Mastering Regional Differences: A Guide to Distinguishing Object Names and Pronouns in Northern and Southern Vietnam

Vietnamese is truly “rich” and “beautiful” with its diverse regional dialects. Have you ever wondered why, despite speaking the same language, people from the Northern, Central, and Southern regions have different names for certain objects? This diversity stems from thousands of years of geographical and historical differences.

If you recall the lesson on Local Phonetics from the 6th-grade Vietnamese textbook, you’ll understand this clearly. A common example to ponder: people from Thanh Hóa moving to the South often struggle to pronounce “con đỉa” (leech) and “cái đĩa” (plate) correctly – it’s quite a challenge to “put the leech on the plate”!

Beyond phonetics, regional language differences also include vocabulary and grammar. Northerners say “con nhỏ” or “em bé” (child), while Southerners say “con nít” or “trẻ nít.” Northerners say “quả dứa” (pineapple), while Southerners say “trái thơm”…

This article will compile for you the names of objects and forms of address across the three regions: North, Central, and South.

Understanding these regional differences in object names and forms of address will help you have enjoyable interactions without misunderstandings or unfortunate incidents!Dictionary of Cuisine Across the North, Central, and SouthVietnam stretches across the S-shaped land, and each region has its own unique dishes. However, sometimes similar dishes with nearly identical flavors have different names depending on the region.Below is a list of different names for dishes, plants, and fruits across the regions, for your reference. If you know of any additional dishes, please share in the comments to make this dictionary of cuisine across the North, Central, and South more comprehensive.

Dictionary of Cuisine Across the North, Central, and South

Vietnam stretches across the S-shaped land, and each region has its own unique dishes. However, sometimes similar dishes with nearly identical flavors have different names depending on the region.

Below is a list of different names for dishes, plants, and fruits across the regions, for your reference. If you know of any additional dishes, please share in the comments to make this dictionary of cuisine across the North, Central, and South more comprehensive.