# Nhưng: but in Vietnamese (A1)

> Nhưng means "but". It joins two parts that pull against each other: Món này ngon nhưng hơi mắc.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhung-but/ · Updated 2026-11-09

**but**

Pattern: `[A] (,) nhưng + [B] · Nhưng (mà) + [sentence]`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: nhung

Variants:

- nhưng mà (speech)

*Nhưng* means "but". It joins two parts that pull against each other: *Món này ngon nhưng hơi mắc.* This dish is tasty but a bit expensive (in Hà Nội, *hơi đắt*). It goes at the start of the second part, just like "but", and a comma before it is optional.

When the second part is about the same person or thing, there's no need to repeat it: *Phòng nhỏ nhưng sạch.* The room is small but clean.

In speech people very often say *nhưng mà*, which means the same and sounds more conversational: *Em muốn đi lắm, nhưng mà em bận.* It can also open a sentence, to answer or object: *Nhưng mà em không biết đường.* But I don't know the way.

*Mà* alone also means "but" in speech, often with a note of surprise: *Rẻ mà ngon.* Cheap, and yet good.

One difference from English: after *mặc dù* or *tuy* (although), Vietnamese often still adds *nhưng* in the second half: *Mặc dù mệt nhưng em vẫn đi làm.* English drops the "but": although I was tired, I still went to work.

## Examples

- Saigon: Món này ngon nhưng hơi mắc. | Hà Nội: Món này ngon nhưng hơi đắt. — This dish is tasty but a bit expensive.
- Phòng nhỏ nhưng sạch. — The room is small but clean.
- Em muốn đi lắm, nhưng mà em bận. — I'd love to go, but I'm busy.
- Nhưng mà em không biết đường. — But I don't know the way.

## Words in this pattern

- [nhưng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/nhung-but/#s_nhung_but): but
- [nhưng mà](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/nhung-ma/#s_nhung_ma): but

## Compare

- [But (unexpectedly), and yet: mà](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ma-but-unexpected/): but / yet
- [Although: mặc dù / tuy … nhưng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/mac-du-although/): although
- [The only thing is: (chỉ) có điều (là)](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/co-dieu-only-thing/): the only thing is, but

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