Vietnamese linguistic and cultural trivia featured on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Two notable trivia instances from the television program ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ have highlighted unique aspects of Vietnamese language and regional customs.

In one instance, Saadi Salama, the former Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam, correctly answered a question regarding the meaning of the word ‘bu’. While 74% of the studio audience chose incorrect answers—split nearly equally between options representing a type of lock, a song, or a spice—Salama correctly identified it as a term for ‘mother’. His success was attributed to his long-term residence in Vietnam and his studies in Vietnamese linguistics.

Another segment addressed regional counting customs in Ben Tre. A question asked how many coconuts constitute a ‘chuc’ (a traditional unit of ten). While standard mathematics suggests ten, the correct answer in the context of Ben Tre local commerce is 12. This practice, where a ‘chuc’ equals 12 and a ‘tram’ (hundred) equals 120, is considered a folk cultural trait reflecting the generosity of Southern Vietnamese people during the historical period of land reclamation.