tuy ... nhưng ...

Although ... Still ...

Level 2

Tuy [Condition/Obstacle], nhưng [Unexpected Result]

How It Works

The tuy ... nhưng ... structure is a foundational pattern in Vietnamese for expressing 'although' or 'even though'. It is highly interchangeable with similar structures using dù ... vẫn ... or mặc dù ... nhưng .... While they mean the same thing, they sit on a register spectrum: mặc dù is the most formal, tuy is neutral and versatile, and dù is the most colloquial. The word tuy is also sometimes expanded to tuy rằng, functioning exactly the same way.

Key Rules for Usage:

  • Punctuation: When tuy starts the sentence, a comma is typically used to separate the two clauses.
  • The Role of 'Nhưng': While often taught as a strict pair, the word nhưng (but) can actually be omitted in everyday speech, especially when the second clause contains an anchoring adverb. In spoken Vietnamese, it is also frequently expanded to nhưng mà.
  • Anchoring Adverbs: The second clause frequently uses adverbs like vẫn (still) or cũng (also). These words are extremely common and often used to anchor the concession. However, they can be omitted, especially when the second clause contains a negative word (like không) or when the contrast is obvious from the vocabulary.
  • Subject Placement: When both clauses share the same subject, you can place the subject before tuy (e.g., Anh ấy tuy nghèo nhưng vẫn vui vẻ - Even though he is poor, he is still happy). This fronting is completely optional; you can just as naturally leave the subject after tuy (e.g., Tuy anh ấy nghèo...).
  • Reversing the Order: You can put the main clause first. When you do this, tuy sits in the middle of the sentence to introduce the condition, and nhưng is dropped entirely.

This pattern is neutral in register, making it perfectly appropriate for both formal writing and casual everyday speech.

Examples (4)

  1. Tuy nhà xa nhưng An không bao giờ đi học muộn.

    Although his house is far, An is never late for school.

    Word by Word: Although house far but An not ever go study late.

    A classic example showing a condition (living far away) and an unexpected positive result (never being late).

  2. Tuy hôm nay tôi bị hỏng xe nhưng tôi vẫn đến lớp đúng giờ.

    Although my car broke down today, I still got to class on time.

    Word by Word: Although today I suffer broken vehicle but I still arrive class right hour.

    Notice the use of 'vẫn' (still) in the second clause, which is very natural when using this pattern.

  3. Tuy bận nhưng anh ấy vẫn học tiếng Việt mỗi tuần.

    Although he is busy, he still studies Vietnamese every week.

    Word by Word: Although busy but he still study Vietnamese every week.

    The subject can be omitted in the first clause if it is the same as the subject in the second clause.

  4. Anh ấy vẫn đi làm tuy rất mệt.

    He still goes to work although he is very tired.

    Word by Word: He still go work although very tired.

    When the main clause comes first, 'tuy' sits in the middle of the sentence and 'nhưng' is completely dropped.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting anchoring adverbs like 'vẫn' or 'cũng' when there is no other contrasting marker.

    Tuy trời mưa nhưng tôi đi làm.
    Tuy trời mưa nhưng tôi vẫn đi làm.

    In English, saying 'Although it rained, I went to work' is perfectly fine. In Vietnamese, if there is no negative word or obvious contrast in the second clause, omitting an adverb like vẫn (still) or cũng (also) can make the sentence feel unbalanced or incomplete. Adding 'vẫn' emphasizes the contrasting result naturally.

  • Using 'tuy nhiên' as a subordinating conjunction meaning 'although'.

    Tuy nhiên trời mưa, tôi vẫn đi làm.
    Tuy trời mưa nhưng tôi vẫn đi làm.

    Because they look similar, learners sometimes use tuy nhiên at the start of a dependent clause. However, 'tuy nhiên' means 'however' and is used to transition between two independent sentences, not to link clauses within the same sentence.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

tuy ... nhưng ...Level 2Although ... Still ...

Learn This First

To learn 'tuy ... nhưng ...' (although ... still ...), you first need to understand the basic conjunction 'nhưng' (but), as it forms the second half of this paired structure. You should also be comfortable with basic Vietnamese word order and how adjectives are used to describe conditions, as these form the building blocks of the clauses being contrasted.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

tuy