Dive into this electrifying guide to mastering a language that’s as vibrant as Hanoi’s bustling streets and as tantalizing as a bowl of pho. From cracking the code of its musical tones to chatting like a local in record time, we’ve got the insider tricks to hook you in—keep scrolling to find out how!
Table of Contents
Why Learning Vietnamese is Your Next Fascinating Adventure
Learning Vietnamese is like stepping into a world filled with rich history, vibrant culture, and mouthwatering cuisine. Spoken by over 85 million people, primarily in Vietnam, it’s one of Southeast Asia’s most intriguing languages. Vietnamese offers a fun challenge with its tonal system and unique alphabet, making it a rewarding linguistic journey for anyone eager to expand their horizons.
Vietnamese is also the key to understanding the traditions, poetry, and resilience of the Vietnamese people. Whether you’re captivated by the bustling streets of Hanoi, enchanted by the serene countryside of the Mekong Delta, or simply intrigued by the culture, learning the language will open doors to unforgettable experiences.
6 Fascinating Facts About Vietnamese
1. A Tonal Language with Six Tones
Vietnamese uses six tones, meaning the pitch or inflection of your voice can change a word’s meaning. For instance, “ma” can mean “ghost,” “mother,” or “rice seedling,” depending on the tone. Mastering tones is challenging, but it’s also what makes Vietnamese so melodic and captivating.
2. Latin-Based Alphabet
Unlike most Asian languages, Vietnamese uses a Latin-based script called Quốc Ngữ. Introduced by French missionaries, this system makes it easier for English speakers to learn compared to logographic scripts like Chinese or Thai.
3. Influenced by Multiple Cultures
Vietnamese reflects a fascinating mix of influences. From Chinese loanwords and shared concepts to French colonial contributions like “cà phê” (coffee) and “bánh mì” (bread), learning Vietnamese offers a unique glimpse into cultural intersections.
4. Three Major Dialects
Vietnamese has three main dialects: Northern (Hanoi), Central (Hue), and Southern (Ho Chi Minh City). While they share the same writing system, pronunciation and vocabulary differ, giving the language a rich regional diversity.
5. Rich in Idioms and Expressions
Vietnamese idioms beautifully reflect the country’s values and way of life. For example, “Nước chảy đá mòn” (“Water wears away stone”) symbolizes patience and perseverance.
6. Gateway to Vietnamese Culture
Learning Vietnamese connects you to a culture renowned for its hospitality, family values, and unique traditions. Even simple phrases like “Cảm ơn” (Thank you) or “Xin chào” (Hello) can help you build meaningful connections.
How To Learn Vietnamese
The Vietnamese Alphabet
The Vietnamese alphabet, called Quốc Ngữ, is a Latin-based script with 29 letters. It includes familiar letters and unique diacritical marks that modify pronunciation. Here’s a closer look:
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
Unique Features:
- Special Characters: Ă, Â, Ê, Ô, Ơ, Ư add distinct sounds not found in English.
- Đ (Đây): A unique letter pronounced like a hard “D” in English.
- Tonal Marks: Vietnamese has five tonal diacritics (à, á, ả, ã, ạ) that appear above or below vowels. These marks are crucial as they indicate meaning changes.
- No F, J, W, or Z: These letters are not part of the native Vietnamese alphabet.
The Quốc Ngữ system makes Vietnamese more accessible to learners compared to non-Latin scripts, though mastering tones and diacritics takes practice.
Basic Vietnamese Phrases for Beginners
Here are some essential Vietnamese phrases to get you started:
- Xin chào – Hello
- Cảm ơn – Thank you
- Xin lỗi – Sorry / Excuse me
- Vâng / Dạ – Yes (formal)
- Không – No
- Tên bạn là gì? – What is your name?
- Tôi tên là… – My name is…
- Bạn có thể nói chậm không? – Can you speak slowly?
- Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? – Where is the bathroom?
