contrasting of english and vietnamese addressing forms
TRANSCRIPT
Contrastive analysis 2009Contrasting of English and Vietnamese addressing forms
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University of Pedagogy
English department
Contrasting of English and Vietnamese Addressing
Forms
Nguyễn Vũ Hoàng Vân
Class: 5CQBT.05
Contrastive analysis 2009Contrasting of English and Vietnamese addressing forms
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I. Introduction:
All human languages have addressing forms. Addressing forms are considered as
an interesting phenomenon in the study on the across cultural communication because
of including numerous addressing systems in different cultures and languages. Both
English and Vietnamese languages also have their unique addressing term system,
which cannot be translated equivalently. In these two languages, a few basic
addressing terms share the same semantic constants. However, cross-cultural
researchers find that addressing terms of a society that uses one system cannot be fully
translated equivalently into the language of a society that uses a different system.
Compared with English addressing system, Vietnamese addressing system is much
more complicated and diversified. A lot of foreigners find it very difficult and confused to
use Vietnamese addressing forms. They regard accessing to Vietnamese addressing
forms as entering to a maze. Even Vietnamese natives sometimes make mistakes for
using them. Therefore, Vietnamese addressing forms are said to be the most intricate
features in Vietnamese language for those who study Vietnamese. As for English
addressing system, there exists a neutral dyad “ I and You” which used in
communication in any context and with anyone because of no differences of age, social
and family relationship or gender between addresser and addressee.
This paper aims at contrasting the differences of addressing forms between
English and Vietnamese. From that it helps learners who study English or Vietnamese
understand more about the equivalence of addressing forms between these 2
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languages when translating them into each other. It focuses on contrasting personal
pronouns, kinship terms, proper names, occupational titles and demonstrative
pronouns.
I. Definition of addressing forms and general view of
English and Vietnamese addressing forms:
According to Nguyen Van Khang (as cited in Vinh, 2008, Address forms in
translation), addressing terms are words used to call oneself and others. Namely, they
are words used to addressee or call the hearer or speaker in the communication. In
comparison with English terms, the use of Vietnamese terms of address in actual
communication is more intricate. As Luong points out: “Both the use and the meanings
of Vietnamese person-referring forms are saliently and inextricably linked to the power,
solidarity, and formality dimensions in the relations among the addressor, addressee, as
well as the referred parties.” (as cited in Luong,1990, p.5). The appropriate choice of
Vietnamese addressing forms to utilize involve and consideration a wide range of
sociolinguistic factors, such as age, sex, social status, relationship( blood, intimate or
distant), attitudes ( respectful or arrogant), feelings of the speakers and addressee as
well as the formality of the communication context. English addressing forms, unlike
Vietnamese ones, content “prefabricated units”, such as I, we and you, in
communication. It means that these units can be used in any context and with
everyone. English addressing forms don’t include in themselves any information of
sociolinguistic factors or the formality of the communication
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II. Contrasting of English and Vietnamese addressing
forms:
Personal pronoun
Personal pronoun is a word used instead of a noun that represents a specific
person. Its use depends on number ( singular, pural), person ( first, second, third),
gender (male, female, neutral), and case ( subject, object). These two following tables
will illustrate the difference between English and Vietnamese personal pronoun.
Table 1: English addressing forms
English personal pronoun
singular plural
subject object reflexive subject object reflexive
first me myself we us ourselves
second you you yourself you you yourselves
third masculine he him himself they them themselves
feminine she her herself
neuter it it itself
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Table 2: Vietnamese addressing forms
Persons Number
P1 (addressor)
(English "I/we")
P2 (addressee)
(English "you")
P3 (third person
referent) (English
"he, she, it/they")
tôi / nó, hắn, y Singular
tao mày, mi
ta mi
tớ cậu, bạn, trò
mình bạn
/ mình
chúng tôi các bạn chúng nó, chúng,
họ,
Plural
chúng tao chúng mày, bây,
chúng bây ,tụi
mày, tụi bây
ta/ chúng ta
chúng tớ các cậu
mình, chúng
mnh2, tụi mình
các bạn
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As these two tables can be seen, Vietnamese and English personal pronoun
must be in agreement with correct gender and number of people being described.
