# Mà: besides / anyway in Vietnamese (B1)

> At the start of a sentence, Mà moves the talk on. It adds a new point, or turns to something you've just remembered, like "by the way" or "anyway": Mà…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-initial-besides/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**besides / anyway**

Pattern: `[statement]. Mà + [statement]`

Level: B1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday · Medium: spoken

Typed without accents: ma

Situations: [Messages and social media](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/?use=texting)

Saigon: Mà nè, … · Mà thôi, … | Hà Nội: Mà này, … · Mà thôi, …

At the start of a sentence, *Mà* moves the talk on. It adds a new point, or turns to something you've just remembered, like "by the way" or "anyway": *Mà mai em rảnh không?* By the way, are you free tomorrow? *Mà nè* makes the change of subject clearer: *Mà nè, anh Tuấn dạo này sao rồi?* Oh, by the way, how's Tuấn doing? In Hà Nội that's *Mà này*.

It can also add one more reason, like "and besides", often with *cũng* before the verb: *Thôi, đừng đi. Mà trời cũng sắp mưa rồi.* Don't go. Besides, it's about to rain.

*Mà thôi* drops what you were saying, like "never mind": *Mà thôi, kệ đi.* Oh, never mind, forget it.

When the new sentence pushes against the last one, *Mà* simply means "but", like *Nhưng mà*. At the end of a sentence it insists instead: *Em nói rồi mà!* I told you! This *Mà* is casual, for talk and messages; in writing, use *ngoài ra* (besides) or *nhân tiện* (by the way).

## Examples

- Mà mai em rảnh không? — By the way, are you free tomorrow?
- Saigon: Mà nè, anh Tuấn dạo này sao rồi? | Hà Nội: Mà này, anh Tuấn dạo này thế nào rồi? — Oh, by the way, how's Tuấn doing these days?
- Thôi, đừng đi. Mà trời cũng sắp mưa rồi. — Don't go. Besides, it's about to rain.
- Mà thôi, kệ đi. — Oh, never mind. Forget it.

## Compare

- [I told you! … mà at the end](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-final-insist/): (insisting, that's why)
- [Oh, by the way: À, … at the start](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/a-initial-oh/): oh (remembering)
- [But (unexpectedly), and yet: mà](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-but-unexpected/): but / yet
- [On the occasion of: nhân (dịp) + occasion](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhan-occasion/): on the occasion of; taking the chance

Previous in Words at the start and end of a sentence: [After all, obviously: … (rồi) còn gì](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/con-gi-obviously/)
Next in Words at the start and end of a sentence: [Gone, lost: verb + mất](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/mat-after-verb/)

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