Common Words & Phrases in Vovinam
Ceremonials
| Command | Command Meaning | Response | Response Meaning | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thao diễn nghỉ | At ease | Left leg steps out, hands folded in the back (right hand on top of left) | -- | -- |
| Nghiêm | At attention | Bring left leg in, both hands at the side in attention | -- | -- |
| Nghiêm lễ | Bowing position | Right hand hover heart and Vovinam emblem/badge | Iron hand on compassionate heart | -- |
| Lễ | Bow | -- | -- | -- |
Procedurals
| Command | Command Meaning | Response | Response Meaning | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuẩn bị | Make ready | From standing: right foot stomp From sitting: right palm strikes floor | I am ready | Calling attention to everyone present |
| Đứng | Stand | Dậy | Up | Directing everyone to rise from sitting or kneeling position |
| Ngồi | Sit | Xuống | Down | Directing everyone to sit from standing position |
| [Direction], Quay | Turn/face toward | Pivot/turn to face the correct direction: Left, Right, Front, Back | -- | Directing everyone to face a direction |
| [Direction], Bước | Step/March | Step/march to the correct direction: Left, Right, Front, Back | -- | Directing everyone to move toward a direction, usually to shift lines |
| Chuẩn bị quỳ xuống sửa lại võ phục | Get ready to kneel down and fix your uniform | -- | -- | Directing everyone to get ready (only) to get into kneeling position |
| Quỳ | Kneel | Xuống | Down | Directing everyone to get into kneeling position |
| Tan hàng | Disperse | Cố gắng | Try hard (we'll keep on trying) | Dispersing or ending the lines, often at the end of the class |
Trainings
| Command | Command Meaning | Response | Response Meaning | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trung bình tấn, xuống | Trung bình tấn, down/in position | Xuống | Down/in position | Directing everyone to get into trung bình tấn |
| Thế thủ | On guard | Thủ | Guarded | Directaing everyone to get into guarded position and ready to perform techniques |
| Nhảy công lực vào thế | Get into position for power jump | Vào thế | In position | Directing everyone to get into position for power jump |
| Hít đất vào thế | Get into position for push-up | Vào thế | In position | Directing everyone to get into position for push-up |
Directions
- Đằng Trước: Front
- Đằng Sau: Back
- Bên Trái: Left
- Bên Phải: Right
Counting
- Một: One
- Hai: Two
- Ba: Three
- Bốn: Four
- Năm: Five
- Sáu: Six
- Bày: Seven
- Tám: Eight
- Chín: Nine
- Mười: Ten
Title & Honorific
| Word (abbreviation) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Võ sư (VS) | Master |
| Huấn luyện viên (HLV) | Instructor |
| Thầy | Male teacher |
| Cô | Female teacher |
| Anh | Older brother |
| Chị | Older sister |
| Em | Younger brother or sister |
info
Masters and instructors use "thầy" or "cô" when speaking with each other and "võ sư [name]" or "huấn luyện viên [name]" when referring to a 3rd person.