Hanoi or Saigon dialect Recently I've got interested in the Vietnamese language. Before I start learning I'd like to know some things. I found that there are three major groups of dialects. Southern, Northern and Central. I'd like to choose between Hanoi and Saigon dialect. Of course since Standard Vietnamese is based on Hanoi dialect it would be quite wise to go with it. But I've heard that there are many TV dramas and movies are often in Southern dialect. On top of that many overseas Vietnamese speak Southern dialects too.. If I learn Hanoi Vietnamese, will I be understood in Ho Chi Minh? Will I be able to understand Southern dialects? There seem to be a lot of free resources dedicated for learning Southern Vietnamese... This is also an important point for me.