Vietnamese

[vee-et-nah-meez, -mees, -nuh-, vyet-, vee-it-]

adjective

1. of or relating to Vietnam or its inhabitants.

noun

plural

Vietnamese 

1. Formerly Annamite. Formerly Annamese. the Austroasiatic language of Vietnam.

2. Sometimes Offensive.,  a native or inhabitant of Vietnam.

Sensitive Note

Some words that describe national or ethnic identities are acceptable as plural nouns, but are either rare or offensive in the singular. This is the case for Vietnamese. It’s sometimes acceptable as a plural noun (a candidate favored by Vietnamese ). However, it's sometimes offensive as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Vietnamese ). Such words are always perfectly appropriate as adjectives (strategies to get Vietnamese voters to the polls).

Other Word Forms

• anti-Vietnamese adjective anti-Vietnamese
• pro-Vietnamese adjective pro-Vietnamese

Word History and Origins

Origin of Vietnamese¹

First recorded in 1945–50; Vietnam + -ese

Example Sentences

In the section Nguyen read that night, the main character challenges stereotypes of Vietnamese characters in a film, an attempt that is quickly shut down by a Hollywood executive.

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Fonda’s most noteworthy and reviled political moment occurred the same year, when she was photographed by the North Vietnamese sitting atop an antiaircraft gun.

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Voters can choose to get election information in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai or Vietnamese by calling the phone numbers listed here or by using these online options to get help.

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Born to an Indian father and a Vietnamese mother in Saigon, Sobhraj grew up in France where his mother moved after marrying a French soldier.

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According to the Vietnamese central government, the offence could carry a maximum prison term of seven to 15 years.

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