fast)
Nhánh or nhành (Branch)

4. Có thể đứng ở đầu hoặc cuối nhưng có hạn chế ở nguyên âm: That can be initial or final but in some cases only.

C: Can be initial except before i, e, ê, y
Example:
Cá (Fish)
Cũng (Likewise)
Except: Ci, cê, cy, ce (wrong: Never happens)

C: Can be final but after u, o, ô, ư, a,..
Example:
độc (poisonous), học (Study), đúc (Cast)

GH ininital only before, i, e, ê
Example: Ghi nhớ (note), ghê (disgust), ghe (Boat)

G can be intial when it does not come before i, e, ê
Gỗ: Wood, Gối (Pillow), Gà (Chicken)

GI can be initial when it followed by consonat, Ê or nothing
 Gìn (Keep): Followed by consonant N
 Giếng (Well)
 Gì (what): Nothing after it.

K can be initial when it stands before i, e, ê, y
Example: Kia (over there); Kêu (call); Ký (Sign), Kẻ (draw a line)

Predicative Elements: Vị ngữ

Vietnamese sentences have two main parts such as Subjective (Chủ ngữ) and Predicate Vị ngữ

Predicates usually start from the verbs that include the tense marker.

+ Be : Là
- Anh ấy là sinh viên: He is a student.
> Anh ấy: Subject
> Là sinh viên: Predicate

- Ông David và Ông Johnson là hai sinh viên Mỹ: Mr. David and Mr. Johnson are two American students.
+ Other verbs:
Aspect:
- Tháng sau tôi sẽ hai mươi tuổi: Next month, I'll be twenty years old.
> Tháng sau: Temporal aspect.
> Tôi: Subject
> sẽ hai mươi tuổi: Predicate

- Tôi sẽ đi: I'll will go.
- Chị ấy đã quên: She's forgotten.
 Present tense:
- Tôi hai mươi tuổi: I'm twenty years old.
- Tôi đi: I'm going.
- Chị ấy quên: She forgets.

Negatives in Predicative elements.

- There are some negative words in Vietnamese such as Không (Not),chẳng  or chả (definitely note), chưa (not yet) and chớ (Better not, don't)
Example:
- Cô ấy không có tiền: She has no money or She has not any money.
- Có ai thấy con chó ở đâu không?: Does any one see where the dog is?
Chẳng chè, chẳng chén sao say/ Chẳng thương, chẳng nhớ sao hay đi tìm?
-> No drink, no cup, how be drunk? / don't love, don't recall nostalgically, why so often go looking (fork saying)
- Chớ có uống rượu: You shouldn't drink liquor.
- Chị ấy chưa về: She hasn't returned home yet/

Derivatives in Vietnamese

Derivatives is a way that language can expand its lexicons like English or other languages in the world.
In Vietnamese, Derivatives are called Từ Phái Sinh.

The great majority of derivatives are reduplicative :Từ láy

Rules of reduplicative:

A reduplicative should contain at least two words, the longest reduplicative has four words ; in some case, it's formed by three words (sạch sành sanh: completely clean or empty).

There are two required parts in reduplicative: Repetition (Lặp or Điệp) and changing parts (Đối).

Types of reduplicative:

Tonal affixes: two words have the same base but different tones:
Example: Bứ-bự (Very big)
Đen đẻn: Be rather black

Vocalic affixes: The vowel of the second word is different.
Lếu láo: be ill mannered. ếu differs from áo and the repetition is L's

Rhyme affixes: The second parts of the two words are the same.
Khóc lóc: Cry
Bối rối: be uneasy.

Alliterative affixes: The initial bases are the same;
La lết: be with much pain or difficulty
Rõ rệt: be very clear

Tones in Vietnamese Language

Tones in English are used to express the feelings of speakers or writers; Vietnamese Tones affects the meaning of the word itself.

There are six tones in Vietnamese as follows:

Sắc is high and rising
Symbol: ´
Example: You can see it in Sắc, Đá (stone or kick); Táo (apple)

Ngã: high and rising like Sắc; however, it pauses and last a little bit longer.
Symbol: ˜ : 
Example: You can see it in Ngã, Bão (storm); sữa (Milk), cũng (likewise)

Ngang tone is lax;
Symbol: there is no mark above or below the words
Example: Ba (three); Răng (tooth); Nhanh (fast)

Note: ˇ as in sắc and ˆ as in Một or mập are not tones. they are a part of a vowel letter in Vietnamese such as Ê, Ô, Â, Ă,

Huyền: is also lax, starts quite low and strails downward toward the bottom of the voice range.
Symbol: ˋ 
Example: Thuyền (boat), bà (grandpa); nhà (House)

Hỏi tone is tense; it starts somewhat higher than Huyền and drops rather abruptly.
Symbol: ˀ  
Example: mỏi (tired); tỏi (garlic); giỏi (talented);

Nặng is also tense; it starts somewhat lower than Hỏi.
Symbol: . ; this tone is placed under the vowel letters or under Y that stands alone.
Example: Nặng (Heavy); Mạnh (Strong); quỵ ( as in đột quỵ - Stroke)

Compare the meaning of the word when we change the tones.

Nha: Chinese based word: Means dental
Nhà: Huyền Tone is added: it means a house
Nhá: A exclamation word, like please or reminder
Nhã : as in nhã nhặn (Polite)
Nhạ : (no meaning)
Nhả : (Release)

Tones are used to change the meaning of the word root. Please try to learn and use them regularly.

A is the first Character in Vietnamese Language

The writing system of vietnamese language is the combination of  one of 29 characters as follows:

Capital Forms:
A Ă Â B C D Đ E Ê G H I K L M N O Ô Ơ P Q R S T U Ư V X Y
Normal Forms:
 a ă â b c d đ e ê g h i k l m n o ô ơ p q r s t u ư v x y

The first one is A

A that stands alone can be pronounced like letter "R", "car", "farther" in English. and we can see A in many words like: Xa (Far), Ba (three or  Dad), nhà (house, home)

Example:
Nhà của ba tôi ở khá xa khu trung tâm thành phố.
My father's house is very far away from downtown.

When A is combined with other letters

A + Vowel sounds to form the dipthongs like english or other languages

1. A+I => "ai" such as Hai  (two), Mai (tomorrow); Tai (ear)
This dipthong is pronounces as same as the sound  / ai / as in bike, like, high

Example: Ngày mai, chúng tôi sẽ đi hà nội
Tomorrow, we will go to Hanoi.

2. A+O =>"ao" such as Bao (bag), Nao (nervous); Cao (high)
"AO" is pronounced the same as / aʊ / in the word House, Cloud

Example: Chiếc cầu này cao thật.
This bridge is really high.

3. A+U =>"au" such as Lau (clean), Sau (later, behind), Mau (fast)
"AO" is pronounced the same as / əʊ / in the word Show, Above

Example: Thời gian trôi qua mau thật.
Time goes so fast.

4. A + Y  as in Hay (interesting), May (Lucky), Thay (replace)
AY can be pronounced like / eɪ / as in Grey, Clay, take, etc

Example: Cuốn sách này hay ghê!
This book is very interesting!

A + Consonants

When A comes with consonants, like English, its pronunciation is affected by the consonant that it attached to and also depends on the local accent of the speaker.
For example:

An is pronounced / a:ŋ / as the person from the middle and south of Vietnam. Meanwhile, the people from the North say / a:n /

Try to distinguish An and Anh ; than and thang