Other Expressions

Comrade (dong chi) is still used sparingly in the North as a means of addressing people. You will hear it mostly at the market. Southerners will smile if you use it there... Southerners are more...
Comrade (dong chi) is still used sparingly in the North as a means of addressing people. You will hear it mostly at the market. Southerners will smile if you use it there...Southerners are more inclined to forego the strict family nomenclature and use “toi” (I) and “ban” (friend) more frequently. DON'T be put off by the different accents. Northern Vietnamese is considered as the official one and will be understood by all... once you master it. If you happen to start learning in Ho Chi Minh City, that should not be a problem either as the national television features presenters using either accents so most people will understand a Southerner... and maybe even a foreigner with a Southern accent!