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mà

Level ≈A1 (approx.) conjunctionparticle Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [maː˨˩]Huế [maː˦˩]Saigon [maː˨˩] browser voice
Syllables · tones
màfallinghuyền

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

mà means but; that; which.

Meanings of mà in English

Conjunction

  1. but; however; nevertheless ≈ nhưngnhưng mà
    • già mà vẫn khoẻold but still energetic
    • Mới đi có chút mà thằng ất ơ nào chiếm chỗ rồi.I was just gone for a bit but some random dude already took my place.
    • Nhìn trong hộp rồi mà hông thấy.I already looked into the box but I can't see it.
  2. which, whom, that, where
    • Bài kiểm tra mà tuần trước mình làm.The exam that we took last week.
  3. and; and then; and so (marks succession of actions or causality)
    • đến mà xemto come and see
    • nghe cho kĩ mà làmto listen closely in order to do it well
    • thắt cổ mà chếtto hang oneself and die

Particle

  1. colloquial Final affirmative particle, indicating emphasis or contrast.
    • Tôi có làm gì đâu mà!I really didn't do anything!
    • Ngon mà, sao chê dữ vậy?It tastes pretty good tho/actually, not sure why you gotta shit on it that much.
  2. colloquial An intensifier, placed before an adjective or verb
    • thấy mà ghêdisgusted just (by) looking (at it)
    • nghĩ mà sướngelated just thinking (about it)

Words with mà

nhưng màmà thôimà cả

Example sentences with mà

  • Đừng có mà nói với anh ấy. Don't tell him.
  • Anh là ai mà phán xét tôi? Who are you to judge me?
  • Tôi không bỏ bạn mà đi đâu. I am not leaving you.
  • Tôi nhớ điều mà bạn đã nói. I remember what you said.
  • Ngôi nhà mà Tom xây rất đẹp. The house that Tom built is really nice.
  • Tôi biết là bạn chưa ngủ mà. I know that you aren't asleep.
  • Anh ấy là người mà tôi thấy. It was him who I saw.
  • Đừng có mà được voi đòi tiên. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, mà could be written as 𦓡, 麻. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Within Austroasiatic, compare Pacoh ma (“but, topicalizer”) and Old Mon ma (“relative marker”).

Frequently asked questions

What does mà mean in English?

mà (conjunction) means "but; that; which".

How do you pronounce mà?

IPA: Hanoi [maː˨˩]; Saigon [maː˨˩]. Tones: mà — falling tone (huyền).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.