Vietnam is a fun country to visit and over the last decade, it has become popular for tourists especially backpackers to drive around the country. Vietnam is a large country with plenty of places to visit and historic places to see. One of the common questions about visiting Vietnam is what language they speak and whether will this be a problem. So do they speak French in Vietnam?
No, not many Vietnamese speak French. Simply, it is not taught in schools because it is not the official language of Vietnam. English is considered a more useful international language along with Japanese, Chinese, and even Korean. French is an optional language in Vietnam built outside of learning in schools, french is not used around Vietnam.
In this post, we will go through whether the Vietnamese speak French. Let’s get started!
Read More About Vietnam
- Do They Use Chopsticks In Vietnam?
- How Much Is Grab In Vietnam?
- Do Vietnamese Eat Rats?
- Can You Smoke On Vietnam Trains?
- Are The Roads In Vietnam Good?
Do They Speak French In Vietnam?
Not many Vietnamese speak French. Firstly, it is not mandatory in schools as it is not the official language of Vietnam. The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese.
Secondly English is considerably more popular as English is seen as a more useful international language. With Japanese, Chinese, and even Korean also ahead of French.
French is an optional language in Vietnam that outside of learning in schools, French is not used around Vietnam.
Other than Vietnamese, the English language is widely used throughout the country. But don’t expect someone that is working in housekeeping or a builder or even the police to speak good English.
Is English Widely Spoken In Vietnam?
It largely depends, simply, in tourist areas, English is commonly spoken but in more rural areas and less touristy areas do not expect there to be many English speakers.
Typically young Vietnamese tend to be more able to speak English at a good level as they learn it in school.
What Adaptor Do I Need For Vietnam?
Vietnam uses 3 types of power outlets which are types A, C, and F. The A-type plug has two flat parallel pins. While the type C plug has two round pins, plug type F has two round pins with two earth clips on the side. Vietnam operates on a 220V supply voltage and 50Hz.
Can You Drink Tap Water In Vietnam?
No, it is NOT advised to drink tap water in Vietnam, their treatment plants put too much chlorine into the water for treatment. As well poor water pipe infrastructure has led to the water getting contaminated. Vietnamese locals don’t drink straight out of a tap cause they don’t trust the water and there is a smell that is mostly caused by the chlorine.
It is safe to drink filtered water but even safer to drink bottled water.
What Is The Best Currency To Use In Vietnam?
The Vietnamese Dong is the official currency of Vietnam but the US dollar is the best currency to bring to Vietnam. There are several reasons with the first being that to get the Vietnamese Dong from Western banks it would have to be specially ordered as it would not have the demand to have any in reserve.
And secondly, you get better exchanges in Vietnam than you would in your home country.
USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES
Book Accommodation
Booking.com has a large range of properties from hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and resorts where you will find the best deals. Airbnb and Hostelworld also have a good range of places to stay at good prices.
Booking Flight
Skyscanner is a flight search comparison website that searches millions of flights all at once. Ultimately it is the best flight comparison website online at the moment.
Booking Transportation & Things To Do
Rome2rio and 12Go are useful to plan how to get anywhere by searching train, bus, car, and ferry routes. Especially useful in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. While Klook is great for exploring things to do in each place.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is cheap and more than likely you will never need to use it but you will have peace of mind if something does happen, you are covered in case of an emergency. World Nomads have great customer service and competitive prices.
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use when you travel.
Wrapping Up
Finally, not many Vietnamese speak French. Simply, it is not taught in schools because it is not the official language of Vietnam. English is considered a more useful international language along with Japanese, Chinese, and even Korean. French is an optional language in Vietnam built outside of learning in schools, french is not used around Vietnam.
And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on whether Vietnamese speak French has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.
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