Hai Phong
/haːj˧˩ fɔŋ˧˧/noun
A major port city in northern Vietnam on the Cửa Cấm River near the Gulf of Tonkin.
Did you know?The name Hải Phòng derives from Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary written 海防, reflecting the city’s long-standing role as a guarded gateway from the sea.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
海防
“Sea defense or coastal defense; the source written form of the name.”
Middle Chinese
Chinese
海防
“A compound meaning protection against threats from the sea.”
Pre-modern Vietnamese
Vietnamese
Hải Phòng
“Sino-Vietnamese reading of 海防: “sea defense.””
19th Century
Vietnamese
Hải Phòng
“The established name of the important northern Vietnamese port region.”
1888
French/Vietnamese
Haïphong / Hải Phòng
“The port was formally designated a city under French colonial administration; French spelling commonly used Haïphong.”
Modern English
English
Hai Phong
“The standard English form for the Vietnamese port city.”