Language/Vietnamese/Grammar/Nouns-and-Gender

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Vietnamese → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Nouns and Pronouns → Nouns and Gender

Introduction

Welcome to the lesson on "Nouns and Gender" in the Complete 0 to A1 Vietnamese Course. In this lesson, we will explore how nouns are gendered in the Vietnamese language. Understanding the concept of gender in Vietnamese is important as it affects the way nouns are used in sentences and how they are modified by pronouns and adjectives. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of the gender system in Vietnamese and be able to use nouns correctly in your conversations. Let's get started!

Gender in Vietnamese Nouns

Unlike some other languages that have grammatical gender, such as French or Spanish, Vietnamese does not have a fixed gender system for all nouns. In Vietnamese, the concept of gender is not determined by the noun itself, but rather by the context in which it is used. This means that nouns in Vietnamese can be considered as either masculine or feminine depending on the situation or the speaker's intention. However, there are some patterns and guidelines that can help us identify the gender of certain nouns.

Nouns with Inherent Gender

Some nouns in Vietnamese have an inherent gender and are considered either masculine or feminine. These nouns typically refer to living beings, such as people or animals. For example:

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	English
con trai	/kawn chai/	son (male child)
con gái	/kawn gaai/	daughter (female child)

In the examples above, "con trai" (son) and "con gái" (daughter) are considered inherently masculine and feminine, respectively, due to their association with male and female children. It's important to note that this inherent gender does not apply to all nouns in Vietnamese, and many other nouns do not have a specific gender assigned to them.

Gendered Pronouns

In Vietnamese, the gender of a noun can also be implied or specified through the use of gendered pronouns. Pronouns in Vietnamese can be gender-specific, indicating whether the person being referred to is male or female. For example:

Vietnamese	Pronunciation	English
anh ấy	/an y/	he
cô ấy	/co y/	she

The pronoun "anh ấy" is used to refer to a male person, while "cô ấy" is used for a female person. By using these gender-specific pronouns, the gender of the noun being referred to can be inferred. For instance:

• Anh ấy là giáo viên. (He is a teacher.)
• Cô ấy là bác sĩ. (She is a doctor.)

In the examples above, the gender of the noun "giáo viên" (teacher) is implied to be male because the pronoun "anh ấy" (he) is used. Similarly, the gender of the noun "bác sĩ" (doctor) is implied to be female because the pronoun "cô ấy" (she) is used.

Gender-Neutral Nouns

In addition to nouns with inherent gender and gendered pronouns, Vietnamese also has a category of gender-neutral nouns. These nouns can refer to both male and female beings without specifying a particular gender. Some examples of gender-neutral nouns in Vietnamese include:

• người (person)
• bạn (friend)
• đứa trẻ (child)

These gender-neutral nouns can be used to refer to individuals without making any assumptions about their gender. For example:

• Người đó là bạn tôi. (That person is my friend.)
• Đứa trẻ đó rất thông minh. (That child is very intelligent.)

In the sentences above, the gender-neutral nouns "người" (person) and "đứa trẻ" (child) allow for the inclusion of both male and female individuals.

Gender Agreement with Pronouns and Adjectives

When using gendered pronouns or adjectives to modify nouns in Vietnamese, it is important to ensure that they agree in gender. This means that the pronoun or adjective should match the gender of the noun it is referring to. Let's look at some examples to understand this concept better:

• Bạn ấy là người đẹp. (He/She is a beautiful person.)
• Bạn ấy là người thông minh. (He/She is an intelligent person.)

In the sentences above, the pronoun "bạn ấy" (he/she) and the adjectives "đẹp" (beautiful) and "thông minh" (intelligent) agree in gender with the noun "người" (person). If the noun being referred to was masculine, we would use the pronoun "anh ấy" (he) and the corresponding masculine adjectives.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have explored how nouns are gendered in Vietnamese. While Vietnamese does not have a fixed gender system for all nouns, the gender of a noun can be implied or specified through the use of gendered pronouns and adjectives. We have also learned about nouns with inherent gender and gender-neutral nouns that can refer to both male and female beings. By understanding these concepts, you will be able to use nouns correctly and express gender in your Vietnamese conversations. Practice using gendered pronouns and adjectives with different nouns to solidify your understanding. Good luck!

Table of Contents - Vietnamese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Greetings and Introductions

• Hello and Goodbye
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Vietnamese Culture Basics

• Vietnamese Values
• Social Etiquette
• Cuisine and Dining

  ---

Numbers and Counting

• Counting 1-10
• Counting 11-20
• Counting 21 and Beyond

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Nouns and Gender
• Pronouns and Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Holidays and Celebrations

• Tet
• Mid-Autumn Festival

  ---

Verbs and Verb Tenses

• Present Tense Verbs
• Past Tense Verbs
• Future Tense Verbs
• Modal Verbs

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Food and Drink

• Vietnamese Food
• Drinks and Beverages
• Food Ordering

  ---

Arts and Entertainment

• Traditional Music
• Movie and Television

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives
• Adverbs

  ---

Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Giving Directions

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Traditional Clothing

• Ao Dai
• Other Traditional Clothing

Sources

• Vietnamese grammar - Wikipedia
• Does Vietnamese have grammatical gender? If so, where is it used ...
• IS VIETNAMESE A HARD LANGUAGE? Tiếng Việt có phải là một ...

Other Lessons

• Modal Verbs
• Give your Opinion
• Tenses
• How to Use Have
• Ask Questions
• Past Tense Verbs
• Nouns
• Adverbs
• Future Tense Verbs
• Pronouns and Personal Pronouns

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