• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Someone please explain "Nguyen"

M

mercanucaribe

Banned
Why is the most common Vietnamese surname written as "nguyen"? I know it's not actually pronounced "win", but it's not pronounced nuh-goo-yen either. So what is the origin of this transliteration? Is it French? Googling finds nothing... it's like everyone assumes that English is the native language of Vietnam, and that's just the way they spell it.
 
Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
Why is the most common Vietnamese surname written as "nguyen"? I know it's not actually pronounced "win", but it's not pronounced nuh-goo-yen either. So what is the origin of this transliteration? Is it French? Googling finds nothing... it's like everyone assumes that English is the native language of Vietnam, and that's just the way they spell it.
Click to expand...

the n, g, u, y, e, and the n are all silent.
 
i dont believe the average english speaking person will be able to pronounce this word properly. the way its spelled is nowhere near the way is pronounced.
 
Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
Why is the most common Vietnamese surname written as "nguyen"? I know it's not actually pronounced "win", but it's not pronounced nuh-goo-yen either. So what is the origin of this transliteration? Is it French? Googling finds nothing... it's like everyone assumes that English is the native language of Vietnam, and that's just the way they spell it.
Click to expand...

😕
 
its kind of a mushed "Nyu-eeng."

then again im pretty whitewashed and i tend to mispronounce things.

to ricochet... no viets arent
 
Originally posted by: tfcmasta97
its kind of a mushed "Nyu-eeng."

then again im pretty whitewashed and i tend to mispronounce things.

to ricochet... no viets arent
Click to expand...

like new-ing ?

-=bmacd=-
 
Originally posted by: bmacd
Originally posted by: tfcmasta97
its kind of a mushed "Nyu-eeng."

then again im pretty whitewashed and i tend to mispronounce things.

to ricochet... no viets arent
Click to expand...

like new-ing ?

-=bmacd=-
Click to expand...

Kind of but mashed into 1 Syllable, and not the new part. More like Ng-eeng.

Also the spelling is Vietnamese, that is how it is spelled by Vietnamese people.
 
Originally posted by: blackangst1
Everything you need to know:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Den/5908/language/intro.html
Click to expand...


Ah, that cleared it up:

Nguyen Thuyen, a poet of the 13th century, is believed to be - if not the inventor - the man responsible for spreading and popularizing chu nom . In this system, Chinese characters were borrow-ed and altered; they resembled Chinese characters, but were often unintelligible to the Chinese themselves

Now it's so clear. It started a long, long time ago and didn't really make sense then, either. But since the nonsense lasted so long, it must continue, and that nonsense makes sense in itself.
 
Hi, my name is Patricia and I'm from East Jabip. Since my native language uses characters that look nothing like English letters, I must transliterate the name into a similar English word, so I chose "Patricia". But the P and A are silent, the T is pronounced like a B, the I like a U, and the C I A like T U S. Sort of sounds like "Brutus" in English. Oh, and my last name is McKenzie and uses no letters.

Hope that makes sense to you.
 
Originally posted by: flawlssdistortn
new-yen?
Click to expand...

1 syllable.

Some pronounce nyueen (exaggeration is the key).
Vietnamese pronounce wuyeeen

Sounds slurred, but hey.
Try to say my last name, Duong.
Only a few people can actually say it who aren't vietnamese.
 
Nam Dialect Viet say the name

Quyen almost identical to Nguyen. Very hard to tell them apart, assuming same accents and tonal markings.
 
Nguyen is my last name. The name is famous now. No white person can pronounce it correctly. Just because u can't pronounce it, or b/c so many ppl have the same last name doesn't mean jack. Fvck all those who are frustrated by the name and think it should be pronounce a certain way. screw yourselves
 
Originally posted by: AgentUnknown
Nguyen is my last name. The name is famous now. No white person can pronounce it correctly. Just because u can't pronounce it, or b/c so many ppl have the same last name doesn't mean jack. Fvck all those who are frustrated by the name and think it should be pronounce a certain way. screw yourselves
Click to expand...


You, sir, are a true gentleman and noble diplomat of the surname.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top