yên

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔiən˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔiəŋ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔiəŋ˧˧]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 安. The character can also be read as an.

This particular form might have Northern origin, as most placenames containing this element (Hưng Yên, Yên Bái, Quảng Yên, Yên Thế, etc.) are located in Northern Vietnam, with a notable exception being Phú Yên. This is probably a local Northern innovation, coexisting alongside preexisting an in the Northern dialects and gradually spread southwards without displacing an. Place names with Yên in Central and Southern Vietnam might be attributed to Northern immigrants or new formations influenced by Northern placenames.

yên

1. (literary) tranquil; peaceful
2. still and not disrupting

   ngồi yên ― to sit still

   đứng ngồi không yên ― very anxious, to the point that one keep alternating between sitting and standing

Sino-Vietnamese word from 鞍.

(classifier cái) yên

1. (equestrianism) a saddle

From English yen, from Japanese 円 (en), from Chinese 圓 / 圆 (yuán, “round”). See also viên.

yên

1. (numismatics) yen