languages of vietnam
Vietnamese is the official language, and spoken by nearly everyone in the country. Most people are literate in the language. There is a noticeable difference in northern and southern Vietnamese. As Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has become the commercial center of a rising economy in the south, foreign language learners may want to focus on the southern dialect. Most of the Vietnamese population in the USA also came from the south.
Within Vietnam, a large number (more than half a million) Vietnamese of Chinese descent also speak Yue Chinese ('Nang') and there are a million or so people who speak Khmer. There are a large number of minority ethnic languages found in Vietnam, although nearly all are spoken by very few people with the exception of Hmong (Meo) with over 1 million speakers. Most of the various ethnic/hilltribe languages are found in 2 areas: in the far north, near the Laos and Chinese borders, and in the central highlands. The languages with the largest number of speakers in northern Vietnam are: Cao-Lan and Iu Mien (Dao Do/Yao) near the Chinese border, and Khmu (Kamu) near Laos. In the central highlands, the biggest languages are Muong and Ba Na (Banar) found in the highlands around Kon Tum, Jarai in the Play Ku area ('Gia Lai' province), Eastern Katu (Ca To) west of Danang on the Lao border, Raday (E-deh) from Tuy Hoa west to the Cambodian border. Eastern Cham is spoken along the southeast coast. And in the southwest near Thailand, some people speak Putai (Phu Thai) - a regional dialect of Thai which is often classified as a different language.
Within Vietnam, a large number (more than half a million) Vietnamese of Chinese descent also speak Yue Chinese ('Nang') and there are a million or so people who speak Khmer. There are a large number of minority ethnic languages found in Vietnam, although nearly all are spoken by very few people with the exception of Hmong (Meo) with over 1 million speakers. Most of the various ethnic/hilltribe languages are found in 2 areas: in the far north, near the Laos and Chinese borders, and in the central highlands. The languages with the largest number of speakers in northern Vietnam are: Cao-Lan and Iu Mien (Dao Do/Yao) near the Chinese border, and Khmu (Kamu) near Laos. In the central highlands, the biggest languages are Muong and Ba Na (Banar) found in the highlands around Kon Tum, Jarai in the Play Ku area ('Gia Lai' province), Eastern Katu (Ca To) west of Danang on the Lao border, Raday (E-deh) from Tuy Hoa west to the Cambodian border. Eastern Cham is spoken along the southeast coast. And in the southwest near Thailand, some people speak Putai (Phu Thai) - a regional dialect of Thai which is often classified as a different language.
Example of written Vietnamese: Gạo và mì ăn hàng ngày - làm thế nào nhàm chán! Tránh xa cô. Tin tưởng tôi.
