Table of Contents
Introduction xiii
Vietnam at a Glance 1
How to use this book 7
Vietnamese Alphabet and Pronunciation 11
Lessons:
Lesson 1 "Ann nói tieng Viet không?" 17
"Do you speak Vietnamese?"
The Viet Way: Proper Names and Titles 22
Grammar: 1. Pronouns: 1.1 Subject and Object 23
Pronouns: 1.1.1 Singular Pronouns
Sentence Patterns:
1 Basic sentence pattern 25
2 Question word không 25
3 Question word gì (what) 27
Lesson 2 "Hâm hanh duroc gap chi." 29
"Nice to meet you."
The Viet Way: 1. "How are you?" 2. "Thank you." 34
Grammar: 1. Pronouns: 1.1.2 Plural Pronouns 35
Sentence Patterns:
4 Question word dâu (where) 36
5 Verbs là and thì (to be) 37
Lesson 3 "Anh Chi là nguòi My, phai không?" 39
"You are Americans, is that right?"
The Viet Way: Body language for "yes" and "no" answers 44
Grammar: 2.1 Classifiers (for country, people, language) 45
Sentence Patterns:
6.1 Question phrases phai/dúng không? (is that right/correct?) 46
6.2 Negative questions and answers with phai/dúng không? 46
7 Exclamatory phrases 48
Lesson 4 "Có xe buyt di bai bien không?" 51
"Is there a bus going to the beach?"
The Viet Way: Polite words 56
Grammar: 2.2 Classifiers (for thing, fruit, machine, vehicle) 57
3 Nouns: Gender; Singular nouns; Plural nouns 57
Sentence Patterns:
8 Verb có (to have; there is/are; whether / if … or) 59
9 Very short questions and answers 61
Lesson 5 "Chúng ta hay di cho!" 63
"Let's go to the market!"
The Viet Way: 1 Asking for assistance 2 Proper nouns 69
Grammar: 4. Adjectives: 4.1 Demonstrative adjectives 70
5. Prepositions (for Place, Direction, Time) 71
Sentence Patterns:
10 Auxiliary verb có the (can, could, may, might) 72
11 Imperatives 73
Lesson 6 "Bây giò là may giò roi?" 75
"What time is it now?"
Special Topic: Cardinal Numbers 80
The Viet Way: Asking for the time 82
Grammar: 4. Adjectives: 4.2 Possessive adjective cua (of) 83
1. Pronouns: 1.2 Possessive pronouns 83
Sentence Patterns:
12 Question phrases Có phai/dúng … không? 84
(Is it right/correct … (or) not?)
13 Question words ai (who) and cua ai (whose) 85
14.1 Question word may (how many) 86
14.2 Question word may (what) 87
Lesson 7 "Món nào (thì) ngon?" 89
"Which dish is delicious?"
The Viet Way: 1. The meanings of the verb mòi 97
2. How to order something at a restaurant 97
Grammar: 2.3 Classifiers (for liquid, animal, meat, dish (food) 98
6. Verbs 99
Sentence Patterns:
15.1 Question word nao (which) 100
15.2 Phrases … nào cung or … gì cung (every) 100
16 Conjunctions hay and hoac (or) 101
17 Sentences with nua (more) 102
Lesson 8 "Thòi tiet Hue thì nhu the nào?" 105
"How is the weather in Hue?"
Special Topic: Days of the Week; Months of the Year; Seasons; Time of Day 113
The Viet Way: 1. Asking about dates 115
2 Asking about the weather 115
3 Writing dates 116
4 Question phrase … the nào? (how; what) 116
Grammar: 6. Verbs: 6.1 Tenses: Present; Present Continuous; Future; Immediate Future 117
Sentence Patterns: 18. Question phrases bao giò … and khi nào … (when) 118
19 Questions phrases bao + adjective (how + adjective) and … mat bao lâu? (How long [does it] take?) 119
20 Question phrase bang phuong tien gì? (by what means of transportation?) 120
21.1 Auxiliary verb nên (should) 121
21.2 Conjunction nên (therefore) 122
Lesson 9 "Chi (da) binh phuc chira?" 123
"Have you recovered yet?"
The Viet Way: 1. Passive Voice 132
2. The hierarchy of the verb bao (to tell) 132
Grammar: 6. Verbs: 6.1 Tenses: Past; Past Continuous; Past Perfect 133
6.2 Passive Voice 134
7. Adverbs (for Place, Time, Frequency) 135
Sentence Patterns:
22 Question phrases: … bao giò and … khi nào (when) 137
23 Cause and Effect Tai sao (why) and tai vì … (because …) 138
24 Tag question word chua? (yet?) 139
Lesson 10 "Thuân mua, vùa bán." 141
"Agree to buy, suit to sell."
Special Topic: Cardinal Numbers 150
The Viet Way:
1 Cái này (this one) and cái kia (that one) 152
2 Number format 152
3 Mo hàng (opening shop) 152
Grammar: 4. Adjectives: 4.3 Comparative adjectives 153
Sentence Patterns:
25 Questions phrases … chiu không? (…do you accept [it]?) and… duoc không? ([… is it] possible or not?) 154
26 Questions phrases … (duoc) làm bang gì? (… made by what [means]?) and … (duroc) Iàm bang hàng gì (… made of what [material]?) 155
27 Question phrase … giá bao nhiêu tien? (… cost[s] how much [money]?) 156
28 Conjunctive phrase Neu … thì (If … then …) 157
Lesson 11 "Nó tuong trung cho van hóa co truyen cua Viêt Nam." 159
"It represents the traditional culture of Vietnam."
The Viet Way: 1. Compound word 2. Intensified adjectives 167
Grammar: 1. Pronouns: 1.3 Impersonal Pronouns 168
1.4 Relative Pronouns 169
4. Adjectives: 4.4 Superlatives 170
Sentence Patterns:
29 Conjunctive phrase Vì … nên … (Since … therefore …) 171
30 Question phrase … de làm gì? (… to do/make what?) 172
Lesson 12 "Nguòi Viet an mùng Tet Nguyen Dán nhr the nào? 173
"How do the Vietnamese celebrate the New Year's Festival?"
The Vietway: 1. ta (we, are, us) 181
2. Language for the New Year's Festival 181
Grammar: 1. Pronouns: 1.5 Reflexive pronouns chính and tu(self) 182
Sentence Patterns:
31 Conjunctive phrase dù … van (though … still) 184
32 Auxiliary verb phai (must) 185
33 Conjunctive phrase không nhung … mà còn (not only … but also) 186
34.1 Auxiliary verb duroc phép (may, might) 187
34.2 Auxiliary verb có le (may, might) 188
Lesson 13 "Chúng cháu chac chan có nhieu ky niem dep." 189
"We certainly have a lot of beautiful memories."
The Viet Way: 1. Personal Pronouns 2. Personal Questions 197
Grammar: 2.4 Classifiers (for story, affair, work, emotions) 199
6. Verbs: 6.3 Subjunctive Mood 200
Sentence Patterns:
35 Tag question words in cordial conversation 202
36 Conjunctive phrase quá … de mà … (too … to …) 203
Answer Key 205
Glossary:
Vietnamese - English 219
English - Vietnamese 241
Audio Track List 261
Audio files available for download at: hippocrenebooks.com/beginners-online-audio.html
