Six-Eight Verse

Level 6

Lục bát (Sino-Vietnamese for 'six-eight') is the soul of Vietnamese literature. It is a highly productive traditional verse form used for everything from peasant folk songs to classical epics.

How It Works

To write proper lục bát, you must follow the classical tonal rule: nhất, tam, ngũ bất luận; nhị, tứ, lục phân minh (odd syllables are free; even syllables are strictly regulated). Because this proverb is borrowed from Tang-style poetry, it only mentions up to the 6th syllable, but in lục bát, the 8th syllable of the eight-word line is also strictly regulated, while the 7th syllable is free, joining syllables 1, 3, and 5. In Vietnamese poetry, the bằng (flat) group includes the level/unmarked (ngang) and falling (huyền) tones, while the trắc (sharp) group includes the other four tones (sắc, hỏi, ngã, nặng).

  • Even Syllables (2, 4, 6): Must follow a Bằng - Trắc - Bằng (Flat - Sharp - Flat) tone pattern. However, as an accepted exception in classical standard lục bát, a trắc tone is sometimes permitted on the 2nd syllable of either the six-word or eight-word line.
  • The 8-Syllable Line: The even syllables must follow a Bằng - Trắc - Bằng - Bằng (2-4-6-8) pattern. Syllables 6 and 8 must both be bằng (flat/falling), but they must contrast. If the 6th syllable is ngang (level/unmarked), the 8th must be huyền (falling mark), and vice versa.
  • Rhyme (Vần): All linking rhymes must belong to the bằng tone group. Vietnamese poetry allows for slant rhymes (vần thông) as long as the final sound category matches and both belong to the bằng tone group.
  • Rhythm (Ngắt nhịp): Classical lục bát is traditionally read in an even, steady meter. The six-syllable line usually follows a 2/2/2 rhythm, while the eight-syllable line follows a 2/2/2/2 or 4/4 rhythm.

Additionally, folk poetry (ca dao) sometimes uses lục bát biến thể (variant lục bát), which breaks these strict rules by shifting the rhyme to the 4th syllable of the eight-word line.

Do not confuse this with song thất lục bát (Double Seven, Six-Eight), which adds two seven-syllable lines before the 6-8 couplet and includes mandatory rhymes on trắc tones. Understanding tones is essential to appreciate this form.

Examples (3)

  1. Trăm năm trong cõi người ta, / Chữ tài chữ mệnh khéo là ghét nhau.

    In the hundred years of a human lifespan, / Talent and destiny are apt to clash.

    Word by Word: Hundred years inside realm people our, / Word talent word destiny apt to-be hate each-other.

    The opening lines of Nguyễn Du's epic 'Truyện Kiều'. Notice the rhyme: 'ta' (6th syllable, ngang tone) rhymes with 'là' (6th syllable, huyền tone). Then 'là' contrasts with 'nhau' (8th syllable, ngang tone).

  2. Anh đi anh nhớ quê nhà, / Nhớ canh rau muống, nhớ cà dầm tương.

    When I go away, I miss my hometown, / I miss the morning glory soup, I miss the eggplant pickled in soy sauce.

    Word by Word: Brother go brother miss hometown home, / Miss soup vegetable water-spinach, miss eggplant steeped soy-sauce.

    A classic example of folk poetry. The 6th syllable 'nhà' (huyền) rhymes with 'cà' (huyền), which contrasts with 'tương' (ngang) at the 8th syllable.

  3. Hôm qua tát nước đầu đình, / Bỏ quên chiếc áo trên cành hoa sen.

    Yesterday I was bailing water by the village hall, / And forgot my shirt on a lotus branch.

    Word by Word: Day past bail water head village-hall, / Leave forget classifier shirt on branch flower lotus.

    Line 1 even syllables: qua (bằng) - nước (trắc) - đình (bằng). Line 2 even syllables: quên (bằng) - áo (trắc) - cành (bằng) - sen (bằng). The 6th syllable 'đình' (huyền) rhymes with 'cành' (huyền), contrasting with the 8th syllable 'sen' (ngang).

Common Mistakes

  • Ignoring the internal Bằng-Trắc-Bằng tonal rules on even syllables.

    Tôi đi mua một cuốn sách, / Đọc xong tôi thấy rất là vui vẻ.
    Hôm nay trời nắng chang chang, / Mèo con đi học chẳng mang thứ gì.

    Learners often focus only on the 6-8 syllable count and end rhymes. Without the Flat-Sharp-Flat (Bằng-Trắc-Bằng) pattern on syllables 2, 4, and 6, the verse loses its melody and sounds like clunky prose.

  • Failing to contrast the tones of the 6th and 8th syllables in the 8-word line.

    Mùa xuân hoa nở rất xinh, / Chim non ca hát lung linh tươi xanh.
    Mùa xuân hoa nở rất xinh, / Chim non ca hát lung linh trên cành.

    In the 8-syllable line, both the 6th and 8th syllables must be 'bằng' (flat) tones, but they cannot be the exact same tone. If the 6th is 'ngang' (unmarked), the 8th must be 'huyền' (falling), and vice versa. In the incorrect example, 'linh' and 'xanh' are both 'ngang'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Six-Eight VerseLevel 6

Learn This First

To understand the 'lục bát' (six-eight) verse form, a learner must first be comfortable with the monosyllabic nature of Vietnamese writing to count the meter. Furthermore, since the form relies on a specific alternating pattern of 'flat' and 'sharp' tones for its rhythm and rhyme, a solid grasp of the six tones and their categories is required. Familiarity with Vietnamese folk verse (ca dao) provides the necessary context for how this national meter is applied.

Words in This Pattern

lục bát