Numbers in Vietnamese
Vietnamese numbers are logical and easy to learn, it follows a simple pattern once you know the basics.
| Number | Vietnamese | Pronunciation (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | không | “khong” (like “kong” with a softer ‘kh’) |
| 1 | một | “moht” (short and sharp) |
| 2 | hai | “hi” (like English “hi”) |
| 3 | ba | “bah” |
| 4 | bốn | “bohn” (northern) / “bốn” (southern) |
| 5 | năm | “nahm” |
| 6 | sáu | “sow” (rhymes with “how”) |
| 7 | bảy | “bye” (northern) / “bẩy” (southern) |
| 8 | tám | “taam” (like “tom” but longer) |
| 9 | chín | “cheen” |
| 10 | mười | “muh-yee” |
Notes:
- Pattern: Numbers 11-19 are formed by pairing mười (ten) with the unit number, example for 11= ten + one, mười một. While past 20, it switches to “tens + unit” format—like “ba mươi hai” (32), meaning “three tens two.” (Instead of mười năm, people say mười lăm for 15.)
- In southern Vietnam, they often say ba chục (30) instead of ba mươi, and bốn chục (40) instead of bốn mươi.
- Ngàn is more commonly used in the south to signify “thousand”, while nghìn is used in the north.
- In Vietnamese culture, the numbers 8 and 9 are considered lucky. The number 18 is considered auspicious because 1 and 8 add up to 9. While the number 4 is considered unlucky because it is pronounced similarly to the word for “death”.
Days of the Week in Vietnamese
Vietnamese days of the week are based on a simple numbering system derived from Chinese influence, rather than unique ones like in many Western languages. Here’s the list:
| English | Vietnamese | Pronunciation (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Thứ hai | Tuh hi |
| Tuesday | Thứ ba | Tuh bah |
| Wednesday | Thứ tư | Tuh tuh |
| Thursday | Thứ năm | Tuh nahm |
| Friday | Thứ sáu | Tuh sow (rhymes with “how”) |
| Saturday | Thứ bảy | Tuh bye |
| Sunday | Chủ nhật | Choo nyut (northern) / Choo nhat (southern) |
Note:
- Vietnamese days (except Sunday) are numbered.
- Thứ hai (Monday) → “Second Day”
- Thứ ba (Tuesday) → “Third Day”
- Thứ tư (Wednesday) → “Fourth Day”
- Chủ nhật literally means “main day” or “Lord’s day”, influenced by Christianity.
- Days of the week are not capitalized in Vietnamese unless at the beginning of a sentence.
Vietnamese Language Learning Resources
Learn Vietnamese Apps
Lingodeer
Lingodeer may not be as well known as other language learning apps, but it’s actually better and cheaper than most of them. You’ll practice the language by completing lots of different types of exercises. They also include plenty of grammar explanations and opportunities to review what you’ve studied. All in all, it’s one of the better options for getting started learning a language.
See our Super-Detailed Lingodeer Review
Ling
Ling is a gamified language-learning app with courses on over 60 different languages. Practice happens through short themed lessons, making for convenient and entertaining study time. It isn’t the most comprehensive resource out there, especially for more popular languages, but it can make a decent way to get started with a less common language.
See our Super-Detailed Ling Review
Drops App
Drops is a phone app for iPhone and Android that covers 50 languages. Daily games test the user on thousands of vocabulary words, and many of these words are ideal for everyday use. Drops has an entertaining, user-friendly interface, but it also lacks grammar lessons, and it works better for some languages than others. For anyone looking to supplement their vocab lessons, this app is worth considering; however, the free version might be more worthwhile than the paid version.
See our Super-Detailed Drops App Review
Clozemaster
Ideal for people who are already at an upper beginner/intermediate level, Clozemaster will help you build your vocabulary and learn new words and sentences in context. While you won’t learn much grammar or improve your speaking and writing much, it is great at what it does and the videogame aspect makes it fun and addictive to work though. Although the exercises are all pretty much identical, there are various ways in which you can increase the difficulty and Clozemaster’s free account is almost as good as the Pro User one.
