QCAA Vietnamese (SEE) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Tone: ngã

The ngã tone is a rising tone with a glottal stop in the middle, marked with a tilde (~). It contrasts with the hỏi tone, which falls then rises.

Classifier: con

The classifier 'con' is used before nouns for animals and some objects (e.g., con mèo, con dao). It indicates a living creature or a tool with a handle.

Negation: không

'Không' means 'not' and is placed before the verb or adjective to negate a statement. It can also form yes/no questions when placed at the end of a sentence.

Question particle: à

The particle 'à' is added at the end of a statement to turn it into a yes/no question, often expressing mild surprise or seeking confirmation.

Time word: hôm qua

'Hôm qua' means 'yesterday'. It can appear at the beginning or end of a sentence. Other time words: hôm nay (today), ngày mai (tomorrow).

Number: hai mươi mốt

'Hai mươi mốt' means 'twenty-one'. Note the irregular use of 'mốt' instead of 'một' for the digit 1 in numbers ending in 1 after 20.

Discourse marker: đầu tiên

'Đầu tiên' means 'first' or 'firstly'. It is used to introduce the first point in a sequence, often in presentations or narratives.

Pronoun: tôi

'Tôi' is the neutral first-person singular pronoun, meaning 'I'. It is used in formal contexts or with strangers, and is less intimate than 'mình' or 'tớ'.

Alphabet: chữ Quốc ngữ

Chữ Quốc ngữ is the modern Vietnamese writing system, using Latin letters with diacritics to represent tones and vowels. It was developed by missionaries in the 17th century.

Adjective placement

In Vietnamese, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify: 'nhà đẹp' (beautiful house). This contrasts with English, where adjectives precede the noun.

Possession: của

'Của' indicates possession and follows the noun: 'sách của tôi' (my book). In informal speech, 'của' is sometimes omitted.

Aspect marker: đã

'Đã' is placed before a verb to indicate past tense or completed action. It contrasts with 'đang' (progressive) and 'sẽ' (future).

Plural markers: những, các

'Những' and 'các' are plural markers placed before nouns. 'Các' is definite (all the), while 'những' is indefinite (some).

Comparative: hơn

'Hơn' means 'more' and is used to form comparatives: 'đẹp hơn' (more beautiful). The superlative is formed with 'nhất' (most).

Passive: bị / được

Passive voice is formed with 'bị' (negative) or 'được' (positive) plus a verb: 'bị phạt' (be fined), 'được khen' (be praised).

Conjunction: nhưng

'Nhưng' means 'but' and is used to contrast two clauses. It is similar to 'but' in English and often appears at the beginning of a clause.

Formal letter opening

A formal letter in Vietnamese typically begins with 'Kính gửi' (Dear) followed by the recipient's title and name, and ends with 'Trân trọng' (Sincerely).

Paragraph structure

A well-structured paragraph includes a topic sentence (câu chủ đề), supporting sentences (câu triển khai), and a concluding sentence (câu kết).

Sequencers: trước hết, tiếp theo

'Trước hết' means 'firstly' and 'tiếp theo' means 'next'. These sequencers help organise ideas in writing and speaking.

Opinion phrase: theo tôi

'Theo tôi' means 'in my opinion'. It is used to introduce a personal viewpoint in discussions or essays.

Punctuation: dấu phẩy

'Dấu phẩy' is the comma in Vietnamese. Other common punctuation marks include dấu chấm (period), dấu hai chấm (colon), and dấu chấm hỏi (question mark).

Word count for essays

For a short essay in Vietnamese exams, aim for 120–150 words. For a letter, 80–100 words is typical. Always plan before writing.

Avoid starting with và

In formal Vietnamese writing, avoid starting sentences with 'và' (and) or 'nhưng' (but). Use them sparingly in informal writing.

Informal letter closing

An informal letter may end with 'Thân' (Best) or simply a signature. Formal letters require 'Trân trọng' (Sincerely).

Tone practice: ma, má, mà

These words differ only by tone: ma (ghost), má (mother), mà (but). Practising tone contrasts is essential for clear pronunciation.

Final stop consonants

Final consonants -c, -ch, -t, -p are stop sounds, often unreleased in southern speech. They are shorter and less aspirated than in English.

Pronoun: em

'Em' is a first-person pronoun used by a younger person to an older one, or a second-person pronoun for a younger person. It shows respect and familiarity.

Fillers: ờ, à, ừm

These are common fillers in spoken Vietnamese, similar to 'um' or 'uh' in English. They should be avoided in formal presentations.

Presentation signpost: tôi xin trình bày

'Tôi xin trình bày' means 'I would like to present'. It is a formal phrase used to introduce a presentation topic.

Pronunciation: tr vs ch

'Tr' is a retroflex sound (tongue curled back), while 'ch' is palatal (tongue flat). They are distinct phonemes in Vietnamese.

Backchannel: vâng

'Vâng' means 'yes' and is used as a polite backchannel to show you are listening, especially to someone older or in a formal context.

Stress in Vietnamese

Vietnamese is a tonal language, not a stress-timed language. Lexical stress is not distinctive; instead, correct tone production and rhythm are crucial for intelligibility.