hành

Hành is a Vietnamese word with multiple meanings. In culinary contexts, it refers to the onion, a common Allium vegetable used in Vietnamese cooking. The term covers several forms, including hành củ (bulb onion), hành tím (purple onion), and hành lá (green onion or scallion). The Western-style onion is often called hành tây in Vietnamese.

In cooking, onion is used as an aromatic base. Hành củ is typically chopped, peeled, and sautéed to build flavor for soups, stews, stir-fries, and sauces. Hành lá is chopped or used as garnish or in salads. Another common preparation is hành phi, fried onions added for fragrance and texture.

Apart from the vegetable, hành is also a Sino-Vietnamese morpheme meaning "to go" or "to act" and appears in many compound words. Examples include hành động (action), hành trình (journey), khởi hành (to depart), hành lý (luggage), and hành lang (corridor).