See our Super-Detailed Clozemaster Review
Anki
It is the go-to app for free (except on iOS) Spaced Repetition System (SRS) flashcards. It has a simple user interface with various features that more hard-core users can dive into if they choose. Your flashcards will appear according to your natural forgetting curve; the app will test you in increasingly spaced out intervals, with more difficult cards appearing more than once in a session, while easier cards spacing out over weeks — or even months and years. An SRS system is the most effective way to drive information into your long-term memory. The cards can sync between the web, desktop app, and mobile versions to keep your flashcards updated and with you at all times.
See our Super-Detailed Anki Review
Beelinguapp
Beelinguapp makes it easier to read and listen to interesting content in a number of languages. You’ll find short stories, news, fairy tales, music, and more. Their side-by-side reading functionality highlights the sentence in the language you’re learning, as well as in a language you’re familiar with. The karaoke feature makes it easy to follow the audio with the written text. Some of the content and features are available for free, but there are also premium plans to unlock more.
See our Super-Detailed Beelinguapp Review
Loecsen
Loecsen is a web based platform designed to make learning languages feel natural by offering immersive, bite-sized language courses that anyone can master. There are over 40 languages to learn including Arabic, English, French among others. It started out as an essential conversation guide for short stays abroad, but soon evolved to offer more comprehensive language courses.
Loecsen’s strengths are its nice visual aids to stimulate interest and encourage revision. It also uses clear, high-quality audio recordings and a voice recognition feature to help you practice and improve your pronunciation skills. By combining visual aids with clear audio pronunciation, Loecsen encourages you pick up the language naturally, just as you would through interaction with native speakers.
See our Super-Detailed Loecsen Review
Brainscape
Brainscape is a flashcard app that uses a Spaced Repetition System, also often referred to as ‘adaptive flashcards’, to help you memorize new vocabulary and facts. It has a team of scientists, engineers, and education experts working to optimize their program for effective learning. Brainscape is quite similar to Anki, but has a more modern and colourful interface. They also have Certified Classes, which are decks that seem to have been developed by experts in the chosen topic. The app adds what they call Intelligent Cumulative Exposure (ICE) to some of their Certified Classes; it seems to combine a Spaced Repetition System with gradually introducing new concepts, increasing the difficulty of the concepts, and providing context so you can build your own sentences.
See our Super-Detailed Brainscape Review
uTalk
uTalk is a software program and mobile app offering learning material in over 140 languages. Its approach is based on learning keywords and phrases through gameplay. It covers a wide range of phrases, each spoken by a female and male native speaker, consequently offering listening and pronunciation practice. uTalk is most useful for beginners who want to get started in a language by learning key phrases. It could also be useful for intermediates looking to fill gaps in their vocabulary and pronunciation, but it does not offer any in-depth language instruction or grammar explanations. It’s also worth mentioning that for some languages, such as Basque, the occasional overly literal translation leads to small errors and unnatural phrasing creeping in. However, we haven’t seen instances in which this would result in you being misunderstood, and there’s no denying uTalk’s value for languages with fewer learning resources.
See our Super-Detailed uTalk Review
Simply Learn
In Simply Learn, by Simya Solutions, you can search for and review over 1000 phrases in over 30 categories. It takes the typical phrasebook app one step further by allowing you to add your favorite phrases to SRS flashcards. Given that its developers also developed Ling, an additional, more comprehensive resource that supports language learning, it seems that Simply Learn is a supplementary app for individuals who need to learn basic phrases for traveling abroad. The creators don’t seem to have intended for people to use this app to learn a language in its entirety, but rather to support them in memorizing basic phrases for travel.
See our Super-Detailed Simply Learn Review
More apps to enhance your Vietnamese learning include Nemo Vietnamese, which offers native-speaker audio and offline access, perfect for practicing pronunciation. Learn Vietnamese Phrases and Learn Vietnamese the Local Way, focusing on essential phrases for both tourists and long-term residents. For building vocabulary, Learn Vietnamese Vocabulary teaches vocabulary through flashcards and games. Langi helps you learn Vietnamese through bite-sized stories which also have audio, making it a deal for those who prefer learning in context.
