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
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The Geneva Accords of 1954, the international agreements that ended the First Indochina War, divided Vietnam by establishing the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), running north of the Bến Hải River. Pavlo Fedykovych, CNN Money, 12 June 2026 Or perhaps the vagueness stems from casting a mish-mash of Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Chinese and American actors. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 Many community leaders from Little Saigon spoke passionately in Vietnamese. Claire Wang, Oc Register, 10 June 2026 Vietnamese, Mexican, West African, and Central American communities brought their culinary traditions and adapted them to Texas ingredients. The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for Vietnamese

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Vietnamese was in 1947

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vietnamese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Vietnamese. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.

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
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