Vietnamese Language

Vietnam’s official language is Vietnamese, a tonal language spoken as a mother tongue by 90% the country’s population. Vietnamese is written using a 29 letter alphabetical system. However, the accent of Vietnamese varies from province to province. Besides Vietnamese, around 50 other languages are spoken by ethnic minorities. English is a popular foreign language and is used in most offices, restaurants… in big cities or tourism places. French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese… are also popular and can be found in tourist places.

Vietnamese: Vietnamese belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language group. It is mother tongue to nearly 85% of the country’s population and an additional 3 million Vietnamese living abroad and is the 17th most spoken language in the world (Ethnologue estimate 2005).

The language is most closely related to Khmer but is heavily influenced by Chinese and somewhat influenced by French. It is a mono syllabic language.

Tones: Vietnamese seems complicated to foreigners because it is mono syllabic and has six different tones. Hence, sounds that are slightly different will have totally different meaning. The 6 tones of Vietnamese are:

Level: ba (three/dad)

High rising: bá (to hug)

Low falling: bà (grandmother)

Dipping- rising: bả (poison)

High rising glottalized: bã (trash)

Low glottalized: bạ (random)

Dialects: Vietnamese is spoken differently depending on geographic location. Each region and province has its distinct dialect. Even though grammatical differences are negligible, Vietnamese varies greatly in tone, accents and even vocabulary. For example, “ch” and “tr” sounds are distinct in the South but are merged by Northerners. The Hanoi accent is considered the “standard” Vietnamese.

Writing: Many find it surprising that Vietnamese is written by Latin letters. Vietnamese used to be written based on a complicated Siniform script that was based heavily on Chinese; hence was not popular.

During the 17th century, Roman Catholic missionaries introduced a Latin-based orthography for Vietnamese, Quốc Ngữ (national language) with 29 letters and is now used widely and officially.

Other minority languages:

Vietnam has 53 other ethnic groups besides Viet (making up nearly 10% of the population, many living in mountainous areas), each with their own languages. 24 even have a written form. A few popular languages besides Vietnamese are:

* Chinese: spoken by Ethnic Chinese immigrants who have settled in Vietnam during the last 300 years, living mainly in big cities and provincial towns.
* Muong: spoken by the Muong ethnic group inhabiting the Northern mountainous regions of Vietnam.

It is not necessary to know these languages when visiting places with ethnic minorities, as Vietnamese is a common language used between groups.

Languages you speak:

English is the most popular foreign language in Vietnam and is taught is school. Many people speak English and information in English can be found easily in big cities such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh; and growing tourist places such as Da Nang or Nha Trang. Guides in English are usually offered.

French and Russian are fairly popular, especially in Northern Vietnam.

Japanese, Korean and Chinese are also growing in popularity. Tours in these languages are also possible depending on location and agency.

Some important one-for-one phrases for your reference.!

Content by Phan Dieu Linh and Nguyen Vu Hanh Dung

Vietnam Weather - Climate

Vietnam’s weather varies from the sub-tropics in the North to the tropics in the South. The humidity is high, with average ranging around 84% a year. Moderated by two monsoons, the average temperature (from 22 to 27) is lower than other countries also in the equatorial regions. The weather varies greatly from North to South, depending on elevation and type of landscape.

Northern weather

Northern Vietnam (from Hue up North) has four seasons with a cold winter and hot summer. The temperature ranges from 5-6C in winter to up to 35C in summer. The further North it is, the colder it gets. In mountainous regions in the far North (such as Sapa) the temperature some times drops below zero. Rainy months are August, October, November. February and March have persistent, light, drizzling rain.

Central Vietnam

Temperatures are high all year round. The temperature tends to be warmer and more humid than the South in the middle of the year and cooler during the dry season from November to April. Flooding may occur from October to December.

Southern Vietnam

Has a distinct dry season (from November to April) and wet season (from May to October). Average temperature ranges from 25-30C. During wet months, heavy and short downpours may occur in mid-afternoons.

Weather by month January

Vietnam weather by month: Categorizing Vietnam weathe by month with information on what to expect for each month in Vietnam.

Content by Phan Dieu Linh and Nguyen Vu Hanh Dung

Do's and Don'ts in Vietnam

Vietnam is a friendly and safe place to travel. With a sprinkling of common sense, your trip should be smooth and trouble free. Tourists usually complain about over-aggressive street vendors, tour operators with a bad attitude and dangerous driving. However, with a cool head and sensible planning, one can avoid these problems.
DO’S

Greetings are no different to western countries, there are no cultural formalities that as a foreginer you would be expected to know or practise.
Vietnamese dress conservatively. Despite the heat, it’s best not to show off too much skin. If you do, especially girls, you’ll only draw stares from the locals.
Dress well when visiting pagodas. No shorts or tatty beer t-shirts. Shoes are fine, and rarely will you have to remove them. If unsure, just follow what the locals do.
Drink plenty of bottled water, especially when walking around sightseeing. No need to carry huge bottles around with you, a vendor is never far away and no doubt they will find you before you find them.
Keep your cash, credit cards, airline tickets and other valuables in a safe place.
Travel with recommend tour agencies. Even if you plan to buy tickets when in country, research your journey a little first on the Internet. A good resource is Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree Forum, where fellow tourists discuss travel in Vietnam. This way you avoid unreliable tour agencies and badly run hotels.
DON’TS

Wear a lot of jewellery or take a bag with you. Violent crime is highly unusual in Vietnam, but petty crime is more apparant. If you have a bag, or tout a digital camera around your neck, you are a potential target.
When taking a ride by motorbike taxi (xe om) make sure your bag, if any, is not on display or easy to grab. Bag snatches, although still rare, are probably the most likely crime a tourist would encounter, and it raises the probability immensely if you are tailing a camera or a laptop in the wind.
Don’t wear singlets, shorts, skirts or dresses, or revealing clothes to temples or pagodas.
Physical displays of affection between lovers in public are frowned upon. That’s why you may come across couples holding hands but not hugging or kissing.
Losing your temper in Vietnam means a loss of face. Keep a cool head and remain polite, you’ll have a greater chance of getting what you want.
Remember, this is Vietnam, a devloping country, and things don’t quite work as you are maybe used to. Don’t be paranoid about your safety, just be aware of your surroundings.