However, Vietnamese has more forms of personal pronoun than English does. There
are five common pronouns for the first person singular reference and the corresponding
plural forms for five singular forms by adding “chúng” to them. “Mình” and “ta: can be
used in both plural and singular form. In the second person reference, there exist three
singular and 3 corresponding plural forms. The third person reference includes four
commonly used pronouns in the singular form and three in plural. As the result,
Vietnamese personal pronouns can reveal the social relationship between the speaker
and the person being referred to, the difference in age and the attitude of the speaker
toward the hearer. For example, the first person tôi is the only pronoun to be used in
polite speech. The second person ta does not only indicate a higher status of the
speaker, but also is often used when talking to oneself as in a soliloquy. The other
superior-to-inferior forms in the first and second persons (tao, mày, mi, bay),which are
considered impolite, are commonly used in familiar social contexts, such as among
family member. The pronoun mình is used only in intimate relationships, such as
between husband and wife. The form “ y” can be preceded by the pluralizer in Southern
dialects in which case it is more respectful than “nó”.
In English personal pronoun, there are only two forms for the first person:
I(singular) and we ( plural). You is used for both the second singular and plural person.
The third person includes three singular forms, such as he, she and it; and only one
plural form_they. In the first and second person, they exist in to neutral dyadic pairs
(I_You and We_You) which are regarded as prefabricated units because they are used
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to communicate in any context and with everyone, not containing any information of
gender, age or social and family relationship as well as the formality of communication.
The third person is only used to refer to the difference of gender but age between the
speakers and listeners in any dimensions of the communication.
As for grammar, Vietnamese personal pronoun, unlike English personal pronoun,
does not have transformation from subjective form to objective form so Vietnamese one
can be used as both subject and object in sentences. In English personal pronoun,
there is a clear distinction between subjective and objective forms of addressing. Each
subjective form also has its own relevant objective form.
Eg:
Cô ầy yêu tôi she loves me
Tôi yêu cô ấy I love her
In Vietnamese personal pronoun: the subjects are the same with the objects: cô
ấy, tôi
In English personal pronoun: “ she” has the objective form_”her”, “I” has the
objective form_”me”.
Kinship terms
Kinship terms, according to E. R. Leach , are “category words by means of which
an individual is taught to recognize the significant groupings in the social structure into
which he is born” (as cited in Leach,1958, p. 143). All languages in the word have
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kinship terms, which are clearly highlighted in addressing forms of a language. Without
exception, all kinship terms make use of such factors as age, sex, generation, blood
and marriage in their society. Both English and Vietnamese languages also have their
own kinship terms, which cannot be translated into each other equivalently. Both they
have defined their own set of kinship terms and the roles they serve in the society.
