cơ mà

But Surely

Level 4

Placed at the very end of a sentence to say "But surely...!" or "But I thought...!" when someone seems to have forgotten an obvious fact.

How It Works

Key Characteristics:

Composition: It combines cơ (emphasis/expectation) and mà (contrast/explanation) to create a 'contrary to what you think' flavor.
As a Final Particle: Placed at the end of a sentence, it points out a reality the listener seems to have ignored. It frequently expresses frustration, defensiveness, mild complaint, or a petulant tone when expectations are unmet. It is very commonly paired with rõ ràng (là) to emphasize the ignored reality. It is also very commonly used for self-defense or justification (often heavily paired with the negative marker đâu, e.g., 'Tôi có biết đâu cơ mà!') and for gentle correction when someone makes a mistake, emphasizing the correct information over the incorrect assumption. Additionally, it can be used at the end of a clause to mean 'though' (conceding a point), which helps soften a contradictory statement.
As a Conjunction: Placed at the beginning of a clause, it acts as a colloquial substitute for nhưng or nhưng mà, meaning 'but' or 'yet'. It is often used specifically to introduce an excuse or raise an objection.
As a Transition: When placed at the absolute beginning of a sentence, it acts as a contrastive conversational transition meaning 'But anyway' or 'Having said that' to introduce a contrasting thought. It is also frequently used for sudden realization or remembering a contradictory detail (e.g., 'Cơ mà... hình như mình quên chìa khóa rồi!'). It always retains a strong contrastive 'But' element and does not function as a pure, non-contrastive 'Anyway'. In texting and casual speech, it is also common to trail off ('Cơ mà...') to imply hesitation or an unspoken objection.
Dialect & Pronunciation: It belongs primarily to casual spoken Vietnamese and texting. It is strongly Northern; Southern speakers rarely use it, preferring rồi mà or just mà at the end of sentences, and nhưng mà for conjunctions. Note that in fast, casual speech, it is frequently reduced or pronounced with a falling tone on the first word (cờ mà).

Examples (6)

Rõ ràng là anh hứa rồi cơ mà!
But you clearly promised! / You promised, didn't you?
Word by Word: Clear is brother promised already [particle]!
Expresses frustration or a mild complaint that the listener is not acting according to their previous promise. Notice the common pairing with 'rõ ràng (là)' to emphasize the ignored reality.
Em nói với anh rồi cơ mà!
But I already told you! / I thought I told you!
Word by Word: Younger sibling spoke with older brother already [particle]!
A defensive or frustrated reminder of a fact the listener seems to have forgotten.
Tôi có biết đâu cơ mà!
But I didn't know!
Word by Word: I [emphasis] know [negative] [particle]!
Demonstrates the common use of the particle for self-defense or justification when accused or questioned about something. Notice the heavy collocation with the negative marker 'đâu'.
Tôi muốn đi lắm, cơ mà tôi bận.
I really want to go, but I'm busy.
Word by Word: I want go very, but I busy.
Here, cơ mà is used as a colloquial conjunction connecting two contrasting clauses, just like nhưng mà.
Không phải cái này, cái kia cơ mà!
Not this one, that one!
Word by Word: Not correct this one, that one [particle]!
Demonstrates the use of the particle for gentle correction, emphasizing the right information over an incorrect assumption.
Cơ mà... hình như mình quên chìa khóa rồi!
But wait... it seems I forgot my keys!
Word by Word: But... seem like self forget key already!
Demonstrates the use of 'cơ mà' as a transition for a sudden realization or remembering a contradictory detail.

Common Mistakes

Using cơ mà in formal writing or professional contexts.
Dự án này rất tiềm năng, cơ mà thiếu vốn.
Dự án này rất tiềm năng, nhưng thiếu vốn.
Cơ mà is primarily for casual speech and texting. In formal writing, you should use standard conjunctions like nhưng or tuy nhiên to express 'but' or 'however'.

How It Connects

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

cơ màLevel 4But Surely

Learn This First

To understand 'cơ mà', learners need to be familiar with the individual particles 'cơ' and 'mà'. 'Cơ' provides the sense of surprise or focus, while 'mà' provides the contrastive 'but' or 'surely' nuance. Together, they form a compound final particle used to object to a statement by reminding the listener of a conflicting fact.

Words in This Pattern