The Vietnamese Particle “Mà” and Its Equivalent Means of Expression in Indonesian

Abstract

This study investigates the Vietnamese particle “mà” from pragmatic and discourse-analytic perspective, aiming to clarify its multifunctional role in communication. Based on both qualitative and quantitative data analyses, the study demonstrates that “mà” functions not merely as a conjunction or grammatical particle, but also as a discourse operator guiding inferential processes, expressing speaker stance, and organizing discourse. A contrastive analysis with Indonesian reveals fundamental differences in meaning encoding strategies: Vietnamese tends toward pragmatic condensation, whereas Indonesian favors explicit structural expression.