# Mặc dù … nhưng / tuy … nhưng: although in Vietnamese

> Mặc dù means "although". When it opens the sentence, the second half usually starts with nhưng, which English would drop, and has vẫn (still) or cũng…

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/mac-du-although/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**although**

Pattern: `Mặc dù / Tuy + [sentence], (nhưng) + [person] + vẫn / cũng + [verb] · [sentence] + mặc dù + [sentence]`

Level: A2 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: mac du … nhung, tuy … nhung

*Mặc dù* means "although". When it opens the sentence, the second half usually starts with *nhưng*, which English would drop, and has *vẫn* (still) or *cũng* before the verb: *Mặc dù trời mưa nhưng quán vẫn đông.* Although it's raining, the place is still busy. *Nhưng* can be left out, but *vẫn* or *cũng* usually stays: *Mặc dù mệt, em vẫn đi làm.*

*Tuy* means the same and sounds a little more careful: *Tuy lương không cao nhưng em thích công việc này.* Although the pay isn't great, I like this job.

The *mặc dù* part can also come second, as an afterthought, and then there's no *nhưng*: *Em vẫn đi học, mặc dù hơi mệt.*

In relaxed speech you don't always need "although" at all: *Mệt nhưng em vẫn đi làm* says the same. For "even if", about something that may or may not happen, use *dù … cũng*. And in writing, a new sentence starting with *Tuy nhiên* means "however".

## Examples

- Mặc dù trời mưa nhưng quán vẫn đông. — Although it's raining, the place is still busy.
- Tuy lương không cao nhưng em thích công việc này. — Although the pay isn't great, I like this job.
- Em vẫn đi học, mặc dù hơi mệt. — I still went to class, although I was a bit tired.
- Saigon: Mặc dù mắc nhưng nhiều người vẫn mua. | Hà Nội: Mặc dù đắt nhưng nhiều người vẫn mua. — Although it's expensive, lots of people still buy it.

## Compare

- [But: nhưng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhung-but/): but
- [Even if, even when: dù (cho) … thì … cũng, ngay cả khi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/du-even-if/): even if / although
- [However (written): tuy nhiên, song](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tuy-nhien-however/): however
- [Granted it is X, but …: X + thì + X, nhưng …](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/thi-thi-concessive/): X it may be, but

Previous in Linking ideas: [(I'll do it) then: … vậy at the end](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/vay-final-resigned/)
Next in Linking ideas: [And then: rồi](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/roi-and-then/)

---

Add to Vietnamese Buddy: https://app.vietnamesebuddy.com/waitlist?source=grammar%3Au_mac_du_although
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.