There are both similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese kinship
terms through the following table 3 and table 4:
Table3: Lineal relations
Relation to ego English term Vietnamese term
Reciprocalpaternal grandfathermaternal grandfather
grandfather Ông nộiÔng ngoại
Cháucháu
paternal grandmothermaternal grandmother
grandmother Bà nộiBà ngoại
Cháucháu
father father Ba, cha, tía, bố conmother mother Mẹ, má, u, bầm con
elder brotheryounger brother
brother Anh traiEm trai
em
elder sisteryounger sister
sister Chi gáiEm gái
Cha, má, bố, mẹ…
son son Con trai Cha, má, bố, mẹ…
daughter daughter Con gái Cha, má, bố, mẹ…
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son’s sondaughter’s son
grandson Cháu trai ( cháu nội or cháu ngoại)
Ông bà nội, ông bà ngoại
son’s daughterdaughter’s daughter
granddaughter Cháu gái ( cháu nội or cháu ngoại)
Ông bà nội, ông bà ngoại
Table 4: Collateral relations
Relation to ego English term Vietnamese term ReciprocalVietnamese
father’s elder brotherfather’s younger brothermother’selder brothermother’s younger brother
uncle BácChúBácCậu
cháu
father’s elder/ younger sistermother’s elder/ younger sister
aunt Bác, cô
Bác, dì
cháu
father’s brother’s son (elder / younger)father’s sister’s son (elder / younger)mother’s brother’s son(elder / younger)mother’s sister’s son(elder / younger)father’s brother’s daughter(elder / younger)father’s sister’s daughter(elder / younger)mother’ brother’s
cousin Anh em trai bà conAnh em trai họ hàng
Chị em gái họ hàngChị em gái bà con
Em, anh, chi
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daughter(elder / younger)mother’s sister’s daughter(elder / younger)brother’s sonsister’s sonwife’s sibling’s sonhusband’s sibling’s son
nephew Cháu trai Chú, cô
brother’s daughtersister’s daughterwife’s sibling’s daughterhusband’s sibling’s daughter
niece Cháu gái Cậu, dì
mother’selder brother ‘ wifemother’s younger brother’ wife
aunt Bác
Mợ
cháu
father’s elder brother’ wifefather’s younger brother’ wife
aunt Bác
thím
cháu
Father in law ( paternal and maternal )Mother in law ( paternal and maternal )
Father in law
Mother in law
Ba, cha bố chồng/vợ
Mẹ, má chồng/ vợ
con
Elder/ younger brother’s wifeElder/younger sister’s husband
Sister
brother
Chị dâuEm dâu
Anh rễ, em rễ
Em, chị, anh
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Elder/ younger brother in law( paternal and maternal )
Elder/younger sister in law( paternal and maternal )
Brother
sister
Anh/ em chồng ( vợ)
Chi/ em chồng ( vơ)
Anh, chi, em
Daughter’s husbandSon’s husband
Daughter in lawSon in law
Con dâu
Con rễ
Ba.mẹ
In both English and Vietnamese kinship systems, addressing forms are used to
emphasize people who are related by blood and marriage (collateral and lineal). Both
they are also based on the relation of blood and marriage to choose the appropriate
terms to address each other in communication.
Eg: Parent’s parents : grandparents ( English), ông bà ( Vietnamese)
Parent’s sister : aunt ( English), cô, dì, bác ( Vietnamese).
In both languages, kinship terms differentiate between generations ( the difference
between a child and a parent) and between sexes ( the difference between a brother
and a sister). Moreover, both the two kinship systems distinguish between relatives by
blood and marriage.
Eg: son/daughter : offspring son/ daughter ( English), con đẽ/ruột ( Vietnamese)
son in law, daughter in law ( English); con rễ, con dâu
( Vietnamese)
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In contrast to English kinship terms, there exist more specific and complex kinship
terms in Vietnamese, most of which do not have equivalents in English language.
Kinship and family relationships in Vietnam are more accurately described as an
intricate network and complicated pattern of relationships, while English ones are less
complex, full and fastidious. Why the Vietnamese kinship system is more complicated
than English one?
Firstly, Vietnam is a family-centered tradition country, while English culture
focuses on the independence of individuals. Vietnamese people treasure the close
family relationship highly and like to live together with or near their families. Complicated
Vietnamese family hierarchy is the dominant factor in choosing the right addressing
term. By contrast to Vietnamese, Individualism has long been considered as a
characteristic of the dominant ideology in English culture. They think much of privacy of
individuals. Hence, they don’t need so many kinship terms to keep together the familial
relations.
Secondly, Vietnamese kinship emphasizes patrilineal relationship, while English
one does not. Vietnamese people attach much importance to consanguineous relations
and affinal ones, which connotes by kinship terms apparently. There are the difference
of kinship terms between paternal lineages and maternal ones, such as : cháu nội/cháu
ngoại, ông nội/ ông ngoại and ba vợ/ ba chồng. While in English, maternal and paternal
lineages are not distinguished so distinctly. We even cannot distinguish an “uncle”
whether is one’s father’s brother or one’s mother’s brother.
