Editing Vietnamese language (section)

==Word play==
A basic form of [[word play]] in Vietnamese involves disyllabic words in which the last syllable forms the first syllable of the next word in the chain. This game involves two members versing each other until the opponent is unable to think of another word. For instance: 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hậu trường (backstage) || → || Trường học (School) 
|→|| Học tập (Study)
|→
|Tập trung (Concentrate)
|→
|-
| Trung tâm (Centre) || → || Tâm lí (Mentality) 
|→|| Lí do (Reason)
|→
|Etc., until someone cannot form the next word or, if the word play is used as a game, gives up.
|
|}

Another [[language game]] known as ''nói lái'' is used by Vietnamese speakers.{{sfn|Nguyễn|1997|pp=28–29}} ''Nói lái'' involves switching, adding or removing the tones in a pair of words and may also involve switching the order of words or the first consonant and the [[Syllable rime|rime]] of each word. Some examples:

:{| class="wikitable"
! Original phrase !! !! Phrase after ''nói lái'' transformation !! Structural change
|-
| ''đái dầm'' "(child) pee" || → || ''dấm đài'' (literal translation "vinegar stage") || word order and tone switch
|-
| ''chửa hoang'' "pregnancy out of wedlock" || → || ''hoảng chưa'' "scared yet?" || word order and tone switch
|-
| ''bầy tôi'' "all the king's subjects" || → || ''bồi tây'' "west waiter" || initial consonant, rime, and tone switch
|-
| ''bí mật'' "secrets" || → || ''bật mí'' "reveal" || initial consonant and rime switch
|-
| ''Tây Ban Nha'' "Spain (España)" || → || ''Tây Bán Nhà'' (literal translation "West Sell House", mainly used to mock [[Spain men's national football team|Spain national football team]]<ref>{{Citation |title=Nhạc chế World Cup 2018 {{!}} TÂY BÁN NHÀ {{!}} Ronaldo còn có nhà mà về |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTIFecbWc7c |access-date=2023-08-30 |language=en}}</ref>) || initial consonant, rime, and tone switch
|-
| ''Bồ Đào Nha'' "Portugal" || → || ''Nhà Đào Bô'' (literal translation "House Dig Bucket", mainly used to mock [[Portugal national football team]]) || word order and tone switch
|}

The resulting transformed phrase often has a different meaning but sometimes may just be a nonsensical word pair. ''Nói lái'' can be used to obscure the original meaning and thus soften the discussion of a socially sensitive issue, as with ''dấm đài'' and ''hoảng chưa'' (above), or when implied (and not overtly spoken), to deliver a hidden subtextual message, as with ''bồi tây''.{{efn|{{harvnb|Nguyễn|1997|p=29}} gives the following context: "... a collaborator under the French administration was presented with a congratulatory panel featuring the two Chinese characters ''quần thần''. This Sino-Vietnamese expression could be defined as ''bầy tôi'' meaning 'all the king's subjects'. But those two syllables, when undergoing commutation of rhyme and tone, would generate ''bồi tây'' meaning 'servant in a French household'."}} Naturally, ''nói lái'' can be used for a humorous effect.<ref>[http://www.users.bigpond.com/doanviettrung/noilai.html www.users.bigpond.com/doanviettrung/noilai.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222075952/http://www.users.bigpond.com/doanviettrung/noilai.html |date=2008-02-22 }}, Language Log's [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001788.html itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001788.html], and [http://tphcm.blogspot.com/2005/01/ni-li.html tphcm.blogspot.com/2005/01/ni-li.html] for more examples.</ref>

Another word game somewhat reminiscent of [[pig latin]] is played by children. Here a nonsense syllable (chosen by the child) is prefixed onto a target word's syllables, then their initial consonants and rimes are switched with the tone of the original word remaining on the new switched rime.

:{| class="wikitable"
! Nonsense syllable !! Target word !! !! Intermediate form with prefixed syllable !! !! Resulting "secret" word
|-
| ''la'' || ''phở'' "beef or chicken noodle soup" || → || ''la phở'' || → || ''lơ phả''
|-
| ''la'' || ''ăn'' "to eat" || → || ''la ăn'' || → || ''lăn a''
|-
| ''la'' || ''hoàn cảnh'' "situation" || → || ''la hoàn la cảnh'' || → || ''loan hà lanh cả''
|-
| ''chim'' || ''hoàn cảnh'' "situation" || → || ''chim hoàn chim cảnh'' || → || ''choan hìm chanh kỉm''
|}

This language game is often used as a "secret" or "coded" language useful for obscuring messages from adult comprehension.