# Làm gì (end): there is no point in in Vietnamese (B1)

> Làm gì at the end of a sentence, after an action, can mean "what's the point of …?".

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lam-gi-whats-the-point/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**there is no point in**

Pattern: `[verb phrase] + (mà) làm gì? · [verb] + làm gì cho mệt`

Level: B1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: lam gi (end)

*Làm gì* at the end of a sentence, after an action, can mean "what's the point of …?". It isn't a real question: you're saying there's no need, usually to talk someone out of it. *Mua nhiều mà làm gì?* What's the point of buying so much? The voice falls at the end, and nobody is expected to answer.

*Mà* before *làm gì* makes the doubt clearer, and a reason often follows: *Mua nhiều mà làm gì, ăn không hết đâu.* A very common ending is *cho mệt*, "and only wear yourself out": *Lo làm gì cho mệt.* Why worry? It'll only tire you out.

Often it's kind, a way to comfort someone: *Giận làm gì, chuyện qua rồi mà.* Why stay angry? It's all over now. About someone else, it can sound weary: *Nói với ảnh làm gì, ảnh có nghe đâu.*

You've met *(để) làm gì?*, the real question about purpose: *Em học tiếng Việt để làm gì?* With *để*, you want an answer. Without it, the same words can be either, and the tone tells you which; *mà* or *cho mệt* make it clear you see no point.

*Lo gì mà lo!* also means "don't worry", but more briskly: it throws the word back. *Làm gì có!* at the start means "there's no such thing!"

## Examples

- Mua nhiều mà làm gì, ăn không hết đâu. — What's the point of buying so much? We'll never eat it all.
- Thôi, lo làm gì cho mệt. — Come on, why worry? It'll only wear you out.
- Giận làm gì, chuyện qua rồi mà. — Why stay angry? It's all over now.
- Saigon: Nói với ảnh làm gì, ảnh có nghe đâu. | Hà Nội: Nói với anh ấy làm gì, anh ấy có nghe đâu. — What's the point of telling him? He never listens.

## Compare

- [What for? (để) làm gì](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/de-lam-gi-what-for/): what for?
- [No way, there's no such thing: Làm gì có …!](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lam-gi-co/): there's no …!
- [Throwing a word back: X + gì mà + X](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/gi-ma-reject/): X? not at all! / enough X-ing!

Previous in Asking questions: [Surely not? chẳng lẽ / lẽ nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/chang-le-surely-not/)
Next in Asking questions: [Who would …? Who wouldn't …? ai mà, ai lại không](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ai-ma-rhetorical/)

---

Add to Vietnamese Buddy: https://app.vietnamesebuddy.com/waitlist?source=grammar%3Au_lam_gi_whats_the_point
In the app, the grammar points from your own class material are kept with their status, and any word you meet while reading can go into your lexicon with its audio, ready to study.