Chữ Nôm

Chữ Nôm is a traditional Vietnamese writing system that uses modified Chinese characters to represent Vietnamese words and sounds. Developed around the 13th century, it allowed Vietnamese people to write their language before the widespread adoption of the Latin-based alphabet. Chữ Nôm combines classical Chinese characters with locally created characters to express Vietnamese vocabulary and grammar, serving as a bridge between Chinese influence and indigenous culture. It was primarily used in literature, poetry, and official documents until the 20th century, playing a key role in preserving Vietnamese identity and literary history.