Vietnamese

noun

Viet·​nam·​ese vē-ˌet-nə-ˈmēz How to pronounce Vietnamese (audio)
ˌvyet-,
ˌvē-ət- How to pronounce Vietnamese (audio)
ˌvēt-,
-na-,
-nä-,
-ˈmēs How to pronounce Vietnamese (audio)
plural Vietnamese
1
: a native or inhabitant of Vietnam
2
: the language of the largest group in Vietnam and the official language of the country
Vietnamese adjective

Examples of Vietnamese in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Ke Huy Quan became the first Vietnamese Oscar winner ever, clinching the title of Best Supporting Actor for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 Generally, these tax clinics also offer services in other languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese. Adriana Morga, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 While the traditional Hong Kong style of play is the one favored at the Ace Hotel, Chop Suey Club provides brochures that also mention the many other versions that exist, including American, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, and Wuhanese. Kinsey Gidicl, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 According to my dad’s recollection of the conversation, the system consisted of mechanical chemo-sensing devices that were designed to distinguish — in the field — between meat-eating U.S. troops and the largely vegetarian North Vietnamese. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 His collection 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem is forthcoming. Nam Le, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2024 Some events paid homage to other cultures honoring the holiday, with a Vietnamese New Year celebration expected and a library hosting a Korean Lunar New Year with readings in Korean. TIME, 24 Feb. 2024 Among these cultures are Chinese, South Korean, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Malaysian, Filipino and Indonesian. Olivia Munson, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 Fulbright’s opposition eventually helped force Johnson to reconsider his Vietnam policy, especially after the shocking North Vietnamese Tet Offensive. Elizabeth N. Saunders, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Vietnamese.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Vietnamese was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near Vietnamese

Cite this Entry

“Vietnamese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Vietnamese. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Vietnamese

noun
Viet·​nam·​ese vē-ˌet-nə-ˈmēz How to pronounce Vietnamese (audio) ˌvyet- How to pronounce Vietnamese (audio) ˌvē-ət- How to pronounce Vietnamese (audio)
ˌvēt-,
-na-,
-nä,
-ˈmēs
plural Vietnamese
1
: a person born or living in Vietnam
2
: the official language of Vietnam
Vietnamese adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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