Hanoi
/hæˈnɔɪ/noun
The capital city of Vietnam, located in the Red River Delta.
Did you know?The name Hà Nội was officially bestowed in 1831 by Emperor Minh Mạng, replacing the older imperial name Thăng Long, meaning “Ascending Dragon.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
河內
“A region inside or between rivers; the characters literally mean “river” and “inside.””
Medieval Vietnam
Sino-Vietnamese
Hà Nội
“The Vietnamese reading of 河內, meaning “Inner River.””
11th Century
Vietnamese
Thăng Long
““Ascending Dragon,” the name given to the capital by Emperor Lý Thái Tổ in 1010.”
1831
Vietnamese
Hà Nội
“The official name adopted under Emperor Minh Mạng for the capital region.”
Modern English
English
Hanoi
“The established English spelling of Vietnam’s capital.”