Vietnamese culture glossary

A reference list for translators, visitors learning about Vietnamese culture and developers building calendar apps. Each entry gives the Vietnamese term, its Sino-Vietnamese characters (where there are any), the English, Chinese and Korean equivalents and a short definition.

The definitions describe customs and folk beliefs as Vietnamese people understand them; they do not claim those beliefs are true.

Calendar and time

âm lịch¶

Characters: 陰曆
English: lunar calendar

The everyday name for the traditional Vietnamese calendar, in which each month begins on the day of the new moon. Strictly it is lunisolar, since leap months keep it in step with the solar year; Vietnam computes it for UTC+7, so dates occasionally differ by a day or a month from the Chinese calendar.

dương lịch¶

Characters: 陽曆
English: solar (Gregorian) calendar

A calendar based on the solar year; in Vietnam, the Gregorian calendar used for official and everyday dates. Wall calendars usually print the solar and lunar date side by side.

lịch âm dương¶

Characters: 陰陽曆
English: lunisolar calendar

A calendar whose months follow the moon while leap months keep the year aligned with the seasons. The traditional Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean calendars are of this kind.

tháng nhuận¶

Characters: 閏月
English: leap month

An extra month added to some lunar years so the calendar does not drift from the seasons; such a year has 13 months. Under the usual rule, when 13 new moons fall between two winter solstices, the first month without a principal term becomes the leap month and repeats the number of the month before it.

năm nhuận¶

Characters: 閏年
English: leap year

In the lunar calendar, a year that contains a leap month (13 months, about 383–385 days); in the solar calendar, a year with 29 February. The two are unrelated.

tháng đủ¶

English: long month (30 days)

A lunar month of 30 days. Month length depends on the actual time of the new moon, so long and short months do not strictly alternate.

tháng thiếu¶

English: short month (29 days)

A lunar month of 29 days, ending on day 29. In some years the twelfth month is short, so there is no 30th and New Year's Eve falls on the night of the 29th.

mùng một¶

English: first day of the lunar month

The first day of a lunar month, the day of the new moon. The first ten days are called “mùng” (mùng một to mùng mười); many families make offerings on this day.

rằm¶

English: full-moon day (15th of the lunar month)

The 15th day of a lunar month, when the moon is at or near full. The full moons of the first, seventh and eighth months each have their own festival.

tháng Giêng¶

English: first lunar month

The name of the first month of the lunar year, which opens with Tết.

tháng Chạp¶

English: twelfth lunar month

The name of the last month of the lunar year, a time of preparing for Tết: seeing off the Kitchen Gods, tending graves and the year-end offering.

thời thần¶

Characters: 時辰
English: double hour

The traditional unit of time that divides a day into 12 periods of two hours, each named after an earthly branch; the hour of Tý runs from 23:00 to 01:00. In everyday speech people say “giờ Tý”, “giờ Ngọ” rather than the formal term.

canh¶

Characters: 更
English: night watch

A division of the night into five watches of about two hours each, from dusk to dawn. It survives in literature and set phrases such as “canh ba” (the third watch, around midnight).

lịch vạn niên¶

Characters: 萬年曆
English: perpetual calendar

A table or book for looking up lunar dates, stems and branches and solar terms over many years. The word is now also used for lunar calendar apps.

can chi¶

Characters: 干支
English: stems and branches

A naming system that pairs one heavenly stem with one earthly branch, such as Giáp Tý, to name years, months, days and hours. Pairing the ten stems and twelve branches in turn gives a cycle of 60.

thiên can¶

Characters: 天干
English: heavenly stems

The ten signs Giáp, Ất, Bính, Đinh, Mậu, Kỷ, Canh, Tân, Nhâm, Quý, used as the first half of each stem-branch name. Each stem is linked to one of the five elements and to yin or yang.

địa chi¶

Characters: 地支
English: earthly branches

The twelve signs Tý, Sửu, Dần, Mão, Thìn, Tỵ, Ngọ, Mùi, Thân, Dậu, Tuất, Hợi, used as the second half of a stem-branch name. Each branch is paired with a zodiac animal and a double hour.

lục thập hoa giáp¶

Characters: 六十花甲
English: sexagenary cycle

The cycle of 60 stem-branch pairs, from Giáp Tý to Quý Hợi, after which it repeats. A year name such as “Bính Ngọ” therefore comes back every 60 years.

con giáp¶

English: zodiac animal

The animal that stands for each earthly branch; people say they are “tuổi Tý” (born in a Rat year) by their lunar birth year. The Vietnamese set has the cat (Mão) instead of the rabbit, and Sửu is usually pictured as a water buffalo.

tuổi mụ¶

English: lunar age (East Asian age reckoning)

The traditional way of counting age: one year at birth, plus one at each Tết, so it is usually one or two years more than age in the Western sense. Many customs that look at age use this count.

Giáp¶

Characters: 甲
English: Giáp (1st heavenly stem)

The 1st of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Wood and to yang. Gregorian years ending in 4 are Giáp years.

