Tieng Viet lovers club

[jackbl]

PRONOUNS
===========

Vietnamese pronouns are more accurately forms of address. Its concept is different from that in European languages, so its forms of address do not neatly fall into the grammatical person classifications created by European grammarians. For example, the same word can be used as a first-, second-, or third-person pronoun, depending on the speaker and the audience. The sentence:

Ông đi về nhà.
Grandfather go return home.

can be translated as:

~ I (your grandfather) go home.
~ You (old man/my grandfather) go home.
~ He (the old man) goes home.

The most common forms of address are kinship terms, which might differ slightly in different regions. Most of them derived from Chinese loanwords, but have acquired the additional grammatical function of being pronouns over the years.

When addressing an audience, the speaker must carefully assess the social relationship between him/her and the audience, difference in age, and sex of the audience to choose an appropriate form of address. The following are some kinship terms of address that can be used in the second-person sense (you). They all can also be used in the first-person sense (I), but if they're not marked by (S) the usage is limited to the literal meaning:

~ Ông: grandfather, used as a term of respect for a man senior to the speaker and who is late middle age or older
~ Bà: grandmother, used as a term of respect for a (usually married) woman senior to the speaker and who is late middle age or older
~ Cô: father's sister, used to address a younger woman or a woman as old as one's father.
~ Chú: father's younger brother, used to address a younger man or a man slightly younger than one's father.
~ Bác: father's older brother, used to address a man slightly older than one's father.
~ Anh: older brother, for a slightly older man, or for the man in a romantic relationship. (S)
~ Chị: older sister, for a slightly older woman. (S)
~ Em: younger sibling, for a slightly younger person, or for the woman in a romantic relationship. (S)

Other pronouns in use for the most part conform to the European idea of grammatical person. Some are even gender-neutral and relationship-neutral:

~ Tôi: I, (literally servant)
~ Hắn: pejorative he
~ Ông ta/Ông ấy: he (see above)
~ Bà ta/Bà ấy: she (see above)
~ Cô ta/Cô ấy: she (see above)
~ Anh ta/Anh ấy: he (see above)
~ Họ: they
~ Nó: it (also he or she, when referring to a subordinate; perhaps also pejorative)
~ Chúng ta: we (including audience)
~ Chúng tôi: formal I, we (excluding audience)
~ Chúng nó: they (pejorative)
~ Bả: colloquial, she
~ Mày: you singular (to subordinates, or extremely informal)
~ Quý vị: you (formal)
~ Bạn: friend, you

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[jackbl]

REDUPLICATION
=============

Reduplication (từ láy) is found abundantly in Vietnamese. They are formed by repeating a part of a word to form new words, altering the meaning of the original word. Its effect is to sometimes either increase or decrease the intensity of the adjective, and is often used as a literary device (like alliteration) in poetry and other compositions, as well as in everyday speech.

Examples of reduplication increasing intensity:

~ đau → đau điếng: hurt → hurt like hell
~ mạnh → mạnh mẽ: strong → very strong
~ rực → rực rỡ: flaring → blazing

Examples of reduplication decreasing intensity:

~ nhẹ → nhè nhẹ: soft → soft (less)
~ xinh → xinh xinh: pretty → cute
~ đỏ → đo đỏ: red → somewhat red
~ xanh → xanh xanh: blue/green → somewhat blue/green

Reduplication of this type, indicating diminished intensity, is also present in Mandarin Chinese.

A type of assimilation known as tonal harmony is involved in Vietnamese reduplication.

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[jackbl]

VOWELS
========

a
like 'a' in "father": ba
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ă
like 'a' in "father", except said very quickly: chăn
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â
like 'u' in "hut", except shorter: sân
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e
like 'eah' in "yeah": che
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ê
like the Canadian English "eh": cà phê
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i
like 'ee' in "see" or "deed": pin
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o
like "awwwww...", but not quite as long: lý do
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ô
like the first component of the diphthong 'ow' in "low": á-lô
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ơ
like â, except longer: bơ
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u
like 'oo' in "hoop": Na Uy
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ư
like 'oo' in "book", with a hint of the 'i' in "lick": thư
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[jackbl]

