Sài Gòn

See also: Saigon, Saigón, Saïgon, and Sai Gon

Vietnamese

Etymology

Of uncertain origin, probably from Khmer ព្រៃគរ (preykôr) or ព្រៃនគរ (prɨy nɔkɔɔ); or from Cantonese 西貢／西贡 (sai1 gung3; tây cống, “Saigon”), 堤岸 (tai4 ngon6; đê ngạn, “Cholon”) or 柴岸 (caai4 ngon6; sài ngạn)

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [saːj˨˩ ɣɔn˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʂaːj˦˩ ɣɔŋ˦˩] ~ [saːj˦˩ ɣɔŋ˦˩]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʂaːj˨˩ ɣɔŋ˨˩] ~ [saːj˨˩ ɣɔŋ˨˩]
• IPA^(key): [ʂaːj˨˩ ɣɔŋ˨˩]

Proper noun

Sài Gòn • (柴棍)

1. (historical) Saigon
2. (informal) Ho Chi Minh City
3. A river in southern Vietnam that rises near Phum Daung in southeastern Cambodia and empties into the Nhà Bè River, which in its turn empties into the East Sea northeast of the Mekong Delta.
4. A train station in Ward 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Synonyms

• (Saigon): Gia Định (historical), Sài Thành, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• (Ho Chi Minh City): Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Derived terms

• Sài Gòn–Gia Định

Descendants

• English: Saigon
• Chinese: 西貢／西贡 (Xīgòng)
• French: Saïgon
• Japanese: サイゴン (Saigon)
• Khmer: សៃហ្គន (saygɔɔn)