Ất¶

Characters: 乙
English: Ất (2nd heavenly stem)

The 2nd of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Wood and to yin. Gregorian years ending in 5 are Ất years.

Bính¶

Characters: 丙
English: Bính (3rd heavenly stem)

The 3rd of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Fire and to yang. Gregorian years ending in 6 are Bính years.

Đinh¶

Characters: 丁
English: Đinh (4th heavenly stem)

The 4th of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Fire and to yin. Gregorian years ending in 7 are Đinh years.

Mậu¶

Characters: 戊
English: Mậu (5th heavenly stem)

The 5th of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Earth and to yang. Gregorian years ending in 8 are Mậu years.

Kỷ¶

Characters: 己
English: Kỷ (6th heavenly stem)

The 6th of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Earth and to yin. Gregorian years ending in 9 are Kỷ years.

Canh¶

Characters: 庚
English: Canh (7th heavenly stem)

The 7th of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Metal and to yang. Gregorian years ending in 0 are Canh years.

Tân¶

Characters: 辛
English: Tân (8th heavenly stem)

The 8th of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Metal and to yin. Gregorian years ending in 1 are Tân years.

Nhâm¶

Characters: 壬
English: Nhâm (9th heavenly stem)

The 9th of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Water and to yang. Gregorian years ending in 2 are Nhâm years.

Quý¶

Characters: 癸
English: Quý (10th heavenly stem)

The 10th of the ten heavenly stems, linked to Water and to yin. Gregorian years ending in 3 are Quý years.

Tý¶

Characters: 子
English: Tý (1st earthly branch; Rat)

The 1st of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the rat and with Water. The hour of Tý runs from 23:00 to 01:00.

Sửu¶

Characters: 丑
English: Sửu (2nd earthly branch; Buffalo (Ox))

The 2nd of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the buffalo and with Earth. The hour of Sửu runs from 01:00 to 03:00.

Dần¶

Characters: 寅
English: Dần (3rd earthly branch; Tiger)

The 3rd of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the tiger and with Wood. The hour of Dần runs from 03:00 to 05:00.

Mão¶

Characters: 卯
English: Mão (4th earthly branch; Cat)

The 4th of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the cat and with Wood. The hour of Mão runs from 05:00 to 07:00. In Vietnam the animal for Mão is the cat, not the rabbit used in China and Korea.

Thìn¶

Characters: 辰
English: Thìn (5th earthly branch; Dragon)

The 5th of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the dragon and with Earth. The hour of Thìn runs from 07:00 to 09:00.

Tỵ¶

Characters: 巳
English: Tỵ (6th earthly branch; Snake)

The 6th of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the snake and with Fire. The hour of Tỵ runs from 09:00 to 11:00.

Ngọ¶

Characters: 午
English: Ngọ (7th earthly branch; Horse)

The 7th of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the horse and with Fire. The hour of Ngọ runs from 11:00 to 13:00.

Mùi¶

Characters: 未
English: Mùi (8th earthly branch; Goat)

The 8th of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the goat and with Earth. The hour of Mùi runs from 13:00 to 15:00.

Thân¶

Characters: 申
English: Thân (9th earthly branch; Monkey)

The 9th of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the monkey and with Metal. The hour of Thân runs from 15:00 to 17:00.

Dậu¶

Characters: 酉
English: Dậu (10th earthly branch; Rooster)

The 10th of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the rooster and with Metal. The hour of Dậu runs from 17:00 to 19:00.

Tuất¶

Characters: 戌
English: Tuất (11th earthly branch; Dog)

The 11th of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the dog and with Earth. The hour of Tuất runs from 19:00 to 21:00.

Hợi¶

Characters: 亥
English: Hợi (12th earthly branch; Pig)

The 12th of the twelve earthly branches, paired with the pig and with Water. The hour of Hợi runs from 21:00 to 23:00.

tiết khí¶

Characters: 節氣
English: solar term

Twenty-four points that divide the sun's apparent yearly path into 15° steps, so they fall on nearly the same Gregorian dates each year. The names follow the climate of the Yellow River basin where the system arose and may not match the weather in Vietnam.

trung khí¶

Characters: 中氣
English: principal term (zhongqi)

The twelve even-numbered solar terms (Rain Water, Spring Equinox, Grain Rain … Winter Solstice, Major Cold), alternating with the twelve “sectional” terms. Principal terms number the lunar months and decide which month is a leap month.

Lập xuân¶

Characters: 立春
English: Start of Spring (Lập xuân)

Solar term 1 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 315°, usually around 4 February. The name means the start of spring. In Four Pillars (bát tự) reckoning, the stem-branch year changes at this term rather than on the first day of Tết.

Vũ thủy¶

Characters: 雨水
English: Rain Water (Vũ thủy)

Solar term 2 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 330°, usually around 19 February. The name means rain water.

Kinh trập¶

Characters: 驚蟄
English: Awakening of Insects (Kinh trập)

Solar term 3 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 345°, usually around 5 March. The name means hibernating insects being startled awake.

