Vietnamese Translation Notes

Vietnamese (vi) Translation Notes

Core Terminology

Secret: bí mật - Appropriate for professional contexts

Password vs Passphrase:

Password: mật khẩu - for account authentication
Passphrase: cụm mật khẩu - for secret protection (cụm = phrase/cluster)

Burn: xóa vĩnh viễn (delete permanently) - more natural in digital Vietnamese context than literal translation

Key Points

Analytic language: no inflection, no conjugation
Tonal system: 6 tones essential for meaning
Vietnamese script with diacritics (ă, â, ê, ô, ơ, ư + tones)
No grammatical gender or plural forms
Tense markers: đã (past), sẽ (future), đang (progressive)
Use “bạn” for neutral, respectful formality
Syllable spacing must be maintained

Vietnamese Language Specifics

Analytic Language Structure

Vietnamese is an analytic language with no inflection or conjugation
Words do not change form based on tense, number, or gender
Grammatical relationships expressed through word order and particles
No verb conjugation: “tôi tạo” (I create), “chúng tôi tạo” (we create)

Tonal System

Vietnamese has 6 tones that are essential for meaning:

level (no mark), sharp/rising (sắc), falling (huyền), tumbling (hỏi), broken rising (ngã), heavy (nặng)

Incorrect tones completely change meaning:

ma (ghost), má (mother), mà (but), mả (tomb), mã (code), mạ (rice seedling)

All tone marks must be preserved accurately.

Vietnamese Script and Diacritics

Uses Latin alphabet with additional diacritics
Vowel modifications: ă, â, ê, ô, ơ, ư
Tone marks: ́ (sắc), ̀ (huyền), ̉ (hỏi), ̃ (ngã), ̣ (nặng)
Both vowel and tone diacritics can appear on same letter: ế, ồ, ữ
Never omit diacritics - they are essential to meaning

No Grammatical Gender or Plural

Vietnamese has no grammatical gender
No plural forms for most nouns (unless emphasis needed)
Same word form for singular and plural: ngày (day/days), giờ (hour/hours)
Quantity expressed through numbers or quantifiers: 3 ngày (3 days)

Tense Markers

Tense indicated by markers, not verb changes:

đã - past tense marker
sẽ - future tense marker
đang - progressive aspect marker

Examples:

đã tạo (created/have created)
sẽ tạo (will create)
đang tạo (is/are creating)

Word Order

Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) like English
Adjectives and modifiers typically follow nouns

Examples:

bí mật (secret - noun)
thông tin bí mật (secret information - adjective follows)

Syllable Spacing

Vietnamese words can be monosyllabic or multisyllabic
Compound words written with spaces between syllables

Examples:

mã hóa (encryption - two syllables, space between)
bảo mật (security - two syllables, space between)
tài khoản (account - two syllables, space between)

Never write without spaces like German compounds.

Common Translation Patterns

User Instructions

Use imperative verbs without subject (understood “bạn”)

Status Descriptions

Use past tense markers (đã) for completed states

Help Text and Descriptions

Use declarative sentences with neutral tone

Error Messages

Use clear, direct language with respectful tone

Special Considerations

Tones Cannot Be Omitted

Vietnamese tones are not optional
Omitting tones makes text unreadable or changes meaning completely
Always include all tone marks: á, à, ả, ã, ạ
Example of importance:
- ma (ghost), má (mother), mà (but), mả (tomb), mã (code), mạ (rice seedling)

Diacritics Are Essential

All Vietnamese diacritics must be preserved
Both vowel modifications (ă, â, ê, ô, ơ, ư) and tone marks
Never substitute with unaccented letters
Example: hoa (flower) vs hoà (harmony) vs hòa (peace/blend)

No Plural Forms Needed

Unlike English, Vietnamese doesn’t mark plurals on nouns
Use same form for singular and plural
Context and numbers indicate quantity

Examples:

1 ngày (1 day)
5 ngày (5 days) - NOT “5 ngàys”

Tense Markers Placement

Place tense markers before main verb
đã, sẽ, đang come before the verb they modify

Examples:

Bí mật đã được tạo (The secret has been created)
Liên kết sẽ hết hạn (The link will expire)

UI Element Conventions

Follow platform conventions for Vietnamese interfaces
Use standard Vietnamese terminology for common UI elements
Maintain consistency with other Vietnamese applications
Use “bạn” for respectful but friendly address

Technical Security Terms

Prioritize accuracy over casual localization. Use established Vietnamese technical vocabulary:

mã hóa (encryption)
đã mã hóa (encrypted)
xác minh (verification)
xác thực (authentication)

Simplicity of Vietnamese Grammar

No verb conjugation (simplifies translation)
No grammatical gender (simplifies agreement)
No plural marking (simplifies noun forms)
Main complexity is in tonal system and diacritics