The third-person pronoun in Saigonese

[Nguyen Hoang Ha]

Most of the Vietnamese language teaching syllabuses for foreigners about personal pronouns are written as follows (Diagram 1):

	Single	Plural
1st person	Tôi	Chúng tôi
2nd person	ÔngBàAnhChịCôEm	Các ôngCác bàCác anhCác chịCác côCác em
3rd person	Ông ấyBà ấyAnh ấyChị ấyCô ấyEm ấy	Các ông ấyCác bà ấyCác anh ấyCác chị ấyCác cô ấyCác em ấy

Diagram 1The above Vietnamese personal pronoun table is taught in all regions of Vietnam.There is no general dialect, however, for all regions. People use their native dialect or the dialect of the region they live in. In fact, Saigonese people use third personal pronoun differently (Diagram2).

	Single	Plural
1st person	Tôi (I)	Chúng tôi
2nd person	(You)ÔngBàAnhChịCôEm	Các ôngCác bàCác anhCác chịCác côCác em
3rd person	Ổng (he - the elder ones)Bả (she - the elder ones)Ảnh (he – older than you)Chỉ (she – older than you)Cổ (she – generally)Em ấy (she – younger than you)	Mấy ổngMấy bảMấy ảnhMấy chỉMấy cổMấy emTụi nó

Diagram 2Some argue the use of ổng, bả, ảnh, chỉ and cổ is disrespectful so these third-person pronouns can’t be in the teaching syllabus. That is totally incorrect. Saigonese does not feel a lack of respect is conveyed in the following sentences:- Ông ngoại ngày mai lên Sài Gòn, không biết ổng biết nhà không nữa. (Your grandfather will visit Saigon tomorrow, whether he knows your home or not)- Dì tư bả hổng chịu đi xe đạp( 4^th aunt can’t suffer from going by bicycle).- Chồng con đi làm rồi, chiều ảnh mới về (My husband went for work, he will be back in the evening).- Hôm nay có lễ hội gì mà mấy cổ mặc áo dài vậy? (What festival is it that they wear Vietnamese ao dai?).- Whether you like it or not, if you are living in Saigon or Southern Vietnam, you will usually hear locals use those personal pronouns to talk about the third-person. They will be please if you also use those personal pronouns in conversation.