Xuân phân¶

Characters: 春分
English: Spring Equinox (Xuân phân)

Solar term 4 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 0°, usually around 20 March. The name means mid-spring; day and night are of about equal length.

Thanh minh¶

Characters: 清明
English: Clear and Bright (Thanh minh)

Solar term 5 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 15°, usually around 4 April. The name means clear and bright. Many families visit and tend family graves during this period.

Cốc vũ¶

Characters: 穀雨
English: Grain Rain (Cốc vũ)

Solar term 6 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 30°, usually around 20 April. The name means rain for the grain.

Lập hạ¶

Characters: 立夏
English: Start of Summer (Lập hạ)

Solar term 7 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 45°, usually around 5 May. The name means the start of summer.

Tiểu mãn¶

Characters: 小滿
English: Grain Buds (Tiểu mãn)

Solar term 8 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 60°, usually around 21 May. The name means grain starting to fill.

Mang chủng¶

Characters: 芒種
English: Grain in Ear (Mang chủng)

Solar term 9 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 75°, usually around 5 June. The name means awned grain coming into ear.

Hạ chí¶

Characters: 夏至
English: Summer Solstice (Hạ chí)

Solar term 10 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 90°, usually around 21 June. The name means mid-summer; the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Tiểu thử¶

Characters: 小暑
English: Minor Heat (Tiểu thử)

Solar term 11 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 105°, usually around 7 July. The name means minor heat.

Đại thử¶

Characters: 大暑
English: Major Heat (Đại thử)

Solar term 12 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 120°, usually around 22 July. The name means major heat.

Lập thu¶

Characters: 立秋
English: Start of Autumn (Lập thu)

Solar term 13 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 135°, usually around 7 August. The name means the start of autumn.

Xử thử¶

Characters: 處暑
English: End of Heat (Xử thử)

Solar term 14 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 150°, usually around 23 August. The name means the heat coming to an end.

Bạch lộ¶

Characters: 白露
English: White Dew (Bạch lộ)

Solar term 15 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 165°, usually around 7 September. The name means white dew.

Thu phân¶

Characters: 秋分
English: Autumn Equinox (Thu phân)

Solar term 16 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 180°, usually around 23 September. The name means mid-autumn; day and night are again of about equal length.

Hàn lộ¶

Characters: 寒露
English: Cold Dew (Hàn lộ)

Solar term 17 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 195°, usually around 8 October. The name means cold dew.

Sương giáng¶

Characters: 霜降
English: Frost's Descent (Sương giáng)

Solar term 18 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 210°, usually around 23 October. The name means the first frost.

Lập đông¶

Characters: 立冬
English: Start of Winter (Lập đông)

Solar term 19 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 225°, usually around 7 November. The name means the start of winter.

Tiểu tuyết¶

Characters: 小雪
English: Minor Snow (Tiểu tuyết)

Solar term 20 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 240°, usually around 22 November. The name means minor snow.

Đại tuyết¶

Characters: 大雪
English: Major Snow (Đại tuyết)

Solar term 21 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 255°, usually around 7 December. The name means major snow.

Đông chí¶

Characters: 冬至
English: Winter Solstice (Đông chí)

Solar term 22 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 270°, usually around 21 December. The name means mid-winter; the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. The lunar month containing this term is always the eleventh month.

Tiểu hàn¶

Characters: 小寒
English: Minor Cold (Tiểu hàn)

Solar term 23 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 285°, usually around 5 January. The name means minor cold.

Đại hàn¶

Characters: 大寒
English: Major Cold (Đại hàn)

Solar term 24 (counting from Start of Spring), beginning when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 300°, usually around 20 January. The name means major cold.

ngày hoàng đạo¶

Characters: 黃道日
English: auspicious (hoàng đạo) day

A day that, by the traditional almanac, is governed by one of the six “yellow path” spirits. Almanacs often treat it as a good day to begin things; this is a cultural convention, not a forecast.

ngày hắc đạo¶

Characters: 黑道日
English: inauspicious (hắc đạo) day

A day that, by the traditional almanac, is governed by one of the six “black path” spirits. Almanacs often advise caution before major undertakings on such a day.

giờ hoàng đạo¶

Characters: 黃道時
English: auspicious hour

The six of a day's twelve double hours that fall under a “yellow path” spirit; the other six are inauspicious hours. Many people consult them when choosing a time to set out, marry or open a business.

Thanh Long¶

Characters: 青龍
English: Thanh Long (Azure Dragon)

Spirit 1 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the auspicious (hoàng đạo) spirits. The name means “Azure Dragon”.

Minh Đường¶

Characters: 明堂
English: Minh Đường (Bright Hall)

Spirit 2 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the auspicious (hoàng đạo) spirits. The name means “Bright Hall”.

Thiên Hình¶

Characters: 天刑
English: Thiên Hình (Heavenly Punishment)

Spirit 3 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the inauspicious (hắc đạo) spirits. The name means “Heavenly Punishment”.

