nhưng
[ɲɨŋ˧˧]
The English word 'but' is translated into Vietnamese as nhưng.
Meaning: except (conj)
Which one should you use?
Nhưng mà is an informal expression used to introduce contrasting ideas. Mà is an informal conjunction that can be translated as 'but,' 'yet,' or 'however.' Tuy nhiên is a formal word meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless.'
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding 'mà' to 'nhưng' to form 'nhưng mà' is a very common way to emphasize the contrast in spoken Vietnamese.
Did you know?
- The word nhưng is actually a Sino-Vietnamese loanword derived from the Chinese character 仍, which originally meant 'still' or 'yet'.
- Vietnamese allows the use of nhưng at the very beginning of a sentence to express a lingering doubt or a reluctant correction in conversation.
- Vietnamese possesses various 'contrast' words that shift based on whether the contrast is an unexpected result or a direct contradiction, a nuance often collapsed into the single English word 'but'.
Examples in context
- Nhưng cái mùi gì đây?But what's this smell?This sentence shows how to use nhưng at the start of a question.Tatoeba #13710255 by leucammieuvu, translation #13709971 by rul
- Nó đẹp nhưng vô dụng.It's beautiful, but useless.This sentence demonstrates how nhưng connects two descriptive qualities.Tatoeba #13726651 by leucammieuvu, translation #13723895 by carlosalberto
- Nhưng vũ trụ là vô hạn.But the universe is infinite.This sentence shows nhưng being used to introduce a statement about the universe.Tatoeba #5150292 by truongap, translation #1635 by Zifre
- Tôi đã cố gắng hết sức, tuy nhiên tôi không thể hoàn thành xong công việc đó.I tried my best, however, I couldn't finish that task.
- Tôi đã tới đúng giờ, mà anh cứ đi trễ.I arrived on time, but you kept being late.
- Tôi muốn giúp bạn, nhưng mà tôi không thể làm được gì cả.I want to help you, but I can't do anything.
- 276 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minh and Lan are discussing which movie to watch.
- MinhPhim này hay, nhưng dài quá.This movie is good, but it's too long.
- LanVậy mình xem phim khác nhé.Then let's watch another movie.
- MinhTôi thích phim hành động, nhưng Lan thích phim hài.I like action movies, but Lan likes comedies.
- LanVậy chúng ta xem phim hài đi.Then let's watch a comedy.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nhưng, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nhưng, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
