# Ha long?  How long?  (Vietnamese translation)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-long-how-long-vietnamese-translation/581938>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 14, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-long-how-long-vietnamese-translation/581938 "2011-05-14T22:35:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-long-how-long-vietnamese-translation/581938/1 "2011-05-14T22:35:31Z")

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There’s a Vietnamese phrase that sounds like ‘ha long’. I remember it because it sounds a bit like ‘How long?’. But I can’t remember what it means. Translation, please?

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-long-how-long-vietnamese-translation/581938/2 "2011-05-16T02:56:48Z")

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Well, there’s Hao Long bay, in which “hao long” means “descending dragon.” (it’s not actually hao, it’s ha, with a mark under the ‘a’). Then there’s “hao lung,” which apparently has something to do with loose clothing.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-long-how-long-vietnamese-translation/581938/3 "2011-05-16T03:02:38Z")

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The phrase I’m thinking of is a conversational one. On the order of ‘Thank you’ or ‘You’re welcome’ or ‘How are you?’