Chu Tước¶

Characters: 朱雀
English: Chu Tước (Vermilion Bird)

Spirit 4 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the inauspicious (hắc đạo) spirits. The name means “Vermilion Bird”.

Kim Quỹ¶

Characters: 金匱
English: Kim Quỹ (Golden Coffer)

Spirit 5 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the auspicious (hoàng đạo) spirits. The name means “Golden Coffer”.

Kim Đường¶

Characters: 金堂
English: Kim Đường (Golden Hall)

Spirit 6 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the auspicious (hoàng đạo) spirits. The name means “Golden Hall”. Chinese almanacs usually call this spirit Bảo Quang (寶光, “precious light”).

Bạch Hổ¶

Characters: 白虎
English: Bạch Hổ (White Tiger)

Spirit 7 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the inauspicious (hắc đạo) spirits. The name means “White Tiger”.

Ngọc Đường¶

Characters: 玉堂
English: Ngọc Đường (Jade Hall)

Spirit 8 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the auspicious (hoàng đạo) spirits. The name means “Jade Hall”.

Thiên Lao¶

Characters: 天牢
English: Thiên Lao (Heavenly Prison)

Spirit 9 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the inauspicious (hắc đạo) spirits. The name means “Heavenly Prison”.

Huyền Vũ¶

Characters: 玄武
English: Huyền Vũ (Black Tortoise)

Spirit 10 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the inauspicious (hắc đạo) spirits. The name means “Black Tortoise”.

Tư Mệnh¶

Characters: 司命
English: Tư Mệnh (Life Keeper)

Spirit 11 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the auspicious (hoàng đạo) spirits. The name means “Life Keeper”.

Câu Trận¶

Characters: 勾陳
English: Câu Trận (Hooked Array)

Spirit 12 of the twelve that govern days and hours in turn, one of the inauspicious (hắc đạo) spirits. The name means “Hooked Array”.

thập nhị trực¶

Characters: 十二直
English: twelve day officers (trực)

A cycle of twelve “officers”, from Kiến (Establish) to Bế (Close), assigned to days in turn according to the handle of the Big Dipper and the solar terms. Almanacs print each day's officer beside its stem and branch, and date-selection practice uses it as one factor.

trực Kiến¶

Characters: 建
English: Kiến (Establish), day officer 1

The 1st of the twelve day officers; the character 建 means “establish”.

trực Trừ¶

Characters: 除
English: Trừ (Remove), day officer 2

The 2nd of the twelve day officers; the character 除 means “remove”.

trực Mãn¶

Characters: 滿
English: Mãn (Full), day officer 3

The 3rd of the twelve day officers; the character 滿 means “full”.

trực Bình¶

Characters: 平
English: Bình (Balance), day officer 4

The 4th of the twelve day officers; the character 平 means “balance”.

trực Định¶

Characters: 定
English: Định (Settle), day officer 5

The 5th of the twelve day officers; the character 定 means “settle”.

trực Chấp¶

Characters: 執
English: Chấp (Hold), day officer 6

The 6th of the twelve day officers; the character 執 means “hold”.

trực Phá¶

Characters: 破
English: Phá (Break), day officer 7

The 7th of the twelve day officers; the character 破 means “break”.

trực Nguy¶

Characters: 危
English: Nguy (Danger), day officer 8

The 8th of the twelve day officers; the character 危 means “danger”.

trực Thành¶

Characters: 成
English: Thành (Success), day officer 9

The 9th of the twelve day officers; the character 成 means “success”.

trực Thu¶

Characters: 收
English: Thu (Receive), day officer 10

The 10th of the twelve day officers; the character 收 means “receive”.

trực Khai¶

Characters: 開
English: Khai (Open), day officer 11

The 11th of the twelve day officers; the character 開 means “open”.

trực Bế¶

Characters: 閉
English: Bế (Close), day officer 12

The 12th of the twelve day officers; the character 閉 means “close”.

nhị thập bát tú¶

Characters: 二十八宿
English: twenty-eight lunar mansions

Twenty-eight asterisms along the moon's path, from Giác to Chẩn, used as reference points in early Chinese astronomy. Traditional almanacs assign one mansion to each day in turn.

Festivals

Tết Nguyên đán¶

Characters: 節元旦
English: Lunar New Year (Tết)

The most important holiday of the year, marking the lunar new year from the first day of the first month, usually called simply Tết. Typical customs include cleaning the home, setting out the five-fruit tray, wrapping bánh chưng, ancestor offerings, first-footing and New Year greetings.

