Vietnamese

noun

Viet·​nam·​ese vē-ˌet-nə-ˈmēz 

ˌvyet-, 

ˌvē-ət- 

ˌvēt-, 

-na-, 

-nä-, 

-ˈmēs 

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

Five days later, the United States began Operation Chopper, the first major escalation of the war in Southeast Asia, transporting South Vietnamese to fight the Vietcong on the outskirts of Saigon. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

But at Taro, a pair of first-generation Vietnamese-Czech brothers are taking things a step further with a tasting menu that merges the two cultures beautifully. — Jaymi McCann, TheWeek, 21 July 2026

One $10,000 loan, memorialized in a note scribbled in Vietnamese, called for $100 a day in interest. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Global fusion expands Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Salvadoran and Mexican influences make this the fair’s most international menu yet. — Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Vietnamese

• Vietnamese cinnamon
• Vietnamese potbellied pig

Rhymes for Vietnamese

• altarpiece
• centerpiece
• frontispiece
• mantelpiece
• masterpiece
• pilates
• specialise
• stabilise
• syntheses
• apiece
• aris
• assise

Kids Definition

Vietnamese

noun

Viet·​nam·​ese vē-ˌet-nə-ˈmēz  ˌvyet-  ˌvē-ət- 

ˌvēt-, 

-na-, 

-nä, 

-ˈmēs

plural Vietnamese

1

: a person born or living in Vietnam

2

: the official language of Vietnam

Vietnamese adjective