Thirdly, Vietnamese culture emphasizes “superior controls junior”, while the
descendant and the elderly relate to each other as friends in English. In Vietnam, that
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the descendant is not allowed to call the elderly by name is considered against the
traditional morality and social order. Therefore, exact kinship forms are necessary in
addressing to distinct elderly kins. In English, the descendant is allowed to call the
elderly by name, which is a way to perform intimacy in English culture. The relative age
of a sibling relation may be not considered while addressing. For example, “brother”
applied to “elder brother” and “younger brother” are both practicable.
Fourthly, the gender of the relative is distinguished in Vietnamese culture, while
not in English. In Vietnamese culture, the gender of the relative is differentiated
distinctly. For example, title for “father’s brother’s son” (anh bà con) is strictly
distinguished from that for “father’s brother’s daughter” (chị bà con). English kinship
system may ignore the sex distinction. For example, all male and female children of a
person’s father/mother’s brother/sister can be called by the same term “cousin”. It may
refer to the mother’s brother’s son, mother’s brother’s daughter, mother’s sister’s son,
mother’s sister’s daughter, father’s brother’s son, father’s brother’s daughter, father’s
sister’s son, father’s sister’s daughter, and so on.
As for grammar, Vietnamese kinship terms are used for all first, second and third
person reference in structural sentences. In contrast to Vietnamese ones, English
kinship terms are only used for 3rd person reference
Eg:
In Vietnam:
- Con yêu mẹ. ( mẹ: the second person)
- Mẹ yêu con. ( mẹ: the first person)
- Cháu yêu mẹ lắm ( mẹ: the third person)
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In England:
- I love my mother. ( my mother: the third person)
Apart from above two main contrastive points: personal pronouns and kinship
terms, Vietnamese and English also have differences in using occupational titles,
demonstrative pronouns and properl names. In Vietnamese, occupational titles,
demonstrative pronouns and personal names are used as modes of address and
reference to address others and to refer to oneself more commonly than in English.
Proper names
Vietnamese speakers refer to themselves and others by name where it would be
strange if used in English, eliminating the need for personal pronouns altogether. For
example, consider the following conversation
Peter: Mary đang làm gì vậy?
Mary: Mary đang gọi Joe. John có biết Joe ở đâu không?
John: Không, John không biết Joe ở đâu hết.
Directly translated into English, the conversation would run thus:
John: What is Mary doing?
Mary: Mary is calling Joe. Does John know where Joe is?
John: No, John doesn't know where Joe is.
A normal translation of the conversation into English would be:
John: What are you doing?
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Mary: I am calling Joe. Do you know where he is?
John: No, I don't know where he is.
While referring to oneself or the audience by name would be considered strange
in English because English people always use surname with the titles, such as Mr,
Miss, Mrs and Ms in formal context or just use “I and You” in any context , in
Vietnamese it is considered friendly, and is the preferred way to communicate with
close friends. However, Vietnamese with a lower rank cannot refer to their superiors by
name in a kinship context.
Occupational status
The next point I want to contrast between English and Vietnamese addressing
system is occupational status. In Vietnamese addressing system, there are
occupational titles used to address someone by their own occupation, such as đồng chí
('comrade'), giáo sư ('professor'), and bác sĩ ('doctor'). Moreover, there also exists
occupational titles with proper names, such as “ giáo sư Mai”, “thầy giáo Hùng” and
“trưởng phòng Lan”. They are can be used as the second and third personal reference.
Eg: In Vietnam
Patient: Bác sĩ ơi, khám thử xem cái tay em bị gì mà sao cứ chảy mổ hôi miết.
Doctor: Được rồi, chị ngồi xuống đây để tôi khám.
English addressing system, unlike Vietnamese one, they use a neutral dyad “ I
and You” when talk to each other. It does not depend on their own occupation as well
as their position in the society. They often use their own occupation following with their
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sur name as the third person in formal content. For example, when introducing
someone, they combine his/her own occupation with the sur name, such as Doctor
David and Professor Mark.
