Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia. It is long and thin, curving down the east side of the mainland, with China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west, and a very long coast on the sea. About 92 million people lived there in 2014, and more now. The capital is Hanoi, in the north; Ho Chi Minh City (which many people still call Saigon) is the biggest city, in the south.

Vietnam越南 is是 Southeast Asia東南亞 a country in的一個國家。 It它 is long and thin又長又窄， the east side of the mainland沿著大陸的東側 curving down往下彎， to the north北邊 with China是中國， to the west西邊 Laos and Cambodia是寮國和柬埔寨， and還有 on the sea臨海 a very long coast一條很長的海岸線。 in 2014在2014年 About大約有 92 million people九千兩百萬人 lived there住在那裡， and more now現在更多。 The capital首都 is Hanoi是河內， in the north在北部； Ho Chi Minh City胡志明市 （which many people still call Saigon很多人仍然叫它西貢） is the biggest city是最大的城市， in the south在南部。

France ruled Vietnam from the middle of the 1800s as part of French Indochina. In 1954 it became independent, but split in two: South Vietnam, backed by the United States and the west, and North Vietnam, which was Communist. The fight to join the two halves became the Vietnam War, and in 1975 the north won and the country became one again.

France法國 from the middle of the 1800s從1800年代中期起 ruled Vietnam統治越南， as part of French Indochina作為法屬印度支那的一部分。 In 19541954年 it它 became independent獨立了， but split in two卻分成兩半： South Vietnam南越， backed by the United States and the west由美國和西方支持， and North Vietnam和北越， which was Communist走共產路線。 to join the two halves為了把兩半合起來 The fight打的仗 became成了 the Vietnam War越戰， and in 1975而1975年 the north北方 won打贏了， and the country國家 became one again重新合而為一。

In English you will often meet the word not as the country but as a short way of pointing at that war: 'He served in Vietnam', 'my grandfather never talked about Vietnam'. Americans especially use it that way, and sometimes even more loosely, to mean any long war a country cannot get out of — 'this could become another Vietnam'. That use is a little dated now, and younger speakers use it less.

In English在英文裡 you你 will often meet常會遇到 the word這個字 not as the country不是當國家用， but as而是當作 pointing at that war指著那場戰爭的 a short way一種簡短說法： 'He served in Vietnam'「他在越南服過役」、 'my grandfather never talked about Vietnam'「我爺爺從來不談越南」。 Americans美國人 especially特別會 use it that way這樣用， and sometimes有時 even more loosely還用得更鬆， to mean拿來指 a country cannot get out of一個國家脫不了身的 any long war任何一場長期戰爭 — 'this could become another Vietnam'「這可能變成另一個越南」。 That use那個用法 now現在 is a little dated有點過時了， and younger speakers比較年輕的人 use it less比較少用。

You will see it written Vietnam, Viet Nam, and older books say Viet-Nam; Vietnam is the normal modern spelling. The word for a person or the language is Vietnamese.

You你 will see it written會看到它寫成 Vietnam, Viet Nam， and older books say比較舊的書則寫 Viet-Nam； Vietnam is是 the normal modern spelling現在一般的拼法。 The word for a person or the language指人或指語言的字 is Vietnamese是 Vietnamese。