nhưng

Definition

Conjunction:
- But; however; yet: A word used to connect two words, phrases, or clauses that express contrasting or opposing ideas. It introduces a statement that contrasts with what was said before it.

Usage

Connecting Clauses: "Nhưng" is placed at the beginning of the second clause to show contrast with the first clause.
- Structure: [Clause 1], nhưng [Clause 2].
Connecting Phrases or Words: It can also connect two contrasting elements within a sentence.
- Structure: [Element 1] nhưng [Element 2].

Usage Examples

Connecting Clauses:
- Tôi muốn đi chơi, nhưng tôi phải học bài. (I want to go out, but I have to study.)
- Cô ấy rất bận, nhưng cô ấy vẫn luôn vui vẻ. (She is very busy, yet she is always cheerful.)
Connecting Phrases:
- Căn phòng nhỏ nhưng sạch sẽ. (The room is small but clean.)
- Anh ấy giàu nhưng không kiêu căng. (He is rich but not arrogant.)

Advanced Usage

"Nhưng mà": This is a common variant, slightly more conversational, with the same meaning as "nhưng".
- Tôi hiểu, nhưng mà tôi không đồng ý. (I understand, but I don't agree.)
"Tuy... nhưng...": A correlative conjunction pair meaning "Although/Even though... but...". "Tuy" starts the first clause, and "nhưng" starts the second.
- Tuy trời mưa, nhưng chúng tôi vẫn đi. (Although it was raining, but we still went.)

Variants and Related Words

Song: (Conjunction, more formal/literary) But, however.
- Anh ta có tài, song tính tình kiêu ngạo. (He is talented, but his character is arrogant.)
Tuy nhiên: (Conjunction) However, nevertheless. Often used to start a new sentence.
- Dự án có nhiều khó khăn. Tuy nhiên, chúng tôi sẽ cố gắng. (The project has many difficulties. However, we will try.)
Mà: (Conjunction) Can sometimes be used similarly to "nhưng" in conversational Vietnamese, often in the structure "... mà ...".
- Nó nhỏ mà mạnh. (It's small but strong.)

Synonyms

Related Phrases

Có... nhưng...: Used to concede a point before stating a stronger contrasting one. (There is... but...).
- Cô ấy có đẹp, nhưng tính tình không tốt. (She is beautiful, but her personality is not good.)
Không những... mà còn...: Not only... but also... (Used for adding similar ideas, not contrasting ones. Included here to highlight the difference).
- Cô ấy không những thông minh mà còn chăm chỉ. (She is not only intelligent but also hardworking.)

Notes

"Nhưng" is one of the most common and fundamental contrastive conjunctions in Vietnamese.
In the correlative structure "Tuy... nhưng...", both parts are used together in Vietnamese, whereas in English, "but" is often omitted after "although" (e.g., "Although it rained, we went").
The variant "nhưng mà" is very common in spoken language.

Khám phá thêm

Các từ liên quan

Từ gần giống

Từ chứa "nhưng"

Từ có nhắc đến "nhưng"

Proverbs and Idioms