Viêt Nam
/vjɛt.nam/masculine
The English phrase 'Vietnam' is translated into French as Viêt Nam. Wiktionary also lists Vietnam and Viêtnam.
Meaning: country in Southeast Asia (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Viêt Nam | /vjɛt.nam/ | masculine |
| Vietnam | /vjɛt.nam/ | masculine |
| Viêtnam | masculine |
Viêt Nam refers to the country located in Southeast Asia.
Which one should you use?
The form Viêt Nam, which includes a space and diacritics, is the more traditional and formal way to write the name in French. In contrast, Vietnam is the more common modern spelling. The form Viêtnam is also a recognized variant.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the name is masculine, you use the contraction au to say 'in Vietnam' (au Vietnam) and the contraction du to say 'of Vietnam' or 'from Vietnam' (du Vietnam).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /vjɛt.nam/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- French is still spoken in Vietnam today, primarily by older generations and in certain academic or diplomatic circles.
- In French, Vietnam is often mentioned alongside the term Indochine when discussing colonial history, as the country was part of the larger French Indochinese Union.
- In historical French texts, you may see Viêt Nam written with a hyphen as Viêt-Nam, a stylistic choice common during the colonial administration.
Examples in context
- Tout est bon marché au Vietnam.Everything is cheap in Vietnam.This sentence is useful for expressing that goods are inexpensive in Vietnam.Tatoeba #13779256 by Rovo, translation #13777302 by rul
- Le Vietnam ne peut pas concurrencer la Chine.Vietnam cannot compete with China.This sentence is useful for discussing the competition between Vietnam and China.Tatoeba #11040870 by Amastan, translation #10101198 by Amastan
- Il est mort au combat pendant la guerre du Vietnam.He died fighting in the Vietnam War.This sentence is useful for mentioning the Vietnam War and the use of Vietnam.Tatoeba #131358 by sacredceltic, translation #292667 by CK
- Le Vietnam est un pays très intéressant sur le plan historique et culturel.Vietnam is a very interesting country in terms of history and culture.
- Tu as déjà visité le Vietnam?Have you ever visited Vietnam?
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are discussing their dream travel destinations.
- HugoJ'ai envie de visiter le Viêt Nam.I want to visit Vietnam.
- LéaC'est une excellente idée, Hugo !That is an excellent idea, Hugo!
- HugoLe Viêt Nam est connu pour ses paysages.Vietnam is known for its landscapes.
- LéaOui, partons ensemble l'année prochaine.Yes, let's go together next year.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vietnam” translations and entries Viêt Nam, Vietnam, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
