đồng
[ʔɗəwŋ͡m˨˩]
The English phrase "dong" refers to the Vietnamese currency, known in Vietnamese as đồng.
You may see it referred to simply as Đồng or more formally as Đồng tiền Việt Nam.
Meaning: currency of Vietnam (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the currency in a general sense, đồng functions as an uncountable noun. However, it is also used as a counter for the individual currency units themselves.
Did you know?
- Some linguists suggest the word đồng may be related to ancient Austroasiatic terms for a 'shaman' or the act of dancing under daemonic possession.
- Because the value of the đồng is so low compared to the dollar or euro, Vietnamese people often use a shorthand system to omit the last three zeros when speaking about prices.
- In Vietnamese, đồng is a homonym with several meanings, including 'copper', 'field' and 'equal'. This means the same written word can refer to money or a rural landscape depending on the context.
Examples in context
- Anh ấy kiếm được vài đồng tiền lẻ.He earned a few small coins.
- Tôi cần đổi tiền đồng.I need to exchange dong.
- Giá này tính bằng đồng phải không?Is this price calculated in dong?
- Một đồng cũng rất có giá trị.Even one dong is very valuable.
Example conversation
Lan and Nam are at a local market in Vietnam.
- LanCái túi này bao nhiêu đồng?How many dong is this bag?
- NamNó có giá hai trăm ngàn đồng.It costs two hundred thousand dong.
- LanCó đắt quá không anh Nam?Is it too expensive, Nam?
- NamKhông, giá đó rất hợp lý.No, that price is very reasonable.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dong” translations and entries đồng, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries đồng, CC BY-SA 4.0.
