Travel across Vietnam? Switch between North and South Vietnamese vocabulary like a pro. Essential travel tips & phrases for every learner.
As a Vietnamese teacher with a Southern accent, I sometimes allow myself to completely dive into Northern settings as a kind of trial language test. It’s exciting—yet challenging at the same time.
Last week, I took a trip to a mountain province in the Northeast region and then back to Hà Nội, the buzzing capital of Vietnam. And oh wow—the whole language experience hit me all over again.
As you may know, Vietnamese has three main dialects:
· Northern
· Central
· Southern
In the Northern dialect, there are 6 tones, while the Central and Southern dialects usually have 5. These differences aren’t serious enough to obstruct communication across Vietnam, but at first, you might struggle a little to catch the accent when you’re in another region.
However, it’s too good to be true—tones alone rarely cause a real barrier. They come in combos, and here’s the real twist: even if you pronounce all the tones correctly, it’s not always enough. The other tricky part? Vocabulary differences between North and South.
Why Vocabulary Matters in Learning Vietnamese sometimes
Yep—sometimes, just sometimes, locals will drop a word and you’ll pause thinking, “Wait… what? 🤯” or “Oh… that’s it!” Everyday words can change completely from one region to another, and that’s when the adventure really begins.
That’s when you realize—being well-equipped with local vocab is the key to surviving and enjoying these regional trips.
Handy South- North Vocabulary Pairs
I’ve put together a quick list I’ve overheard and used while getting around Hanoi & —these vocabulary pairs are real lifesavers for travelers for sure.
· bắp ↔ ngô = corn
· thơm ↔ dứa = pineapple
· heo ↔ lợn = pig
· vịt ↔ ngan = duck
· ngò ↔ rau mùi = coriander
· đậu phộng ↔ lạc = peanut
· bánh ướt ↔ bánh cuốn = steamed rice rolls
· nước mắm ↔ mắm (often shorter in the North) = fish sauce
· muỗng ↔ thìa = spoon
· ly ↔ cốc = glass
· dĩa ↔ đĩa = plate
· chén / tô ↔ bát = bowl
· dù ↔ ô = umbrella
· mền ↔ chăn = blanket
· trái ↔ quả = fruit classifier
· nón ↔ mũ = conical hat
· vớ ↔ tất = socks
· tính tiền ↔ thanh toán = to settle the bill
· phần ↔ suất = a serving
· con (pronoun “I”) ↔ cháu = I
· vớ va vớ vẩn ↔ tào lao = nonsense 😊
· đậu xe ↔ đỗ xe = park a vehicle
Example in Action
Here’s how I would order in my region, the South:
“Cô ơi, cho con 2 tô bún măng, 2 trà đá. Cô cho con xin thêm cái chén nhỏ và muỗng đũa cho em bé với nha cô!”
And here’s, that’s also me, but when I am in the North:
“Cô ơi, cho cháu 2 bát bún ngan, 1 đĩa ngan cháy tỏi, 2 cốc sấu và 1 mơ. Cô cho cháu xin thêm 1 bát con và thìa với cô nhá!”
Should You Switch Dialects?
What if you don’t want to switch your daily words into the local dialect? Of course, you can stick with what you know. Some words might sound strange, but you can usually guess the meaning by context or by seeing the item in front of you.
But isn’t it more fun to immerse yourself completely in the local language? Switching words makes the experience more playful, helps you connect with locals, and lets you fully enjoy the space and culture you’re in.
So next time you’re traveling across regions of Vietnam, or chatting with friends from another region, keep this list in your pocket. It’ll save you from confusion, spark some laughs, and make you sound instantly friendlier. And who knows—you might even find yourself switching between lợn in Hà Nội and heo in Sài Gòn without missing a beat.
Vietnamese Language Learning: Beyond Words
Vietnamese isn’t just a language—it’s a journey across regions, accents, and flavors. Whether you’re eating bắp nướng in Sài Gòn or ngô nướng in Hà Nội, every word you pick up is a story.
So next time you travel, don’t just see the landscapes—listen to the words. They’re just as colorful. 💛
🐷 Fun Regional Note: How different between HEO and LỢN? Love to hear to comment!
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