nhờ ... mà ...

Thanks to

Level 3

Expresses that a positive or beneficial outcome was achieved because of a specific cause.

How It Works

The pattern nhờ ... mà ... is the standard, everyday way to express positive causation in Vietnamese.

Structure:

  • Nhờ (có/vào) + [Noun / Pronoun / Noun Phrase / Clause] + mà / nên + [Clause]

Key Characteristics:

  • Positive (and Sarcastic): Literally, this pattern is used to credit a cause for a welcome, beneficial, or successful outcome. However, native speakers frequently use it sarcastically to blame someone for a negative outcome (e.g., Nhờ mày mà tao trễ học = "Thanks" to you, I'm late for school).
  • Adding "có" or "vào": When the cause is a noun or pronoun, it is very common to add có right after nhờ (e.g., Nhờ có anh ấy... = Thanks to him...). Alternatively, you can use nhờ vào to mean 'relying on' or 'thanks to' (e.g., Nhờ vào sự giúp đỡ của anh ấy mà tôi thành công = Thanks to his help, I succeeded).
  • Flexible Attachment: Unlike the English "thanks to" which requires a noun phrase, nhờ can attach directly to a full, unconjugated clause (e.g., Nhờ trời mưa... = Thanks to the sky raining...).
  • Subject Placement: The subject of the main clause can wrap around the pattern, appearing before nhờ (e.g., Tôi nhờ anh ấy mà thành công = I succeeded thanks to him).
  • Dropping "mà": The word mà (or nên) can be dropped entirely in both casual speech and formal writing. When omitted in writing, a comma is typically used to separate the clauses.
  • The Role of "mà" and "nên": Beginners often learn that mà means "but". However, in this pattern, mà acts as a resultative marker linking the cause to the effect, not as a contrastive conjunction. Alternatively, you can replace mà with nên (Nhờ ... nên ...) to introduce the positive result.
  • The Role of "nhờ": While nhờ can be an active verb meaning "to ask for a favor" (as in nhờ + Person + Verb), here it functions grammatically as a preposition or subordinating conjunction.
  • Inverted Structure: You can also state the result first, linking it to the cause with là nhờ (is thanks to) (e.g., Tôi thi đậu là nhờ cô ấy = I passed the exam thanks to her).

Contrasting Cause and Effect:
To build fluency in Vietnamese, you must choose your cause-and-effect words based on the outcome's polarity:

Examples (4)

  1. Nhờ thời tiết ấm áp mà hoa đào nở rộ.

    Thanks to the warm weather, the peach blossoms are in full bloom.

    Word by Word: Thanks to weather warm that flower peach bloom abundantly.

    Here, 'nhờ' attaches to a noun phrase ('thời tiết ấm áp') to explain the positive result of the flowers blooming.

  2. Nhờ ba mẹ mà tôi có thể du học.

    Thanks to my parents, I was able to study abroad.

    Word by Word: Thanks to dad mom that I have ability study abroad.

    A common way to express gratitude towards people who enabled a positive outcome.

  3. Nhờ anh giúp đỡ mà công việc đã xong sớm.

    Thanks to your help, the work was finished early.

    Word by Word: Thanks to older brother help that work already finish early.

    In this sentence, 'nhờ' attaches to a full clause ('anh giúp đỡ' - you help) rather than just a noun.

  4. Nhờ trời mưa mà cây cối xanh tươi.

    Thanks to the rain, the plants are green and fresh.

    Word by Word: Thanks to sky rain that tree plant green fresh.

    Another example of 'nhờ' attaching directly to a clause ('trời mưa' - the sky rains) to produce a beneficial result.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'nhờ' for negative or undesirable outcomes.

    Nhờ kẹt xe mà tôi đến muộn.
    Tại kẹt xe mà tôi đến muộn.

    Because learners often equate 'nhờ' with a generic 'because', they might use it for bad results. To a native speaker, using 'nhờ' for a negative result sounds grammatically wrong or highly sarcastic. For negative outcomes (assigning blame), you must use 'tại'.

How It Connects

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

nhờ ... mà ...Level 3Thanks to

Learn This First

The pattern 'nhờ ... mà ...' is a specific type of causal construction used for positive or welcome results. To understand it, learners should already be familiar with the general 'because... so...' structure (vì... nên...), the lexical meaning of the verb 'nhờ' (to rely on/ask for help), and how the particle 'mà' functions as a linker between clauses.

Words in This Pattern

nhờ