By Jon Hoff

Use Information about Vietnam - 2

5. CUSTOMS REGULATIONS

All visitors are required to fill out customs declaration forms upon their arrivals. A copy of the customs declaration form should be kept and handed over to the customs officers on their departures.

On arrivals, visitors are allowed to bring in the following duty-free items:
• Cigarettes: 400
• Cigars: 50-100
• Tobacco: 100g
• Liquor: 1.5 l.
• Small gift items valued at not more than US$ 300.
Note:
There is no limit to the amounts of cash, precious metals and gems that visitors may bring in, but amounts of over US$ 3,000 must be declared.
The following items are prohibited:
• Weapons, explosives and inflammable objects.
• Opium and other narcotics.
• Cultural materials unsuitable to Vietnamese society.
• Infected animals, plants or foodstuffs.
Upon departures, please note that goods of commercial nature and articles of high value require export permits issued by the customs authorities. Antiques, some precious stones and animals listed in Vietnam’s red-book may not be brought out of the country.

6. LANGUAGE

Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam. In major cities and tourist destinations, a large number of local people can converse in English. Most travel agencies can also provide experienced tour guides fluent in English, French, Russian, German, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), etc.

7. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

January 1, 2009 New Year’s Day (One day holiday)
January 26, 2009 Lunar New Year (Four-day holiday)
April 30, 2009 Saigon Liberation Day (One day holiday)
May 1, 2009 International Labor Day (One day holiday)
September 2, 2009 National Day (One day holiday)


8. OTHER USEFUL TIPS

Vietnam time: GMT + 7
Office hours:
All government offices are open from Monday to Friday from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (with one-hour lunch break) and closed on Saturday and Sunday.
In local areas, offices are open from 7:00 am to 11:00 a.m. and from 1:00p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Banks are open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30p.m and closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays.
Private shops are open from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.
ciated

Electrical current: 220 volts A.C.
Airport tax:
Airport tax is applied to every passenger on every departure
International flights:
• US$ 14.00/person (Noi Bai Airport, Hanoi)
• US$ 12.00/person (Tan Son Nhat Airport, Ho Chi Minh City)
• US$ 8.00/person (Da Nang Airport, Da Nang)

• No tax for children under two.
Domestic flights: included in airfares.

Important telephone numbers:
Police : 113
Fire brigade : 114
Ambulance : 115
International operator: 110

Gratuity is not a must and highly appreciated

Use Information about Vietnam

1. VISA

Most visitors are required to obtain valid visas to enter Vietnam. Entry visas can be obtained at Embassy or Consulate of Vietnam in many countries.

The requirements to obtain visas at Embassy or Consulate of Vietnam will include:
• Original passport
• 02 passport-size photos
• Visa fee
• Application forms (Please contact any Embassy or Consulate of Vietnam most convenient to you)
You are required to send the above documentations and payment for visa stamp fee to the Embassy or Consulate of Vietnam which is most convenient to you. You will be replied by post, therefore, make sure you provide stamped envelops with your name and correct mailing address.

Visas may also be obtained upon arrival for those who are invitees of competent Vietnamese companies or for tourists traveling on package tours organized by Vietnamese tour operators.

It is easier to obtain visas by using visa arrangement services provided by Vietnamese travel agencies. The necessary information to be provided to the travel agencies include:
• Full name
• Date and place of birth
• Nationality
• Profession
• Passport number, place of issue, date of issue and expiry date
• Entry and exit dates
• Country you plan to receive your entry visa from the Vietnamese embassies or consulates
For overseas Vietnamese overseas, the following information is required:
• Year and reason to leave Vietnam
• Leave Vietnam by means
• Full names and addresses of relatives in Vietnam
Visa Extension: this service is available at all travel agencies.
Visa Exemption: Visas are exempted for the citizens of the countries, which have signed a bilateral visa exemption agreement with Vietnam, including Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Laos. Vietnam also made a unilateral decision on visa exemption for citizens of Japan and Korea.

2. AIR ACCESS

Apart from Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines, there are a number of international ones having access to Vietnam All Nippon Airways, Air France, Aeroflot, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Czech Airlines, Eva Air, Emirates Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Airlines, Lao Aviation, Lauda Air, Lufthansa German Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Cambodian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airways, Siem Reap Air, Swiss Air and Thai Airways International, United Airlines, etc.

3. CLIMATE

Vietnam is located in both the tropical and temperate zone. The annual average temperature is between 22oC and 27oC. The average rainfall is from 1,500 to 2,000 mm and the humidity ranges around 80% In general, there are big difference in climate between the South and the North of Vietnam. While there are only 02 seasons (rainy and sunny) in the South, the North of Vietnam is strongly influenced by the temperate zone climate with 04 distinct seasons.

4. CURRENCY

The Vietnamese unit of currency is DONG. There are both notes and coins currently in use. Notes are in denominations of 500,000; 200,000; 100,000; 50,000; 20,000; 10,000; 5,000; 1,000; 500 and 200 dong. Coins consist of 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500 and 200 .

US dollars and major credit cards are widely accepted even at local shops. It is recommended that all foreign currencies should be exchanged at hotel cashiers, banks or other government’s authorized agents.