Courses
Preply
Preply is an online educational platform that matches tutors with students. There are tutors on Preply offering instruction in a wide range of languages and other subjects. As a learner, you can find a tutor that works best for you by browsing their demo videos and filtering by price and rating. Each tutor’s teaching style is their own, but they all receive teacher trainings and resources to improve their style.
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See our Super-Detailed Preply Review
italki
italki is the most flexible and affordable place to find a tutor for the language you’re learning. They have a huge number of teachers offering classes to students of over 100 different languages. As a learner, you’ll be able to find a tutor that best fits your learning style, schedule, and personality. Teachers are able to set their own prices and make their own schedule.
See our Super-Detailed italki Review
Pimsleur
Pimsleur is one of the most popular and longest-standing resources out there for learning a foreign language. Its courses place a strong emphasis on aural and verbal communication skills, paying less attention to grammar explanations and reading or writing skills. There are over 50 language courses available with Pimsleur, and the bulk of the material is taught with audio lessons.
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See our Super-Detailed Pimsleur Review
Learn Vietnamese with Annie
Learning Vietnamese with Annie involves podcast lessons (new ones come out weekly), with a focus on the Southern Vietnamese accent. You also get a discussion of the audio, plus a vocabulary review audio file, PDF scripts and translations, and online exercises to practice with.
Self-contained lessons make it easy to study what you want—but it also means there’s not a natural progression with what you’re learning. You can, however, sign-up for tutoring as well.
VietnamesePod101
VietnamesePod101 offers audio and video lessons (though they’re mostly audio) for learning Vietnamese. They’re similar to a podcast with two hosts teaching the language with the help of natural dialogues. They take the time to explain key grammar points, vocabulary, interesting cultural information, and so on. Their tends to be more content for beginners and the lesson structure could be improved. As such, it’s better as a supplementary tool for improving your Vietnamese, rather than a standalone course.
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See our Super-Detailed VietnamesePod101 Review
Verbling
Verbling is an online language-class marketplace where you can take lessons with teachers of your choice. It has some student-friendly extra features, including a built-in online classroom, flashcards, homework calendar, and a filing system for lesson materials. There are also useful but disorganized forums where you can discuss languages, share writing for critique, and do free language drills and exercises.
The lessons are generally high quality and well structured, plus the filters make it easy to find teachers who specialize in everything from accent reduction to interview preparation.
However, it can be slightly pricier than alternatives, so if you’re on a tight budget, you may want to look elsewhere. It also has fewer languages than some of the bigger competitors, so it might not be a good choice if you want to study Azerbaijani, Khmer, or Yoruba.
See our Super-Detailed Verbling Review
Glossika
Glossika has learning resources for over fifty languages that impressively range from Armenian and Czech to Icelandic and Tagalog. While not suitable for absolute beginners, lower intermediates could use the resource to familiarise themselves with sentences in their language of choice using Glossika´s intuitive approach. Listening to native speakers and repeating what they say can help learners to improve their comprehension skills and spoken fluency. While it is amazing that so many languages are included, learners would have to use numerous other resources alongside it. The cost is unjustifiably high.
See our Super-Detailed Glossika Review
LingQ
LingQ is a language-learning platform that focuses on extensive reading for over 30 different languages. You can import your own content or choose from the community library of books, articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, and more.
The app highlights unknown words across every lesson and makes them reviewable via different types of SRS flashcards. The more you read, the more accurately you will be able to identify content that is suitable for your level.
Although I did not find it beneficial for languages I had never studied before, I think LingQ can be helpful for upper-beginner to advanced language learners who enjoy reading. It is especially helpful if you struggle to find graded readers in your target language.
See our Super-Detailed LingQ Review
Duolingo
Duolingo is a super popular free language-learning app. It’s available for desktop as well as mobile and offers over 90 different language courses in over 20 different languages — there are currently 35 languages with English instruction. The Duolingo approach is gamified and easy to use, but the bite-sized lessons don’t offer much in the way of in-depth practice. The Duolingo tag line is “Learn a language in just five minutes a day.”