Consonants
==============

b
like 'b' in "bed"
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c
like 'c' in "cat", with a hint of the 'g' in "gone"
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d
in the South (Saigon), like 'y' in "yes"; in the North (Hanoi), like 'z' in "zip"
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đ
like 'd' in "dog"
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g
like 'g' in "go"
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h
like 'h' in "help"
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k
like 'c' in "cat", with a hint of the 'g' in "gone"
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l
like 'l' in "love" -Used only at the beginning of a syllable
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m
like 'm' in "mother"
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n
like 'n' in "nice"
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p
like 'p' in "pig" - Used only at the end of a syllable
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r
like 'r' in "row", or like 'tt' in "butter" (when said quickly in the American accent)
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s
like 'ss' in "hiss"
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t
like 't' in "time"
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v
like 'v' in "victory"
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x
like 's' in "kicks"
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y
like 'y' in "yes"
=====================

[jackbl]

Diphthongs
=========

ch
at the beginning of a syllable, like 'ch' in "touch"; at the end, like 'ck' in "sick" (but it is never enunciated)
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gh
like 'g' in "go"
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kh
like 'c' in "cat"
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ng, ngh
like 'ng' in "sing-along"
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ph
like 'ph' in "phone"
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th
like 't' in "time" - Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
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tr
like 'ch' in "chat" - Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
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gi
in the South (Saigon), like 'y' in "yes"; in the North (Hanoi), like 'z' in "zip"
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qu
like 'qu' in "quest"
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uy
like 'w' in "win"

[jackbl]

TONES
=====


In Vietnamese, syllables can have six different tones, with five of them indicated by tone marks applied to the syllable's main vowel. Tone marks can be combined with the other diacritics.
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a
flat
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á
high rising; example: đấy, like saying "day?"
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à
low
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ã
creaky
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ả
falling, then rising
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ạ
a low "a'ah"

[KangTuo]

Originally Posted by jackbl

Examples of reduplication increasing intensity:

~ đau → đau điếng: hurt → hurt like hell
~ mạnh → mạnh mẽ: strong → very strong
~ rực → rực rỡ: flaring → blazing

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I like these words... can use this in vn pub.

gal: a muon di khach san kg?
me: cu cua a manh me, a se lam cho chim e dau dieng, e chiu kg?

[jackbl]

Bro, i think u use this better:

me: cu cua a manh me, a se lam cho chim e sướng quá, e chiu kg?

sướng quá=very happy, elated

Originally Posted by KangTuo

I like these words... can use this in vn pub.

gal: a muon di khach san kg?
me: cu cua a manh me, a se lam cho chim e dau dieng, e chiu kg?

[jackbl]

After pub, where you go nowadays? Previously heard u bring the gal to the beach...

Originally Posted by KangTuo

I like these words... can use this in vn pub.

gal: a muon di khach san kg?
me: cu cua a manh me, a se lam cho chim e dau dieng, e chiu kg?

[KangTuo]

Originally Posted by jackbl

After pub, where you go nowadays? Previously heard u bring the gal to the beach...

Recently never go drink in pub. But somtimes I will fetch the gal to the beach after she finish work.

You still go majesty recently? take care my gal ok?

[jackbl]

Yes, i still go HER MAJESTY. Last thursday I go at 10pm, there are not many customers... The gals seems like "line-up" a parade for you to choose. At least got 20 gals... If chin chai, sure can find 1 gal.

Can should I "take care" of her? Intro her customers or ask me to sit with her?

Originally Posted by KangTuo

Recently never go drink in pub. But somtimes I will fetch the gal to the beach after she finish work.

You still go majesty recently? take care my gal ok?

[RJ2004]

Originally Posted by jackbl

Yes, i still go HER MAJESTY. Last thursday I go at 10pm, there are not many customers... The gals seems like "line-up" a parade for you to choose. At least got 20 gals... If chin chai, sure can find 1 gal.

Can should I "take care" of her? Intro her customers or ask me to sit with her?

wah i havent been to her majesty before leh, who wanna bring me?

[Spud_Boy]

Originally Posted by RJ2004

wah i havent been to her majesty before leh, who wanna bring me?

Her Majesty's room kinda small leh.. as compared to Afterdark, which i think is by the same boss..

[u3ishingu]

Bros nid help on this msg:

Bx cung giong nhau nho ox. bx di lam kg dc buon qua.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks and cheers.

[KangTuo]

Originally Posted by u3ishingu

Bros nid help on this msg:

Bx cung giong nhau nho ox. bx di lam kg dc buon qua.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks and cheers.

Direct translation:
Wife also same same missing husband. I go work cannot. very sad.

Meaning:
I also miss you. I work but unable to earn money. I am very sad/boring.