Demonstrative pronoun
Demonstrative pronoun is used to distinguish the particular objects or people that
are referred to from other possible candidates ( this, that, these and those). More
interestingly, it is a special addressing term that exists only in Vietnamese addressing
form, especially in love relationship, such as đây, đằng này…for the speaker and đây,
đằng ấy, ấy for the hearer. It can be used independently ( not follow with noun) to refer
somebody as the first and second person.
Eg:
Boy: Cho đằng này hỏi đằng ấy một câu nhé?
Girl: Dạ, đằng ấy cứ hỏi đi ạ.
As for English language, demonstrative pronoun is also used to demonstrate
people but must follow with a noun when referring someone, for example: this teacher,
that person.
Eg:
Marry: Do you know that person over there?
Peter: yes, he is my brother in law.
III. Teaching implications
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Address forms are a part of greeting and showing power and solidarity for us to
know the relationship between an address and an addressee. And address forms are
also culturally restricted, so we can expect different societies to devise different ways of
handling the choice of address forms. Therefore, address forms play an important role
in communication, and the appropriate choice of address forms are helpful for
interpersonal relationship.
According to Koller, "to achieve the equivalent of using language that means
translating for a large number of specific audiences" and " how to translate ensures
understanding of their culture reception. " (as cited in Andrew,1989, Readings in
Translation Theory)
Translating of addressing forms is not only used to emphasize the rules of
communication in addressing, but also gives clear differences between English and
Vietnamese addressing forms.
There are some following rues when translating Vietnamese addressing forms into
English ones (vice versa).
a. comply with the social and family hierarchies (eg: relation between parents and
children, relation between employers and employees).
b. pay attention to age, marital status and gender (distinction between married woman
and unmarried woman).
c. base on the intimation of human relationship ( such as friendship and neighborhood).
d. consider the difference of addressing between social and family relations.
When translating addressing terms from English into Vietnamese (vice versa), we
have to pay attention to equivalence and nonequivalence of the rules in the
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communication in Vietnam (English). From that the learners can give their translating
which is relevant to the original content of text and its culture. Moreover, that combining
structures with rules of addressing plays important roles to get benefit of translation.
Finally, when translating these two languages into each other, learners do not only
analyze the specific culture and the features of their native language but also
reverbalize them in accord with the value and culture of the other language .
IV. Conclusion
From the above analyses of the differences between English and Vietnamese
addressing forms, it is concluded that using suitable addressing forms depends on the
power, solidarity, and formality of dimensions in the relation between addresser and
addressee so changes in the character’s feelings and attitudes toward each other or in
their relationships are conveyed through changes in addressing. Hence, when
translating English and Vietnamese into each other, translators are considered as an
intermediary between the two cultures with their own special features and have to select
the most appropriate addressing forms basing on the relationship between the speakers
and the hearers. Finally, using appropriate addressing forms will not only help learners
have better understanding of the language they study but also provide them with
enhanced knowledge of its custom and culture.
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References:
Pham, T.V. (2008). Address forms in translation. Khoaanh. Retrieved December 15th,
2009 from http://khoaanh.net
Luong, Huy V. (1990). Discursive Practices and Linguistic Meanings: The Vietnamese
System of Person Reference. Amsterdam and Philadenphia: John Benjamins.
Leach, E. R. (1958) .Concerning trobriand clans and the kinship category “tabu”. In J.
Goody (Ed.), The developmental cycle in domestic groups. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 120-145.
Andrew Chesterman (1989). Readings in Translation Theory. English: Routledge.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2009). Vietnamese pronouns. Retrieved December
15th, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_pronouns
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2009). English personal pronouns. Retrieved
December 15th, 2009 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_personal_pronouns
Thanh Ngo. (2006). Translation of Vietnamese Terms of Address and Reference.
Translation Journal. Retrieved December 15th, 2009 from
http://accurapid.com/Journal/38viet.htm
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Indirectness in Vietnamese Newspaper Commentaries: A Pilot Study