See our Super-Detailed Duolingo Review
HelloTalk
HelloTalk is a mobile app for language learners interested in language exchange. It facilitates communication between native speakers and those learning their language with the use of built-in language tools. It also offers audio lessons in 10 languages as part of a separate subscription.
See our Super-Detailed HelloTalk Review
Mondly
Mondly is a language-learning app that teaches basic vocabulary and grammar structures. It seems most appropriate for learners with little to no exposure to their target language.
The activities mostly rely on passive recognition of vocabulary and phrases, and therefore are not very challenging. However, they are varied enough that you probably wouldn’t get bored with short, daily practice sessions.
Although I wouldn’t recommend Mondly to anyone looking to seriously learn a language, it may be appropriate for individuals studying languages with less available resources, or for individuals who are preparing to travel abroad.
See our Super-Detailed Mondly Review
Assimil
Assimil is a French company that has been selling language-learning resources since 1929. Assimil materials are available as books, CDs, and downloadable e-courses; there are a variety of available course types, and instruction is based on interacting with phrases in the target language. The popular Sans Peine or, With Ease, courses are for absolute or false beginners that would like to reach the B2 level, but we think you’ll need to incorporate some other study materials to make this happen.
See our Super-Detailed Assimil Review
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is one of the most well-known resources for learning languages. It takes an immersive approach to teaching and is widely used by corporations and individuals alike. High levels of repetition and an absence of translations or explanations are hallmarks of the course. Rosetta Stone course could be most suitable for learners that don’t mind repetitive exercises and prefer to learn from pictures and context rather than translations and explanations. It’s probably not a good option for anyone wanting to significantly improve their speaking or writing skills, or those looking for an engaging course.
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See our Super-Detailed Rosetta Stone Review
Udemy
Udemy is a helpful resource for many different topics of study, so there is a long list of Vietnamese courses on the platform, too. Courses range from one to over seven hours and are available with a range of instructors. Each class has a money-back guarantee, but you also receive lifetime access to whichever courses you buy. The video format helps hone your listening and speaking skills, but many instructors offer written supplements, too.
Vietnamese Books
If you’re looking for Vietnamese books, here are a few recommendations to try out. Elementary Vietnamese: Let’s Speak Vietnamese offers a comprehensive approach for beginners to quickly gain proficiency, while Reading & Writing Vietnamese: A Workbook for Self-Study, is designed to help you master pronunciation, writing, and reading. Vietnamese Stories for Language Learners uses traditional stories to improve comprehension and has additional audio for listening practice. Basic Vietnamese by Tung Hoang is an interactive textbook for beginner learners covering essential grammar, vocabulary, and cultural insights.
Learn Vietnamese with Annie has also published a few books including Southern Vietnamese for Beginners which teaches the southern dialect, and Learn Vietnamese Through Stories among others. Easy Vietnamese is another compact, user-friendly guide that’s perfect for beginners. It also comes with an enclosed CD-ROM that has hours of native-speaker recordings, vocabulary, and exercises. For young learners and complete beginners, Let’s Learn Vietnamese Kit and Vietnamese Flash Cards Kit are interactive learning tools, while Vietnamese in a Flash Kit is ideal for building vocabulary.
Periplus Pocket Vietnamese Dictionary serves as a handy reference for learners on the go or those touring Vietnam.
YouTube and Podcasts
If you want to add YouTube videos as a supplementary resource, Learn Vietnamese With SVFF offers engaging lessons with a focus on grammar, pronunciation, common phrases, and Vietnamese culture. You’ll also find interviews with Vietnamese language learners so maybe you can find some useful language learning tips. Additionally, SVFF has courses that you might want to explore if you want a more structured approach.
Learn Vietnamese with VietnamesePod101.com has so many videos that cover reading, listening, vocabulary, and phrases. The channel also incorporates some cultural tidbits to help you better understand Vietnamese culture. Another channel is Slow Vietnamese and as the name suggests, it provides slow, clear pronunciation to help learners grasp the language more easily. Tieng Viet Oi – Vietnamese Lessons features a variety of lessons for learners of all levels.
