Hmoob

Hmong

Hmong-Mien

FamilyHmong-Mien Speakers~5M ScriptLatin (Hmong RPA) / Pahawh Hmong CountriesChina (Guizhou/Yunnan/Sichuan), Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar; USA diaspora Official inNo (recognized in PRC; Hmong-American community language in MN/CA/WI) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3hmn

Hmong (Hmoob) is a Hmong-Mien language with ~5M speakers across SW China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and a major diaspora in the USA (Hmong refugees post-1975 Vietnam War, especially Minnesota and California). Written in the Hmong RPA (Romanized Popular Alphabet, 1953 Yves Bertrais and missionaries), and Pahawh Hmong (1959 Shong Lue Yang). Tonal (8 tones in White Hmong).

Where it is spoken

20 core words in Hmong

Water

dej

/tɛ˥˨/

Fire

taws

/tʰɑ˨˩/

Sun

hnub

/n̥u˥˥/

Moon

hli

/ɬi˧/

Mother

niam

/niã˨˩ˀ/

Father

txiv

/tɕi˨˦/

Eat

noj

/nɔ˥˨/

Drink

haus

/hɑu˨˩/

Love

hlub

/ɬu˥˥/

Heart

siab

/ɕia˥˥/

Tree

ntoo

/ⁿtɔː˧/

House

tsev

/tɕɛ˨˦/

Dog

dev

/tɛ˨˦/

Cat

miv

/mi˨˦/

Hand

tes

/tʰɛ˨˩/

Eye

qhov muag

/qʰɔ˨˦mua˦˨ʱ/

Hello

nyob zoo

/ɲɔ˥˥ʒɔ˧/

Thank you

ua tsaug

/ua˧tɕɑu˦˨ʱ/

One

ib

/i˥˥/

Good

zoo

/tɕɔː˧/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Hmong-Mien languages

Meaning HmongXi'an MandarinHainaneseKaifeng MandarinWuhan MandarinNùngHangzhou Wu
Water dej /tɛ˥˨/ /fei˥˧/ /zui˨˩˧/ /ʂuei˥˧/ /suei˨˩˧/ nặm /naːm˨˩/ /ʂz̩˥˧/
Fire taws /tʰɑ˨˩/ /xuo˥˧/ /hə˨˩˧/ /xuo˥˧/ /huo˨˩˧/ fầy /fəj˨˩/ /xo˥˧/
Sun hnub /n̥u˥˥/ 日头 /ʐɿ˥˥tʰou˨˦/ 日头 /dit˨˨tʰau˨˦/ 日头 /ʐəɻ˧˩˨tʰou˦˨/ 太阳 /tʰai˥˧iaŋ˨˩˧/ tha vằn /tʰaː˧˧vən˨˩/ 日头 /ʐəʔ˩˨dɤɯ˨˩˧/
Moon hli /ɬi˧/ 月亮 /ye˥˥liaŋ˨˩/ /ŋet˨˨/ 月亮 /yɛ˦˨liaŋ˧˩˨/ 月亮 /yɛ˨˩˧liaŋ/ boon /boːn˧˧/ 月亮 /yøʔ˩˨liaŋ˨˩˧/
Mother niam /niã˨˩ˀ/ /ma˨˩/ /bo˨˩˧/ /ma˨˦/ 妈妈 /ma˨˩˧ma/ /mɛ˨˩˧/ 妈妈 /ma˧˧ma˨˩˧/
Father txiv /tɕi˨˦/ /pa˥˥/ /ba˨˨/ /tiɛ˨˦/ 爸爸 /pa˨˩˧pa/ /pɔ˨˩/ 爸爸 /pa˧˧pa˨˩˧/
Eat noj /nɔ˥˨/ /tʂʰɿ˨˩/ /tʰeʔ˥˥/ /tʂʰʅ˨˦/ /tʂʰʅ˥˥/ kin /kin˧˧/ /t͡ɕʰiʔ˥/
Drink haus /hɑu˨˩/ /xɤ˨˩/ /lim˨˦/ /xɤ˨˦/ /xo˥˥/ kin nặm /kin˧˧naːm˨˩/ /xəʔ˥/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Hmong
Kuv xav sim ib cev khaub ncaws uas kuv pom hauv ib lub khw uas tig lub tsev so
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 看到的 那套西装
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

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