Level: advanced
The host traces the deep roots of Vietnamese and Chinese, correcting common misconceptions about their origins. From the Austroasiatic family to the diversity of Chinese dialects, these episodes explore how these languages evolved over millennia.
Ngọc challenges the common belief that Vietnamese comes from Chinese. She outlines its Austroasiatic roots, the late development of tones, and how Hán vocabulary coexists with everyday words.
Ngọc traces the history of Chinese from oracle bones to modern Mandarin. She explains how a single writing system bridges mutually unintelligible dialects across thousands of years.
Not sure what to watch first? A first-week path with overlapping videos.