Editing Vietnamese language (section)

== Slang ==
Vietnamese [[slang]] (tiếng lóng) has changed over time. Vietnamese slang consists of pure Vietnamese words as well as words borrowed from other languages such as [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] or [[Indo-European languages]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|title=Tiếng lóng trên các phương tiện truyền thông hiện nay|url=http://khoavanhoc-ngonngu.edu.vn/en/uncategorised/4251-ting-long-tren-cac-phng-tin-truyn-thong-hin-nay.html|website=khoavanhoc-ngonngu.edu.vn}}</ref> It is estimated that Vietnamese slang originating from Mandarin accounts for a tiny proportion (4.6% of surveyed data in newspapers).<ref name=":02" /> On the other hand, slang originating from Indo-European languages accounts for a more significant proportion (12%) and is much more common in today's usage.<ref name=":02" /> Slang borrowed from these languages can be either [[transliteration|transliteral]] or [[vernacular]].<ref name=":02" /> Some examples:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Word
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
!Description
|-
|''Ex''
|{{IPA|/ɛk̚/, /ejk̚/}}
|a word borrowed from English used to describe an ex-lover, usually pronounced similarly to ''ếch'' ("frog"). This is an example of vernacular slang.<ref name=":02" />
|-
|''Sô''
|{{IPA|/ʂoː/}}
|a word derived from the English word "show''"'' which has the same meaning, usually paired with the word ''chạy'' ("to run") to make the phrase ''chạy sô'', which translates in English to "running shows", but its everyday use has the same connotation as "having to do a lot of tasks within a short amount of time". This is an example of transliteral slang.<ref name=":02" />
|}
With the rise of the Internet, new slang is generated and popularized through [[social media]]. This modern slang is commonly used in the younger generation's teenspeak in Vietnam. This recent slang is mostly pure Vietnamese, and almost all the words are [[homonym]]s or some form of [[Word play|wordplay]]. Some slang words may include [[profanity]] swear words ([[Pejorative|derogatory]]) or just a [[Play-on-words|play on words]].

Some examples with newer and older slang that originate from northern, central, or southern Vietnamese dialects include:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Word
!IPA
!Description
|-
|''vãi''
|{{IPA|/vǎːj/}}
|"Vãi" (predominately from northern Vietnamese) is a [[profanity]] word that can be a noun or a verb depending on the context. It refers to a female [[Buddhist temple]]-goer in its noun form and to "spilling something over" in its verb form. In slang terms, it is commonly used to emphasize an adjective or a verb - for example, ''ngon vãi'' ("very delicious"), ''sợ vãi'' ("very scary").<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-18|title=Vãi là gì? Tại sao các bạn trẻ lại hay sử dụng từ này?|url=https://tbtvn.org/vai-la-gi-tai-sao-cac-ban-tre-lai-hay-su-dung-tu-nay/|website=tbtvn.org}}</ref> Similar uses to the [[profanity|expletive]] [[bloody]].
|-
|''trẻ trâu''
|{{IPA|/ʈɛ̌ːʈəw/}}
|A noun whose literal translation is "buffalo kid". It is usually used to describe younger children or people who behave like a child, like putting on airs and acting foolishly to attract other people's attention (with negative actions, words, and thoughts).<ref name=":22">{{Cite web|date=2016-06-25|title=10 từ lóng thường dùng của giới trẻ ngày nay|url=https://vnexpress.net/10-tu-long-thuong-dung-cua-gioi-tre-ngay-nay-3425491-p2.html|website=vnexpress.net}}</ref>
|-
|''gấu''
|{{IPA|/ɣə̆́w/}}
|A noun meaning "bear". It is also commonly used to refer to someone's lover.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|date=2016-06-25|title=10 từ lóng thường dùng của giới trẻ ngày nay|url=https://vnexpress.net/10-tu-long-thuong-dung-cua-gioi-tre-ngay-nay-3425491.html|website=vnexpress.net}}</ref>
|-
|''gà''
|{{IPA|/ɣàː/}}
|A noun meaning "chicken". It is also commonly used to refer to someone's lack of ability to complete or compete in a task.<ref name=":22" />
|-
|''cá sấu''
|{{IPA|/káːʂə́w/}}
|A noun meaning "crocodile". It is also commonly used to refer to someone's lack of beauty. The word ''sấu'' can be pronounced similarly to ''xấu'' (ugly).<ref name=":12" />
|-
|''thả thính''
|{{IPA|/tʰǎːtʰíŋ̟/}}
|A verb used to describe the action of dropping roasted [[bran]] as bait for fish. Nowadays it is also used to describe the act of dropping hints to another person one is attracted to.<ref name=":12" />
|-
|''nha (and other variants)''
|{{IPA|/ɲaː/}}
|Similar to other particles (nhé, nghe, nhỉ, nhá), it can be used to end sentences. "Rửa chén, nhỉ" can mean "Wash the dishes... yeah?"<ref>{{Cite web|title=What is the difference between "nhé" and "nha, nghe, nhà, nhỉ" ? "nhé" vs "nha, nghe, nhà, nhỉ" ?|url=https://hinative.com/en-US/questions/5240316|access-date=2021-03-14|website=hinative.com|language=en|archive-date=2022-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617072614/https://hinative.com/en-US/questions/5240316|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|''dô (South) and dzô or zô (North)''
|{{IPA|/zo:/, /jow/}}
|[[Eye dialect]] of the word vô, meaning "in". Slogans when drinking at parties. Usually people in the south of Vietnam will pronounce it as "dô", but people in the north pronounce it as "dzô". The letter "z", which is not usually present in the Vietnamese alphabet, can be used for emphasis or for slang terms.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vã mồ hôi "giải mã" tiếng lóng tuổi teen – Xã hội – VietNamNet|url=https://vietnamnet.vn/xahoi/201005/Va-mo-hoi-giai-ma-tieng-long-tuoi-teen-911455/index.htm?mode=mobile|access-date=2021-04-06|website=vietnamnet.vn}}</ref>
|-
|''lu bu, lu xu bu''
|{{IPA|/lu: bu:/}},
{{IPA|/lu: su: bu:/}}
|"Lu bu" (from southern Vietnamese) meaning busy. "Lu xu bu" meaning so busy at a particular task or activity that the person cannot do much else - e.g., ''quá lu bu'' (so busy).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-05 |title=What is the meaning of "tôi chóng mặt luôn, quá lu bu quá mệt (plz english)"? - Question about Vietnamese |url=https://hinative.com/questions/14944672 |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=HiNative |language=en}}</ref>
|}
Whilst older slang has been used by previous generations, the prevalence of modern slang used by young people in Vietnam (as teenspeak) has made conversations more difficult for older generations to understand. This has become subject for debate. Some believe that incorporating teenspeak or internet slang in daily conversation among teenagers will affect the formality and cadence of their general speech.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-12-07|title=Lo ngại thực trạng sử dụng ngôn ngữ mạng trong học sinh|url=https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/lo-ngai-thuc-trang-su-dung-ngon-ngu-mang-trong-hoc-sinh/d20181207091625582.htm|website=baoninhbinh.org.vn}}</ref> Others argue that it is not slang that is the problem, but rather the lack of communication techniques for the instant internet messaging era. They believe slang should not be dismissed, but instead, youth should be adequately informed to recognise when to use it and when it is inappropriate.