Vietnamese

American  

[vee-et-nah-meez, -mees, -nuh-, vyet-, vee-it-] / viˌɛt nɑˈmiz, -ˈmis, -nə-, ˌvyɛt-, ˌvi ɪt- /

adjective

1. of or relating to Vietnam or its inhabitants.

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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 adjectiveanti-Vietnamese
• pro-Vietnamese adjectivepro-Vietnamese

Etymology

Origin of Vietnamese

First recorded in 1945–50; Vietnam + -ese

Example Sentences

For a decade, Vietnamese worker Minh did tough jobs like sandblasting ships and welding steel, helping address rapidly ageing Japan's dire labour needs.

From Barron's

On most other issues, the Vietnamese government actively works to contain anti-China sentiment, but criticism affirming Hanoi's claims in the South China Sea is one of very few forms of protest it deems acceptable.

From BBC

An informal survey of my Vietnamese friends and family in the United States yielded a similar lack of recognition.

From Salon

From April to September, Vietnamese exports to the U.S. grew 42% compared with the year before, according to the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Vietnamese grocery down my street, for example, always has the best Jasmine rice and canned coconut milk, though the protein prices are steeper.

From Salon