ベトナム
Betonamu[be̞to̞na̠mɯ̟]
In Japanese, the phrase for Vietnam is ベトナム (Betonamu). Wiktionary also lists 越南 (Etsunan).
Meaning: country in Southeast Asia (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ベトナム | Betonamu | [be̞to̞na̠mɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 越南 | Etsunan |
ベトナム is the name of the country in Southeast Asia.
Which one should you use?
ベトナム is the standard modern way to refer to the country, while 越南 is a highly formal or literary way to refer to Vietnam, often seen in historical contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ベトナム is the standard form used in modern Japanese. 越南 is a highly formal or literary form.
How do you pronounce it?
Betonamu
Did you know?
- Because ベトナム ends in a consonant sound not native to Japanese, the sound 'mu' is added to the end to fit the Japanese phonetic structure.
- The word ベトナム is borrowed from English 'Vietnam', which in turn came from the Vietnamese 'Việt Nam'.
- The transition from the formal 越南 to the modern ベトナム reflects Japan's shift from using a Sinocentric writing system to adopting Western-style phonetic transcriptions.
Examples in context
- 僕のお父さんはベトナムで死んだ。My father died in Vietnam.This sentence is useful for seeing the use of ベトナム in a personal context.Tatoeba #10303917 by Ninja, translation #1898313 by CK
- 私の叔父はベトナム戦争の退役軍人だ。My uncle is a veteran of the Vietnam War.This sentence shows how to refer to the Vietnam War using ベトナム.Tatoeba #163337 by huizi99, translation #251175 by CK
- 村上春樹はベトナムでも人気なんですか？Is Haruki Murakami popular in Vietnam as well?This sentence demonstrates a question about popularity in ベトナム.Tatoeba #2740036 by tommy_san, translation #2847328 by eirik174
- ベトナムは経済成長が著しいです。Vietnam has remarkable economic growth.
- ベトナムとの貿易関係を強化したい。I want to strengthen the trade relationship with Vietnam.
- 今度、ベトナムに行く予定だ。I'm planning to go to Vietnam soon.
- ベトナム料理が好きだ。I like Vietnamese cuisine.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about their travel plans.
- 結衣 Yui次の休みは、ベトナムに行きたいです。Tsugi no yasumi wa, Betonamu ni ikitai desu.I want to go to Vietnam during my next break.
- 健太 Kentaいいですね！誰と行くんですか？Ii desu ne! Dare to ikun desu ka?That's great! Who are you going with?
- 結衣 Yui友達と一緒に計画しています。Tomodachi to issho ni keikaku shite imasu.I'm planning it with a friend.
- 健太 Kenta楽しそうですね。気をつけて行ってください。Tanoshisou desu ne. Ki o tsukete itte kudasai.Sounds like fun. Have a safe trip.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vietnam” translations and entries ベトナム, 越南, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ベトナム, 越南, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
