Learning a new language can be an exciting and enriching experience, particularly when it comes to Vietnamese, a language with its unique tones and cultural nuances. One of the foundational elements in mastering Vietnamese is understanding how to discuss time and date. Whether you’re scheduling a meeting, planning a trip, or just chatting with friends, these expressions are vital. This article will guide you through the various words and phrases you need to know to talk about time and date in Vietnamese, complete with relevant examples to help you practice.

Basic Time-Telling in Vietnamese

In Vietnamese, time is generally expressed in a 12-hour format, followed by specifying whether it’s AM or PM. The word for time is “giờ”, and it is crucial in telling time.

– To ask what time it is, you would say: “Bây giờ là mấy giờ?”
– To answer, for instance, at three o’clock, you would say: “Bây giờ là ba giờ.”

When specifying time past the hour, the word “phút” (minute) is used.

– It’s 3:20 would be: “Bây giờ là ba giờ hai mươi phút.”

To distinguish between AM and PM, you can use “sáng” (morning) for AM and “chiều” (afternoon), “tối” (evening), or “đêm” (night) for PM.

– 8:00 AM: “Tám giờ sáng.”
– 9:00 PM: “Chín giờ tối.”

Days of the Week

Vietnamese days of the week are straightforward as they are named as first, second, third, etc., day of the week, starting with Monday.

– Monday: “Thứ Hai”
– Tuesday: “Thứ Ba”
– Wednesday: “Thứ Tư”
– Thursday: “Thứ Năm”
– Friday: “Thứ Sáu”
– Saturday: “Thứ Bảy”
– Sunday: “Chủ Nhật”

To ask “What day is today?” you would say:

– “Hôm nay là thứ mấy?”

And to answer that today is Monday, you would respond:

– “Hôm nay là Thứ Hai.”

Discussing Dates

To discuss dates in Vietnamese, you need to know the word for date “ngày”, month “tháng”, and year “năm”.

– To ask the date: “Hôm nay là ngày mấy?”
– To reply, September 10th, 2021 would be: “Hôm nay là ngày mười tháng chín năm hai nghìn không hai mốt.”

Months are simply numbered from one to twelve:

– January: “Tháng Một”
– February: “Tháng Hai”
– March: “Tháng Ba”
– and so on up to December: “Tháng Mười Hai”

Talking About Specific Times and Dates

When making appointments or talking about specific events, more precise language is often required.

– To say “Let’s meet at 3:00 PM on next Monday,” you would say: “Chúng ta hẹn gặp nhau vào lúc ba giờ chiều Thứ Hai tới.”

If you need to specify “last” or “next” for days or months, you use “tuần trước” (last week), “tuần sau” (next week), “tháng trước” (last month), and “tháng sau” (next month).

– To say “I went to Vietnam last July,” you would say: “Tôi đã đến Việt Nam vào tháng Bảy năm ngoái.”

Seasons and Times of Year

Discussing seasons might be necessary, especially in planning travel or understanding cultural events.

– Spring: “mùa xuân”
– Summer: “mùa hè”
– Autumn: “mùa thu”
– Winter: “mùa đông”

To say “I like to travel in the autumn,” you would say:

– “Tôi thích đi du lịch vào mùa thu.”

Frequency and Duration

Discussing how often something occurs or its duration is also part of time expressions.

– Daily: “hàng ngày”
– Weekly: “hàng tuần”
– Monthly: “hàng tháng”
– Yearly: “hàng năm”

To say, “I study Vietnamese daily,” you would state:

– “Tôi học tiếng Việt hàng ngày.”

In conclusion, mastering these basic expressions for time and date in Vietnamese will significantly enhance your ability to communicate effectively. Practice consistently, and don’t hesitate to engage with native speakers, as real-life practice is invaluable in language learning.