Hán văn (漢文)

Vietnamese Hán văn (Sino-reading)

Sinitic (Sino-Vietnamese pedagogical reading of Literary Chinese) · historical / hidden variety

FamilySinitic (Sino-Vietnamese pedagogical reading of Literary Chinese) SpeakersActive Han-Nôm scholarly use (Vietnamese, no L1) ScriptChinese characters (Han-tự, 漢字) CountriesVietnam (historically); modern Han-Nôm scholarship worldwide Official inVietnamese dynastic courts (Lý, Trần, Lê, Nguyễn dynasties) until 1919 abolition of civil-service exams Vitalityextinct ISO 639-3lzh

Vietnamese Hán văn (漢文) is the Vietnamese pedagogical reading tradition for Classical Chinese (Literary Chinese, lzh) texts, using Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation (âm Hán Việt). The third major East Asian Sino-reading tradition alongside Japanese kanbun (ja_kanbun), Korean hanmun, and Cantonese pedagogical reading (zh_wenyan_edu). Distinct from chữ Nôm (vi_nom, the demotic Vietnamese script for native Vietnamese morphemes) — Hán văn reads Chinese characters in Classical Chinese order with Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation, not Vietnamese morphology. Sino-Vietnamese readings preserve more Middle Chinese-derived phonology than modern Mandarin: 6 tones, stop finals -p/-t/-k, nasal final -m. The system of Confucian education in Vietnam from the 11th-century Văn Miếu Quốc Tử Giám (Temple of Literature) until the 1919 abolition of imperial examinations; survives in modern Han-Nôm scholarly tradition.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Vietnamese Hán văn (Sino-reading)

Water

/tʰwi˧˩˧/

Fire

/hwa˧˩˧/

Sun

/ɲət˨˩/

Moon

/ŋwiət˨˩/

Star

/tïŋ˧˧/

Mother

/məw˧˥/

Father

/fu˨˩˨/

I

/ŋaː˧˥/

You

/ɲɨ˧˥/

Name

/zaɲ˧˧/

Eye

/muk˨˩/

Hand

/tʰu˧˩˧/

Heart

/təm˧˧/

Love

/ai˧˥/

Tree

/mok˨˩/

House

/ok˧˥/

Dog

/xwien˧˩˧/

Cat

/miew˧˧/

Eat

/tʰɨk˨˩/

Drink

/əm˧˩˧/

One

/ɲət˧˥/

Two

/ɲi˨˩ʔ/

Hello

萬福

/vən˨˩ fuk˨˩/

Thank you

/ta˨˩˨/

Good

/tʰien˨˩˨/

Cuckoo

布穀

/ɓo˧˥ kok̚˧˥/

Computer

算盤

/twaːn˧˥ɓaːn˨˩/

Sushi

/ʈaː˧˩˧/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Sino-Vietnamese pedagogical reading of Literary Chinese) languages

Meaning Vietnamese Hán văn (Sino-reading)HainaneseXiang Chinese (Yongzhou dialect)Chinese (Classical)Gan (Jiʼan)Gan Chinese (Yichun dialect)Gan (Jiangxi)
Water /tʰwi˧˩˧/ /zui˨˩˧/ /tshui˨˩/ /ɕy˧˩˧/ /sui˨˩˧/ /ʂui̯˨˩˥/ /sui˨˩˧/
Fire /hwa˧˩˧/ /hə˨˩˧/ /fu˨˩/ /xwo˧˩˧/ /fo˨˩˧/ /hu̯o˨˩˥/ /fo˨˩˧/
Sun /ɲət˨˩/ 日头 /dit˨˨tʰau˨˦/ /nit˥˦/ /ʐi˥˩/ 日头 /ɲit˥tʰɛu˨/ /ɲɪk̚˧˩/ 日头 /ɲit˥tʰɛu/
Moon /ŋwiət˨˩/ /ŋet˨˨/ /ŋɔ̃˥˦/ /ŋyat/ 月光 /ŋyot˥kuɔŋ˦˨/ /ŋɔk̚˥˥/ 月光 /ŋyot˥kuɔŋ˦˨/
Star /tïŋ˧˧/ /ɕe˨˦/ /ɕin˧˧/ /siajŋ˧/ /ɕiaŋ˧˧/ /ɕiaŋ˦˨/ /ɕiaŋ˦˨/
Mother /məw˧˥/ /bo˨˩˧/ /ma˧˥/ /mu˧˩˧/ 妈妈 /ma˦˨ma˦˨/ /ma˧˩/ 妈妈 /ma˦˨ma/
Father /fu˨˩˨/ /ba˨˨/ /pa˧˥/ /fu˥˩/ 爸爸 /pa˥pa˥/ /pa˥˥/ 爸爸 /pa˥pa/
I /ŋaː˧˥/ /va˨˩/ /ŋo˦˩/ /ŋɔ˧˩/ /ŋo˧˩/ /ŋo˨˩˧/ /ŋo˨˩˧/
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