Learn which topics you should avoid during small talk in Vietnam
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Intro |
|---|
| Michael: What topics are taboo in Vietnamese? |
| Nguyet: And what are some things you should avoid doing? |
| Michael: At VietnamesePod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Karen Lee went for a trip with her two friends, Duc Do and Lan Le. She suggested taking a photo together. |
| "Let's take a photo together!" |
| Karen Lee: Chụp ảnh cùng nhau đi! |
| Dialogue |
| Karen Lee: Chụp ảnh cùng nhau đi! |
| Lan Lê: Tất cả ba chúng mình à? |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Karen Lee: Chụp ảnh cùng nhau đi! |
| Michael: "Let's take a photo together!" |
| Lan Lê: Tất cả ba chúng mình à? |
| Michael: "All three of us?" |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: Like most Asian cultures, Vietnamese people can be quite superstitious. There are many things they try to avoid doing or talking about so as not to experience misfortune. That said, there are a number of topics and acts that Vietnamese people consider taboo, or |
| Nguyet: điều cấm kỵ |
| Michael: In this lesson, we'll discover what things are considered taboo in Vietnamese and which customs you need to observe to avoid offending or embarrassing people. |
| [Recall 1] |
| Michael: Let’s take a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Karen Lee says, "Let's take a photo together?" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Nguyet: Chụp ảnh cùng nhau đi! |
| [Recall 2] |
| Michael: Now, let’s take a look at our second sentence. |
| Do you remember how Lan Le says, "All three of us?" |
| Nguyet: Tất cả ba chúng mình à? |
| Michael: The three-in-a-pic is a superstition that is present globally but is especially strong in Asia, particularly the Vietnamese culture. In Vietnam, taking a picture with two other friends is considered bad luck. According to beliefs, the person who stands in the middle will die soon after the photo is taken. We’re in the modern times, and you probably don’t believe in such superstition, or |
| Nguyet: mê tín dị đoan |
| Michael: Nevertheless, to avoid offending a Vietnamese friend who believes you’ll be cursed if you do a three-in-a-pic, consider tagging another person to make it a three-plus-one. Speaking of taking pictures, another thing you should avoid when in Vietnam is taking pictures of somebody without asking for their permission. It’s also not a good idea to take pictures of the Vietnamese military, or |
| Nguyet: quân đội |
| Michael: as it is considered a breach of national security. In the same manner, it’s a big no-no to take a video camera with you when visiting ethnic minority villages. Local people consider this to be too intrusive and should be avoided. Other things you should avoid doing when in Vietnam are touching people’s heads, sitting with your feet pointed toward another person, and pointing with your fingers. The head is considered as the body part that is most sacred, or |
| Nguyet: Linh thiêng |
| Michael: while the feet are considered the least sacred. Pointing fingers, on the other hand, is considered plain disrespectful. |
| [Summary] |
| Michael: So far, you've learned about a few practices that you should avoid when you're in Vietnam. If you're not sure whether something is taboo or not, it's better not to act on it or speak of it at all. |
| Expansion |
| Michael: Vietnamese has a few topics that are considered taboo, most of which are related to the Vietnam war, or |
| Nguyet: Chiến tranh Việt Nam |
| Michael: which was officially fought between |
| Nguyet: Miền bắc Việt Nam |
| Michael: North Vietnam, |
| Nguyet: Miền nam Việt Nam |
| Michael: and South Vietnam. Never assume that Vietnamese people want to talk about this subject. The person you’re talking with might have experienced the war themselves. Avoid this topic altogether as it is considered highly taboo. Also, while it’s normal for older Vietnamese people to ask you about your personal information, doing it to them may be seen as invasive. That said, avoid asking a Vietnamese friend about their salary, or |
| Nguyet: tiền lương |
| Michael: And, as much as possible, avoid asking them questions like |
| Nguyet: Bạn đã kết hôn chưa? |
| Michael: "Are you married," and |
| Nguyet: Tại sao bạn không có con? |
| Michael: "Why don’t you have any children?" |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael: Global expat group InterNations has ranked Vietnam as its 9th friendliest country in 2018. This means it’s not difficult for foreigners to start a conversation and make friends with locals when visiting or staying in the country. When starting a conversation, choose light topics, such as |
| Nguyet: phim |
| Michael: movies, |
| Nguyet: m nhạc |
| Michael: music, |
| Nguyet: thể thao |
| Michael: or sports. You can also talk about Vietnamese food, or |
| Nguyet: món ăn |
| Michael: These are great conversation-starters and are always safe to talk about when in Vietnam. On the other hand, do your best to stay away from sensitive subjects, such as |
| Nguyet: chính trị |
| Michael: politics |
| Nguyet: tôn giáo |
| Michael: and religion. Only express your ideas and opinions regarding these things if you’ve been asked. Otherwise, just stick to less-sensitive subjects that have been previously mentioned. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We’re here to answer them! |
| Nguyet: Tạm biệt! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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