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• Vietnamese
  Vietnamese

  adjective

  of or relating to Vietnam or its inhabitants.
• vietnamese
  vietnamese

  adjective

  of, relating to, or characteristic of Vietnam, its people, or their language

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.

vietnamese British  

/ ˌvjɛtnəˈmiːz /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Vietnam, its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Vietnam

2. the language of Vietnam, probably related to the Mon-Khmer languages

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
• pro-Vietnamese
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Vietnamese

First recorded in 1945–50; Vietnam + -ese

Example Sentences

The trip is Takaichi's first to Vietnam since becoming prime minister in October and she aims to deepen bilateral cooperation on energy security, supply chain resilience and technological innovation, according to Vietnamese state media reports.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

The price of Vietnamese rice exports, for instance, has surged as production costs rise.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

The narrator begins fantasizing about Sheila’s handsome Vietnamese vet — so vividly that he appears in her kitchen one day.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Nguyen Don Tu, who’d fought in the North Vietnamese army.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

After a brief mention of the building, he turned to the action in Vietnam, emphasizing that the air strikes had been made necessary by the North Vietnamese torpedo boat attacks.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin