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A fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly or biweekly basis, made by an employer to an employee, especially for professional or white-collar work.
Công ty tăng lương cho nhân viên vào đầu năm.
The company increased salaries for employees at the beginning of the year.
Lương tháng này của tôi bị trừ vì đi muộn.
My salary this month was deducted because I was late.
In Vietnam, 'lương' often refers to the base salary before taxes and deductions. It can also include allowances or bonuses depending on the job contract.
A reward or recompense for labor or services.
Lương tâm là phần thưởng vô giá.
A clear conscience is a priceless reward.
This meaning is less common in modern usage but appears in proverbs and idiomatic expressions.
'Lương' typically refers to a fixed salary (monthly/biweekly), while 'tiền công' (wage) is often hourly or daily, especially for manual labor. For example, office workers receive 'lương', while factory workers may receive 'tiền công'.
When discussing employment contracts in Vietnam, 'lương' is the standard term for salary. Always clarify whether it's 'lương gross' (before tax) or 'lương net' (after tax) to avoid misunderstandings.
From Middle Chinese 工 (MC kuŋ, 'work, labor') via Sino-Vietnamese. The modern meaning 'salary' developed from the concept of payment for labor.
In Vietnam, 'lương' is used for formal employment salaries, while 'tiền công' may refer to wages for manual or hourly work. 'Lương' is always a noun and is countable in contexts like 'mức lương' (salary level).