Commonly Used Sino-Vietnamese Words // 10 You Should Know
10 Sino-Vietnamese Words // Vietnamese Learners Should Know These
Today’s topic has a tight harmony amongst Vietnamese culture and language. We discuss the most popular and commonly used Sino-Vietnamese Words used in daily Vietnamese.
But first things first…
What is Sino Vietnamese?
Let’s get a Wikipedia definition for complete clarity first and foremost.
“Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary, the portion of the Vietnamese vocabulary of Chinese origin or using of morphemes of Chinese origin.”
Source here
Additionally – “Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary is a layer of some 3,000 monosyllabic morphemes of the Vietnamese language borrowed from Literary Chinese”
There is no denying that a language cannot be created and developed by itself.
Influence from other cultures is shared and plays a big role in language as we know it today.
With that said, a large part of Vietnamese is loaned or originally derived from another language such as Chinese, English, French.
DID YOU KNOW – Sino-Vietnamese makes up for the majority in the Vietnamese language system.
Before we start with the most useful Sino-Vietnamese words, we also wanted to share some other topics of interest.
- Top 10 Commonly Used Vietnamese Homonyms
- Vietnamese Slang – 8 words you will like
- 5 Untranslatable Vietnamese Words
Sino-Vietnamese #1: Nha
Sino-Vietnamese #2: Mộc
Sino-Vietnamese #3: Liên
Sino-Vietnamese #4: Bất
Sino-Vietnamese #5: Dũng
Sino-Vietnamese #6: Gia
Sino-Vietnamese #7: Kim
Sino-Vietnamese #8: Nông
Sino-Vietnamese #9: Trực
Sino-Vietnamese #10: Ca
Sino-Vietnamese: FAQ’s
Sino-Vietnamese Words #1: Nha
Driving along streets in Vietnam, you may find you spot this word on numerous occasions as it appears on most of the dental clinic signs.
Take a look when coasting the streets of Vietnam next time and see if you can spot it.
| Sino-Vietnamese | Vietnamese translation | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Nha | Răng | Teeth |
The combination between nha and khoa, sĩ or chu indicates a teeth-related meaning.
Nha khoa
A dental clinic
and also…
Nha sĩ
Dentist
Sino-Vietnamese Words #2: Mộc
In recent years, Vietnamese buyers tend to spend more on natural products, therefore, you can easily find the word mộc in drinks, cosmetics, or personal care products.
Mộc refers to herbal or plant extracted products.
Moreover, the word mộc also means wood.
- Thợ mộc | Carpenter
- Thuyền độc mộc | Wooden Canoe
31 Examples of Vietlish // A Simple Equation
Vietlish = Vietnamese + English. You might be intimidated by learning Vietnamese but there’s no need with these 33 loanwords in Vietnamese.
Sino-Vietnamese Words #3: Liên
Liên is a Sino-Vietnamese word indicating something related to a lotus, a Vietnamese national flower symbolising purity, commitment, and optimism for the future.
Liên can also refer to a league, federation, or cooperation
Liên đoàn bóng đá = Football Federation
and…
Liên hợp quốc = The United Nations
Sino-Vietnamese Words #4: Bất
Bất expresses the impossibility of doing something.
- Nhiệm vụ bất khả thi | Mission impossible
- Những quy tắc bất di bất dịch | Immutable rules
- Những trường hợp bất khả kháng | Force majeure situations
- Bất lực | Helpless
Nhiệm vụ bất khả thi often plays the crucial role in inspiring film-makers or authors.
Sino-Vietnamese Words #5: Dũng
FUN FACT TIME – many Vietnamese males are named “Dũng”, with the name representing for bravery or strength.
Dũng is one of the favoured names for men.
You can see why with some of these Sino-Vietnamese words containing Dũng.
Dũng sĩ
hero
or…
Dũng cảm
Brave
and…
Dũng mãnh
brave and strong
One of the star Vietnamese footballers who plays as a goalkeeper for Hồ Chí Minh City is named Bùi Tiến Dũng.
Sino-Vietnamese Words #6: Gia
You may find many Vietnamese daily conversations include the word gia, referring to a house, home, or family.
For daily spoken language, if any phrase includes gia, it indicates things or people related to a house, a family or even a nation.
- Gia đình \ Family
- Đồ gia dụng \ Houseware, equipment, tools, and machines used in a house
- Quốc gia | A country
In Mandarin Chinese, home or family is jiā 家 – almost exactly the same!
Sino-Vietnamese Words #7: Kim
In Vietnamese, gold or things/people related to gold is equivalent to kim.
Kim can be understood with a broader meaning as the general metal such as silver, or iron.
| Sino-Vietnamese | Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kim | Vàng Kim loại | Gold or Golden Metal |
- Tiệm kim hoàn | A jewellery store
- Thợ kim hoàn | A jeweller
- Thiên kim tiểu thư | A girl who comes from a wealthy family and owns a huge amount of assets
Sino-Vietnamese Words #8: Nông
Here’s a Sino-Vietnamese word you can find in both written and spoken Vietnamese.
The word we are referring to is nông, and expresses something related to agriculture and/or farming.
- Nông nghiệp | Agriculture
- Nông dân | Farmers
- Nông sản | Agricultural products
- Nông trường/nông trại | Farms
In Chinese, agriculture or farming is nóng yè 农业 – spotted the similarity yet?
Sino-Vietnamese Words #9: Trực
Trực is used to talk about a person’s characteristics describing an honest person, not likely to hide their opinions
- Chính trực for example means integrity
You might find the phrase “trực tiếp” when watching TV in Vietnam.
This phrase indicates that you are watching a TV show live.
Learn Vietnamese on TV // Watch Nhập Gia Tùy Tục
Nhập gia tùy tục (or When in Rome, do as the Romans do) is a new TV show brought to you by Vietnam television, broadcasted every Friday at 8.30 pm on VTV3.
Sino-Vietnamese Words #10: Ca
Ca be used to refer to music, a song, or a singer.
- Ca sĩ | A singer
- Ca nhạc | Music
- Ca khúc | Songs
Listening to Vietnamese songs is a great way for learning Vietnamese.
Find a song you like and study those lyrics until you know it off by heart!
On that note…
There we have it, the top 10 popular Sino-Vietnamese words which will supplement your bank of Vietnamese vocabulary.
Did this article help you, or did we miss some important Sino-Vietnamese words out? Let us know in the comments down below!
Sino-Vietnamese Words – FAQ’s
What is a Sino-Vietnamese word?
Sino–Vietnamese vocabulary is a portion of the Vietnamese vocabulary of Chinese origin or using of morphemes of Chinese origin.
People of Chinese origin in Vietnam are known as Hoa people or “Overseas Chinese”
What does “nha” mean in Vietnamese?
Nha indicates something related to teeth.
For example Nha sĩ means a dentist in Vietnamese.
How many meanings does “gia” have?
Quite a few!
Gia indicates things or people related to a house, a family or even a nation.
Here are two examples:
Gia đình = family
Quốc gia = country
What does “kim” mean in Vietnamese?
In Vietnamese, gold or things/people related to gold is equivalent to kim.
Here are some examples
Tiệm kim hoàn | A jewellery store
Thợ kim hoàn | A jeweller
Thiên kim tiểu thư | A girl who comes from a wealthy family and owns a huge amount of assets
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