The easiest way to learn Vietnamese is to learn Quốc Ngữ, the Vietnamese alphabet, and then read and listen to short, easy Vietnamese about things you already like, checking the translation when you need it. Leave tone charts and long word lists for later, because easy Vietnamese keeps showing you the most common words with their tones. Below are the first steps in order, and some easy Vietnamese to start with.
Is Vietnamese Easy to Learn?
Vietnamese is easy to start, and it takes a long time to learn well. The alphabet uses letters English readers already know, while the tones and the words take much longer, and the U.S. Foreign Service Institute puts Vietnamese in its group of hard languages for English speakers. Our guide to the fastest way shows how long it takes.
Three things make the start easier than it looks.
- Letters You Already KnowQuốc Ngữ has 29 letters, and only seven of them, such as đ and ư, are new to English readers.
- Verbs That Never ChangeVietnamese verbs keep one form, so đi (go) stays the same for I, you, she, yesterday and tomorrow.
- Words From the MenuIf you like Vietnamese food, you have probably seen phở and bánh mì on a menu already.
What Is the Easiest Way to Start?
The easiest way to start is to learn the letters, then spend your time on short Vietnamese you enjoy, one small step at a time.
- Learn Quốc Ngữ FirstLearn the new letters and the tone marks a few at a time with Bubblegum's free Quốc Ngữ course.
- Read About What You LoveRead short dialogues about food, coffee, or anything else you already enjoy.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each tone you hear goes with the mark on its word.
- Hide the TranslationKeep the English hidden, and check it only when a line stops you.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep from each lesson.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like a way to order coffee you want to use.
Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening to Vietnamese at your level, with lessons that Poppy, its AI tutor, writes about the things you like. Words you save come back inside new lessons through Regenerative Review™, so reviewing them means reading more Vietnamese.
What Makes Vietnamese Feel Hard, and How Can You Make It Easier?
Four parts of Vietnamese feel hard at first, and each one gets easier when you meet it again and again in easy Vietnamese.
| What feels hard | The easy fix |
|---|---|
| The tones | The words mua (buy) and múa (dance) differ only in tone. Learn each word from its audio, and the tones start to stick as you hear them in many sentences. |
| Words for "you" and "I" | Vietnamese picks these words by age and relationship. A man a little older than you is anh, and a woman a little older is chị. Easy dialogues show who is talking to whom, so you see each word used with the right person many times. |
| Three accents | Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City say some sounds and words differently. Read and listen in one accent at first, and add the others once it feels easy. |
| Words written in parts | Vietnamese puts a space between the parts of a word, so cà phê (coffee) looks like two words. Easy reading shows common words like it many times, so you start to see each one as a whole. |
What Is Easy Vietnamese to Start With?
Easy Vietnamese to start with is short and slow, and it is about something you enjoy.
| What | Why it's easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Lessons about greetings and ordering | Level 1, Bubblegum's easiest level, uses short lines in Northern Vietnamese with audio and a translation. | Free on this site |
| Lessons about ordering coffee | These lessons use simple lines about coffee and greetings in Southern Vietnamese, starting at Level 1. | Free on this site |
| Lazy Vietnamese | Its free videos tell stories and show everyday scenes in easy Vietnamese for beginners. | youtube.com/@VietnameseComprehensibleInput |
| StoryWeaver | Free picture books in Vietnamese are sorted into reading levels, and the pictures help you follow the story. | storyweaver.org.in |
If a new word shows up in almost every line, switch to something easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to learn Quốc Ngữ?
Learn a few letters and tone marks at a time, and read real words with them as soon as you can. Bubblegum's free Quốc Ngữ course works this way in your browser, in four short chapters with audio for every sound, and you can pick a Northern, Central or Southern version.
Can I skip the tones at first?
No, because the tone is part of each word, and a missing mark can turn it into a different word. Northern Vietnamese has six tones, written with five marks and one tone with no mark, while Central and Southern Vietnamese have five.
Which Vietnamese app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Vietnamese, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, tutors and speaking practice, see our comparison of Vietnamese apps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
The Quốc Ngữ course and the Vietnamese lessons on this site are also free and need no account.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories)
- Wikipedia, Vietnamese alphabet (29 letters, seven with extra marks; five tone marks; the parts of a word written apart)
- Omniglot: About Vietnamese (verbs do not change for tense; six tones, five in the south and center; three regional accents)
- Wikipedia, Vietnamese pronouns (anh for a man a little older, chị for a woman a little older)