Podcasts are another extremely useful resource to consider as you learn Vietnamese. Take a look at our Vietnamese Podcasts recommendations where we’ve listed podcasts for every level.
Challenges of Learning Vietnamese
Every language has its quirks, and Vietnamese is no exception:
- Tonal Mastery: The six tones can be tricky for beginners but are essential for effective communication.
- Pronunciation: Sounds like “ng” and “kh” might feel unfamiliar, but they become natural with practice.
- Dialect Variations: Regional differences can be confusing at first but add depth to your understanding of the language.
- Vocabulary: Loanwords from Chinese and French make for an eclectic mix, but they’re fun to learn.
Why Vietnamese is Worth Learning
Vietnamese is a language that immediately draws you in with its beauty, musicality, and cultural depth. Learning it means discovering the heart and soul of Vietnam—its poetic idioms, its incredible food, and its welcoming people. I’m starting my journey because I want to say “Xin chào” (Hello) and genuinely connect with locals on a deeper level. If you’re looking for a language that’s as rewarding as it is unique, Vietnamese might just be your next great adventure.
FAQs
How to speak Vietnamese?
To speak Vietnamese, start by mastering pronunciation and tones, as pitch changes word meanings. Pick up basic phrases like greetings (Xin chào! = Hello) and common expressions (Tôi không hiểu. = I don’t understand). Vietnamese follows a Subject-Verb-Object structure, with no verb conjugation—tenses come from words like “đã” (past) or “sẽ” (future). Practice every day by talking to yourself, chatting with natives on apps like Tandem, HelloTalk, or italki, and diving into Vietnamese culture through travel, TV, music, or podcasts. Consistency is key—even 10–15 minutes a day makes a difference!
Is Vietnamese easy to learn?
Vietnamese can be both easy and challenging, depending on your background. It has simple grammar, uses the Latin alphabet, and there’s no verb conjugation. The tricky part? Six tones that flip meanings with a slight tweak in pitch, plus vowels can be a challenge plus the dialect differences.
What is the best way to learn Vietnamese?
The best way to learn Vietnamese is through a mix of pronunciation practice, vocabulary building, daily speaking, and immersion tailored to your learning style. First, master the six Vietnamese tones and essential phrases, using resources like YouTube, podcasts, or apps (Duolingo, Pimsleur, Drops). Practice speaking early by using language exchange apps (Tandem, HelloTalk, italki) to chat with native speakers. Immerse yourself by joining local Vietnamese communities for real-world exposure, watch Vietnamese TV shows, and movies, or listening to music regularly. Consistency is key!
How long does it take to learn Vietnamese?
The time it takes to learn Vietnamese varies based on your background, study habits, and goals. It typically takes typically takes 6–12 months of consistent daily practice to reach basic conversational fluency, while intermediate proficiency usually requires 1–2 years, and advanced fluency about 2–4 years. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) estimates that an English speaker needs about 1,100 hours—or 44 weeks—of focused study to achieve conversational fluency in Vietnamese.
How to learn Vietnamese fast?
To learn Vietnamese fast, focus on immersion, speaking, and daily practice. Start by mastering pronunciation and the six tones by listening to native speakers, Vietnamese media, and using audio tools like Pimsleur, spending 2-4 hours daily on listening, speaking, high-frequency words and phrases (via Anki), and grammar basics. Use shadowing technique by repeating after native audio or record yourself and get feedback to refine quickly by using language exchange apps like italki or HelloTalk. Apply it in real life—label your space, think in Vietnamese, or visit Vietnam if you can. Most importantly, stay consistent.
Is there Duolingo Vietnamese?
Yes, Duolingo has a Vietnamese course for English speakers. The course focuses on the Northern dialect, which is like the standard vibe in Vietnam. You can jump in with quick, fun lessons to get the hang of the language—perfect if you’re just starting out!