Extensive Diacritical Marks
Vietnamese uses Latin script with up to two diacritics per letter (e.g., ệ, ồ, ử). A single missing or incorrect accent can change a word entirely — "ma" (ghost), "má" (mother), "mà" (but), "mả" (tomb), "mã" (horse), "mạ" (rice seedling).
Classifier System
Vietnamese uses classifiers before nouns that convey formality and document type. Legal documents use specific classifiers (bản, giấy, văn bản) that indicate the document's legal status and must be translated appropriately.
Name Structure
Vietnamese names follow family-name-middle-name-given-name order (e.g., Nguyễn Văn An). The given name is the name used in address. Immigration documents must preserve the correct order and romanization.
Administrative Divisions
Vietnamese documents reference specific administrative levels (tỉnh, quận/huyện, xã/phường) that must be accurately translated with their proper English equivalents in the context of Vietnamese governance.