ông Công ông Táo¶

English: Kitchen Gods day

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, when in folk belief the Kitchen Gods ascend to heaven to report on the household's year. Families make a send-off offering, often including live carp, said in folk tradition to carry the gods up.

tất niên¶

Characters: 畢年
English: year-end offering

The year-end offering and family meal, usually on the afternoon of the last day of the twelfth month, inviting the ancestors home for Tết. The word is also used for year-end office parties.

giao thừa¶

English: New Year's Eve

The moment the old lunar year turns into the new one, at midnight at the end of the twelfth month. Many families make offerings outdoors and at the home altar and see in the new year together.

xông đất¶

English: first-footing (first visitor of the year)

The custom of giving weight to the first person to enter a home after midnight on New Year's Eve, whom folk belief links to the household's fortunes for the year. Many families invite someone of a compatible birth year to be the first visitor.

lì xì¶

English: lucky money

Money in a red envelope given with New Year wishes, mostly by adults to children and to the elderly. It is usually called “mừng tuổi” in the north and “lì xì” in the south.

chúc Tết¶

English: New Year greetings

Visiting relatives, teachers and friends in the first days of the year and offering wishes such as peace and prosperity, or that all may go as one wishes.

bánh chưng¶

English: bánh chưng (square sticky rice cake)

A square cake of glutinous rice filled with mung beans and pork, wrapped in dong leaves and boiled for hours, typical of Tết in the north. Legend links it to Prince Lang Liêu in the Hùng kings' era; the square shape stands for the earth.

bánh tét¶

English: bánh tét (cylindrical sticky rice cake)

A long cylindrical glutinous rice cake wrapped in banana leaves, common at Tết in central and southern Vietnam; its filling is similar to bánh chưng.

cây nêu¶

English: Tết pole (cây nêu)

A bamboo pole set up in front of the house from the end of the twelfth month until Tết is over, hung with ornaments at the top. In folk belief it marks the family's ground and wards off evil spirits.

câu đối¶

Characters: 對聯
English: couplet

A pair of lines matched in meaning and structure, written on red paper or carved in wood, hung at Tết or in places of worship. Tết couplets usually carry New Year wishes.

đi lễ chùa đầu năm¶

English: New Year temple visit

The custom of visiting pagodas and temples in the first days of the year to burn incense and pray for peace. In many places it goes with “hái lộc”, taking home a budding twig for luck.

ngày vía Thần Tài¶

English: God of Wealth day

The 10th day of the first lunar month, held to be the feast day of the God of Wealth. Many business families make offerings to him, and some buy gold for luck on this day.

Tết Nguyên tiêu¶

Characters: 元宵
English: Lantern Festival

The full moon of the first lunar month, the first full moon of the new year, also called Thượng nguyên. Many people visit pagodas; a folk saying holds that this full moon counts as much as a whole year of worship.

Tết Hàn thực¶

Characters: 寒食
English: Cold Food Festival

The 3rd day of the third lunar month; in Vietnam families often make bánh trôi and bánh chay rice dumplings for the ancestors. The name, “cold food”, comes from an old Chinese story about Jie Zitui.

Tết Thanh minh¶

Characters: 清明
English: Thanh minh (grave-visiting season)

The period around the Clear and Bright solar term (early April) when many families visit, clean and repair ancestral graves and burn incense. In Vietnam it is not an official public holiday.

Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương¶

English: Hùng Kings' Commemoration Day

The 10th day of the third lunar month, honouring the Hùng kings, regarded as the founding ancestors of the Vietnamese; the main festival is held at the Hùng Temple in Phú Thọ. It has been a public holiday since 2007.

Tết Đoan ngọ¶

Characters: 端午
English: Double Fifth Festival (Đoan ngọ)

The 5th day of the fifth lunar month. In Vietnam it is also called the “pest-killing festival”, with the custom of eating sour fruit and fermented sticky rice in the morning.

lễ Vu Lan¶

Characters: 盂蘭
English: Vu Lan (Ullambana)

A Buddhist festival on the full moon of the seventh lunar month, rooted in the story of Maudgalyāyana saving his mother, and now seen as a time to honour one's parents. Many pagodas hold a rose-pinning rite: red for those whose mother is living, white for those who have lost her.

Tết Trung nguyên¶

Characters: 中元
English: Trung nguyên (wandering souls day)

Also on the full moon of the seventh lunar month; in folk belief the day the souls of the dead are pardoned. Many families make offerings to their ancestors and set out food for wandering souls who have no one to worship them.

Tết Trung thu¶

Characters: 中秋
English: Mid-Autumn Festival

The full moon of the eighth lunar month; in Vietnam today it is above all a children's festival with star lanterns, lantern processions, lion dances and a moon-viewing feast. Baked and sticky mooncakes are the typical food.

Tết Hạ nguyên¶

Characters: 下元
English: Hạ nguyên Festival

The full moon of the tenth lunar month; with Thượng nguyên (first month) and Trung nguyên (seventh month) it completes the “three origins”. In some regions it is linked to the new-rice festival after the harvest.

