VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE: AN INTRODUCTION

Vietnamese is a tonal Austroasiatic language. Its diverse range of vocabulary—both native and borrowed from Chinese, and to a lesser extent, French—can help to express ideas in highly creative ways. Nevertheless, its grammatical principles are not very apparently systematic to foreign learners.

CHÀO means "HELLO"

CHÀO = CH (consonant) + AO (dipthong) + `(tone)

• Vowel "CH": pronounce similar to "TR" in "TREE" in English, but it is softer.
• Dipthong "AO": prnounce similar to "OW" in "NOW" English, but it is more round.
• Tone ` : is a decreasing line written above main vowel. The word with this tone is spoken with decreasing intonation.