Breakdown of Mặc dù bữa tối đắt nhưng thời gian phục vụ rất nhanh.
là
to be
rất
very
nhưng
but
mặc dù
although
nhanh
fast
đắt
expensive
bữa tối
the dinner
thời gian phục vụ
the service time
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Questions & Answers about Mặc dù bữa tối đắt nhưng thời gian phục vụ rất nhanh.
What is the function of mặc dù … nhưng in this sentence?
Mặc dù … nhưng is a concessive conjunction pair used to express “although … but ….”
- Mặc dù introduces the subordinate clause showing an unexpected or opposing fact (“although the dinner is expensive”).
- Nhưng marks the main clause that qualifies or contrasts with that fact (“but the service time is very fast”).
Do you always need both mặc dù and nhưng? Could you use only one of them?
You often see them together for clarity, but you can also use each alone:
- With mặc dù alone: Mặc dù bữa tối đắt, thời gian phục vụ rất nhanh. (comma optional)
- With nhưng alone, you’d use another conjunction or none: Bữa tối đắt nhưng thời gian phục vụ rất nhanh.
Pairing mặc dù … nhưng is simply more explicit in showing the concessive relationship.
What’s the difference between mặc dù and dù?
Both mean “although/though,” but:
- Dù is shorter and more colloquial, common in speech.
- Mặc dù is a bit more formal or written.
You can say Dù bữa tối đắt nhưng… just as you can say Mặc dù bữa tối đắt nhưng….
What does bữa tối mean, and why is bữa used?
- Bữa tối = dinner (the evening meal).
- Bữa is a classifier or measure word for meals (like “meal of”). Every meal is referred to as bữa
- time of day (sáng, trưa, tối).
Why does đắt come after bữa tối instead of before it?
In Vietnamese, descriptive adjectives usually follow the noun they modify when used without a linking word. So:
- bữa tối đắt = “an expensive dinner.”
If you wanted a pre-noun adjective, you’d need a classifier or modifier, e.g. một bữa tối rất đắt or use đắt tiền: bữa tối đắt tiền.
What does thời gian phục vụ literally mean, and how is phục vụ used here?
- Thời gian = time, duration.
- Phục vụ = to serve (verb) or service (noun).
Together thời gian phục vụ is a compound noun: “service time” or “time it takes to serve.”
Could you simplify nhưng thời gian phục vụ rất nhanh to nhưng phục vụ rất nhanh?
Yes.
- nhưng thời gian phục vụ rất nhanh emphasizes the duration (“the service time is very fast”).
- nhưng phục vụ rất nhanh shifts focus to the action or quality of service (“but they serve very quickly”).
Both are correct; the shorter version is more colloquial.
Why is there no là (to be) before rất nhanh?
Vietnamese typically omits the copular verb là when linking a noun or pronoun directly to an adjective. For example:
- Anh ấy cao. (He is tall.)
- Thời gian phục vụ rất nhanh. (Service time is very fast.)
Use là only when linking two nouns or when you need extra emphasis.