Family customs

thờ cúng tổ tiên¶

English: ancestor veneration

A widespread practice in Vietnamese families: keeping an altar and burning incense on the full and new moon, death anniversaries and Tết to remember the deceased. Many see it as an expression of filial respect rather than a religion.

gia tiên¶

Characters: 家先
English: family ancestors

The ancestors of a family, the deceased who are honoured at the home altar.

bàn thờ gia tiên¶

English: ancestral altar

An altar in a place of honour in the home, with an incense bowl, photos or tablets of the deceased, lamps and fruit. Its arrangement differs by region and family.

bát hương¶

English: incense bowl

The bowl of ash or sand that holds incense sticks on an altar; in the south often called lư hương. Many families avoid moving or cleaning it casually and tidy it only at year end.

thắp hương¶

English: burning incense

Lighting incense sticks at an altar or temple to remember or pray; in the south usually “thắp nhang”. An odd number of sticks is usual.

cúng rằm, mùng một¶

English: offerings on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month

A simple home offering on the first and fifteenth day of each lunar month, usually incense, flowers, water and fruit for the ancestors and household spirits.

giỗ¶

English: death anniversary

The day of remembrance for a deceased relative, usually kept on the lunar date of death. Descendants gather, offer a meal and burn incense; some Catholic families keep it by the solar calendar.

tiên thường¶

Characters: 先嘗
English: eve of a death anniversary

The offering made on the day before a death anniversary, announcing the anniversary to the ancestors and household spirits.

chính giỗ¶

English: death anniversary day

The anniversary day itself, the lunar date of death, when the family offers a meal and invites relatives.

giỗ đầu¶

English: first death anniversary

The anniversary one year after a death, also called tiểu tường; it is usually marked more formally than later anniversaries.

tiểu tường¶

Characters: 小祥
English: first-year memorial

The Sino-Vietnamese name for the memorial held one year after a death.

đại tường¶

Characters: 大祥
English: second-year memorial (end of mourning)

The memorial two years after a death; by older custom the family's formal mourning ends after it (or after a further rite).

để tang¶

English: mourning

The period in which descendants show grief for the deceased; traditionally it involved mourning dress and avoiding celebrations, with length and rules depending on the relationship and the family.

đám tang¶

English: funeral

The rites from death to burial, including shrouding, condolence visits and the funeral procession. Customs vary by region, religion and family.

cải táng¶

Characters: 改葬
English: reburial (secondary burial)

The custom of exhuming remains after several years, washing the bones and reburying them in a small ceramic casket; common in the north, less so in cities today.

tảo mộ¶

Characters: 掃墓
English: tending ancestral graves

Visiting, weeding and repairing family graves, usually around the Clear and Bright term and in the last days of the year before Tết.

mâm ngũ quả¶

English: five-fruit tray

The tray of fruit, usually five kinds, placed on the altar at Tết; each region chooses different fruit, often for the wishes their names suggest.

mâm cỗ¶

English: offering feast

A full cooked meal set on the altar for a death anniversary or Tết, which the family then shares after the rite.

trầu cau¶

English: betel and areca

Betel leaf and areca nut, once chewed and offered to guests; they still appear in wedding rites and many offerings as a symbol of courtesy.

vàng mã¶

English: votive paper offerings

Paper money, clothes and objects used in offerings and then burned, in folk belief to send them to the dead. Cultural bodies and Buddhist organisations often encourage burning less.

hóa vàng¶

English: burning votive paper

Burning votive paper after an offering; at Tết, the hóa vàng rite (often between the 3rd and 7th day) marks seeing the ancestors off after the holiday.

văn khấn¶

English: prayer text

The text read before an altar during an offering, stating the date, who is making it and the invitation or request. Many collections exist, and many people simply use their own words. (This glossary does not reproduce prayer texts.)

cúng cô hồn¶

English: offerings for wandering souls

An outdoor offering for souls with no one to worship them, mainly in the seventh lunar month, with rice gruel, rice and salt and sweets; afterwards rice and salt may be scattered or children may grab the treats.

nhập trạch¶

Characters: 入宅
English: moving into a new home

The rite of moving into a new home, often on a chosen day and hour, with an offering to inform the local earth spirit and the ancestors before moving in.

động thổ¶

Characters: 動土
English: groundbreaking

The rite before digging foundations for a house or building, asking the local earth spirit for permission to start; a day and hour are often chosen for it.

khai trương¶

Characters: 開張
English: business opening

The opening of a new shop or business, or the first opening after Tết, usually with an offering and a chosen day and hour.

đầy tháng¶

English: one-month celebration

The celebration when a baby turns one (lunar) month old, with an offering of thanks to the folk midwife spirits and a family gathering.

thôi nôi¶

English: first birthday

The celebration of a child's first birthday, often with a playful object-picking game said to hint at the child's future interests.

ăn hỏi¶

English: betrothal ceremony

The ceremony in which the groom's family brings gifts (betel and areca, cakes, fruit…) to the bride's family to formally ask for her hand; in the south called đám hỏi.

mừng thọ¶

English: longevity celebration

A celebration held by descendants for grandparents or parents at round ages such as 60, 70 or 80, often early in the year.

Feng shui and folk belief

phong thủy¶

Characters: 風水
English: feng shui

A traditional body of ideas about orienting and siting houses and graves in harmony with their surroundings. It is folk and cultural knowledge, not verified science.

