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Vietnamese language offers a rich variety of expressions, and due to different regional pronunciations, there are several variations. Among them, 'Mung' and 'Mong' puzzle many, as people wonder which one is correct. To answer this question, one must understand the distinctions between 'Mung' and 'Mong'.
Mong or Mung: Which is the correct term?
1. Mung or Mong: Which spelling is correct?
Answer: Both 'Mung' and 'Mong' are correct spellings.
According to research on Tratu.soha.vn, 'Mung' as a noun means a curtain (both 'man' and 'mung' are acceptable; typically, people in the North use 'man,' while those in the South use 'mung'). Additionally, 'mung' can also mean 'mong.' For example, 'ngày mung 3 Tết' or 'ngày mung 1 Tết.' Depending on the context, we can interpret different meanings of 'mung'.
Meanwhile, 'Mong' is a noun referring to a crest (for example, 'a red crest on a rooster') or it can also refer to the first ten days of a month (for example, 'ngày mồng hai' or 'ngày mồng 3' which signify the start of a trip or going to visit teachers on the third day of the lunar month). Thus, 'mong' is synonymous with 'mung.'
Whether called 'mung' or 'mong,' Vietnamese people understand that it refers to the first day of the month. For example, 'mung 1,' 'mung 2,' 'ngày mùng 3,' 'ngày mùng 2,' 'mong 3,' 'mong 4'... Is 'mung' lunar or solar? However, remember that 'mung' and 'mong' are usually referred to based on the lunar calendar, not the solar one.
One could say 'mung' or 'mong' are phenomena of phonetic variation in Vietnamese. Most people in the North flexibly alter their pronunciation to fit. Hence, many may understand 'mong,' pronounced by Northerners, as 'mung' in the South. Thus, we can see that 'mong' and 'mung' are essentially the same in meaning, referring to the first ten days of the month, with differences arising from pronunciation.
2. Why 'mung' or 'mong'?
The reason people often say 'mung 1,' 'mong 1,' 'mung 2,' 'mong 2'... instead of other names is because 'mong' is a term placed before the noun index from day 1 to day 10 of each month (as explained by Hoàng Phê dictionary).
Mong refers to the evening, used to denote the first 10 days of the month.
Furthermore, the word 'mong' is also used in Nôm script to indicate the first 10 days of the month. In Chinese, 'mong' also means 'from the buttocks' (this term is part of the word 'mong lung'). According to research, this 'mong' means darkness, the time before sunrise, meaning the night. Therefore, 'mong' is understood as the time of darkness.
So, you can understand simply, 'mong' - the first 10 days of the month are the days of confusion, darkness. After the 10th day of each month, from the 11th day onwards, there are no terms 'mung' or 'mong,' at this time, the moon has risen high, shining. This is considered a sequential way of naming, distinguishing between night and day.
With the sharing above about 'mung' or 'mong,' hopefully, you have obtained the correct answer. Whether you use the word 'mong' or 'mung' to refer to the first 10 days of the month, everyone understands.
Follow more Vietnamese language clarification articles like Color or Colour, Fifteen or Fifteen... to enrich your knowledge and boost confidence in speaking and writing.
- See also: Color or Colour
