Comparison of Sino-Vietnamese Words and Their Corresponding Words in Modern Chinese in Terms of Semantics and Usage

Abstract

A significant portion of Vietnamese lexicon consists of Sino-Vietnamese (SV) words, reflecting a close historical and linguistic connection with Chinese. However, the phonetic similarity between SV readings and their corresponding Chinese characters often conceals subtle—even substantial—differences in semantics and usage within Modern Chinese (MC). This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the semantic similarities and differences (semantic fields, connotations, and denotations) as well as usage features (register, collocation, and pragmatic function) between pairs of SV words and their MC counterparts. Drawing on contrastive analysis, case studies, and surveys of lecturers and students, the study identifies common types of semantic shifts (narrowing, broadening, and complete shifts), differences in emotional connotations, collocational ranges, and contextual usage. Diagrams and tables are employed to visually illustrate these distinctions. The research also examines challenges faced by Vietnamese learners of Chinese due to the influence of SV words, and proposes concrete pedagogical strategies to enhance the teaching and learning of SV vocabulary, thereby improving communicative competence in both Chinese and Vietnamese.