âm dương¶

Characters: 陰陽
English: yin and yang

A pair of opposite yet complementary concepts in East Asian thought, such as dark and light or rest and motion. Stems, branches and hexagram lines are each classed as yin or yang.

ngũ hành¶

Characters: 五行
English: five elements (five phases)

The five phases Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth, used to classify things and describe how they generate and restrain one another. Stems, branches, nạp âm and trigrams are all assigned a phase.

hành Kim¶

Characters: 金
English: Metal (element)

One of the five elements, standing for metal. The stems Canh, Tân and the branches Thân, Dậu belong to it.

hành Mộc¶

Characters: 木
English: Wood (element)

One of the five elements, standing for wood. The stems Giáp, Ất and the branches Dần, Mão belong to it.

hành Thủy¶

Characters: 水
English: Water (element)

One of the five elements, standing for water. The stems Nhâm, Quý and the branches Hợi, Tý belong to it.

hành Hỏa¶

Characters: 火
English: Fire (element)

One of the five elements, standing for fire. The stems Bính, Đinh and the branches Tỵ, Ngọ belong to it.

hành Thổ¶

Characters: 土
English: Earth (element)

One of the five elements, standing for earth. The stems Mậu, Kỷ and the branches Thìn, Tuất, Sửu, Mùi belong to it.

tương sinh¶

Characters: 相生
English: generating cycle

The cycle in which each element feeds the next: Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water, Water nourishes Wood.

tương khắc¶

Characters: 相剋
English: overcoming cycle

The cycle in which each element restrains another: Wood over Earth, Earth over Water, Water over Fire, Fire over Metal, Metal over Wood.

nạp âm¶

Characters: 納音
English: nạp âm (sound element)

The element attached to each pair in the 60 stem-branch cycle, named after an image from nature such as Hải Trung Kim (“gold in the sea”) or Lư Trung Hỏa (“fire in the furnace”). The nạp âm of one's birth year is often called one's “mệnh”.

Kinh Dịch¶

Characters: 易經
English: I Ching (Book of Changes)

An ancient Chinese classic of 64 hexagrams with their texts, both a divination manual and a work of philosophy, widely influential across East Asia.

bát quái¶

Characters: 八卦
English: eight trigrams (bagua)

The eight trigrams, each made of three solid or broken lines: Càn, Đoài, Ly, Chấn, Tốn, Khảm, Cấn, Khôn. Each stands for an image in nature and a direction.

quẻ Càn¶

Characters: 乾
English: Càn trigram (Heaven) ☰

One of the eight trigrams, written ☰, whose image is heaven.

quẻ Đoài¶

Characters: 兌
English: Đoài trigram (Lake) ☱

One of the eight trigrams, written ☱, whose image is lake.

quẻ Ly¶

Characters: 離
English: Ly trigram (Fire) ☲

One of the eight trigrams, written ☲, whose image is fire.

quẻ Chấn¶

Characters: 震
English: Chấn trigram (Thunder) ☳

One of the eight trigrams, written ☳, whose image is thunder.

quẻ Tốn¶

Characters: 巽
English: Tốn trigram (Wind) ☴

One of the eight trigrams, written ☴, whose image is wind.

quẻ Khảm¶

Characters: 坎
English: Khảm trigram (Water) ☵

One of the eight trigrams, written ☵, whose image is water.

quẻ Cấn¶

Characters: 艮
English: Cấn trigram (Mountain) ☶

One of the eight trigrams, written ☶, whose image is mountain.

quẻ Khôn¶

Characters: 坤
English: Khôn trigram (Earth) ☷

One of the eight trigrams, written ☷, whose image is earth.

Tiên thiên bát quái¶

Characters: 先天八卦
English: Earlier Heaven arrangement

The arrangement of the eight trigrams in opposing pairs (Càn facing Khôn, Ly facing Khảm…), traditionally attributed to Fu Xi.

Hậu thiên bát quái¶

Characters: 後天八卦
English: Later Heaven arrangement

The arrangement traditionally attributed to King Wen, which assigns each trigram a direction: Ly south, Khảm north, Chấn east, Đoài west. House feng shui mostly uses it.

quẻ¶

Characters: 卦
English: trigram or hexagram (gua)

A figure of stacked solid (yang) and broken (yin) lines; three lines make a trigram, six a hexagram. The word also means the result of a casting.

hào¶

Characters: 爻
English: line (of a hexagram)

Each line of a gua, solid for yang and broken for yin; a hexagram has six lines counted from the bottom. A moving line is one that turns into its opposite in a casting.

sáu mươi tư quẻ¶

Characters: 六十四卦
English: sixty-four hexagrams

All the hexagrams formed by stacking two trigrams, from Thuần Càn to Hỏa Thủy Vị Tế in King Wen order. The Sino-Vietnamese name usually joins the images of the two trigrams with the hexagram's name, as in Thủy Lôi Truân.

gieo quẻ¶

English: casting a hexagram

Forming a hexagram to consult the I Ching, most commonly by tossing three coins six times, each toss giving one line from the bottom up.

Mai Hoa Dịch Số¶

Characters: 梅花易數
English: Plum Blossom Numerology

A method of forming a hexagram from numbers (such as the date and hour, or digits) instead of tossing coins, traditionally attributed to Shao Yong of the Song dynasty.

la bàn phong thủy¶

Characters: 羅盤
English: feng shui compass (luopan)

A compass with many rings of symbols (trigrams, the 24 mountains…) around a magnetic needle, used in feng shui to read the facing of houses and graves.

tọa hướng¶

Characters: 坐向
English: sitting and facing

The two opposite directions of a house or grave: the “sitting” side at its back and the “facing” side at its front. Feng shui reads them with a luopan.

hai mươi bốn sơn¶

Characters: 二十四山
English: twenty-four mountains

The division of the compass circle into 24 sectors of 15°, named after 8 stems, the 12 branches and 4 trigrams (Càn, Khôn, Cấn, Tốn).

Bát Trạch¶

Characters: 八宅
English: Eight Mansions

A feng shui school that groups people by kua number into East and West groups, and ranks the eight directions as four favourable (Sinh Khí, Thiên Y, Diên Niên, Phục Vị) and four unfavourable ones.

mệnh quái¶

Characters: 命卦
English: kua number (life trigram)

A trigram, with a number from 1 to 9, worked out from birth year and sex and used in Eight Mansions to choose directions for a person.

cửu cung¶

Characters: 九宮
English: nine palaces

A 3 × 3 grid for the eight directions and the centre, linked to the Lo Shu square and the Later Heaven trigrams; used in many feng shui and calendrical methods.

Huyền Không Phi Tinh¶

Characters: 玄空飛星
English: Flying Stars

A feng shui school that follows nine “stars” (numbers 1–9) moving through the nine palaces over time (20-year periods, years, months) and according to a building's facing.

Tử vi¶

Characters: 紫微斗數
English: Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star astrology)

A chart built from the lunar date and hour of birth that places stars in twelve palaces such as Life, Wealth and Career. It is a folk divination art, of cultural interest.

bát tự¶

Characters: 八字
English: Four Pillars (BaZi)

The eight stem-branch characters of the year, month, day and hour of birth, also called the four pillars. Year and month follow the solar terms, with the year changing at Start of Spring.

chọn ngày¶

Characters: 擇日
English: date selection

The custom of consulting the almanac to pick a day and hour for major events such as weddings, groundbreaking, openings or journeys, using hoàng đạo days, day officers, mansions and age. It is a cultural convention and guarantees nothing.

xem tuổi¶

English: age compatibility check

Comparing two people's birth years (stems and branches, nạp âm, zodiac animals), often before marriage or a partnership, by traditional ideas of harmony and clash.

tuổi xung¶

Characters: 相沖
English: clashing birth years

Two branches opposite each other on the circle of twelve, such as Tý and Ngọ or Mão and Dậu, held in folk belief to be at odds. Almanacs often list the birth years that clash with each day.

tam hợp¶

Characters: 三合
English: three harmonies

Four groups of three branches held to be in harmony: Thân-Tý-Thìn, Dần-Ngọ-Tuất, Tỵ-Dậu-Sửu, Hợi-Mão-Mùi.

tam tai¶

Characters: 三災
English: three calamities (tam tai years)

In folk belief, three consecutive years in each 12-year cycle held to be unfavourable for people of a given three-harmony group; many avoid major undertakings in those years.

Thái Tuế¶

Characters: 太歲
English: Tai Sui (Grand Duke of the year)

In folk belief the deity presiding over each year, tied to the year's branch; people whose birth branch clashes with it are said to “offend Tai Sui”.

Hỷ Thần¶

Characters: 喜神
English: Joy Spirit (direction)

The spirit of joy in folk almanacs; calendars often give its direction for each day for people setting out on a journey.

Thần Tài¶

Characters: 財神
English: God of Wealth

The folk god of wealth, usually worshipped together with the Earth God at a small floor-level altar in shops and homes.

Thổ Địa¶

Characters: 土地
English: Earth God (local land spirit)

In folk belief the spirit governing a piece of land; it is addressed at groundbreaking and moving in, and worshipped together with the God of Wealth.

Táo Quân¶

Characters: 灶君
English: Kitchen God

The kitchen deity of folk belief, in Vietnam usually pictured as two men and a woman (“ông Công ông Táo”), who oversee the household.

Thành hoàng¶

Characters: 城隍
English: village tutelary deity

The guardian deity of a village, worshipped at the communal house (đình); it may be a historical figure, the village founder or a nature spirit.

kiêng kỵ¶

English: taboos

Things folk custom advises avoiding on certain occasions or days, such as not sweeping the house on the first day of Tết. How strictly they are followed varies widely between families.

xin xăm¶

English: drawing fortune sticks

A practice at some temples of shaking a cup of numbered sticks until one falls out, then reading the verse that matches its number. Visitors usually take it as advice to reflect on.

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The terms come from the open-source repository vietnamese-culture-glossary. If a term is wrong or missing, or a translation reads oddly, open an issue or pull request at https://github.com/qelunai/vietnamese-culture-glossary

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