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但是dàn shìbut; however

HSK 2word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

但是 (dàn shì) means “but” or “however”. It is a conjunction that links a statement to a contrary idea in the next clause. It often starts the second clause of a sentence, and it can also follow 虽然 in the pattern 虽然…但是… to mean “although… but…”.

What does 但是 mean?

  1. 1.

    but; howeverconjunction

What do the characters in 但是 mean?

  • 但but; yet; however
  • 是not compositional here

How do you use 但是?

Grammar patterns

  1. 1

    Statement，但是 + Contrary Statement

    State one idea, then use 但是 to introduce a contrasting idea in the next clause.

  2. 2

    虽然…，但是…

    虽然 marks a concession; 但是 still introduces the contrasting result. Unlike English “although”, Chinese usually keeps the “but” word.

但是 can be used in speech and writing, and in informal speech it can often be shortened to 但.

Patterns

  • …，但是…

    你可以吃，但是不可以吃太多。

    Nǐ kěyǐ chī, dànshì bù kěyǐ chī tài duō.

    You can eat, but you can't eat too much.

  • 虽然…，但是…

    虽然外面很冷，但是里面很暖和。

    Suīrán wàimiàn hěn lěng, dànshì lǐmiàn hěn nuǎnhuo.

    Although it's cold outside, it's warm inside.

What are some examples of 但是 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 2

    我很想去，但是我太忙了。

    Wǒ hěn xiǎng qù, dànshì wǒ tài máng le.

    I really want to go, but I am too busy.

  2. HSK 2

    中文很有意思，但是也很难。

    Zhōngwén hěn yǒuyìsi, dànshì yě hěn nán.

    Chinese is very interesting, but it is also hard.

  3. HSK 3

    这个地方很漂亮，但是人太多了。

    Zhège dìfang hěn piàoliang, dànshì rén tài duō le.

    This place is beautiful, but there are too many people.

  4. HSK 4

    虽然这件衣服有点贵，但是质量很好。

    Suīrán zhè jiàn yīfu yǒudiǎn guì, dànshì zhìliàng hěn hǎo.

    Although this piece of clothing is a little expensive, the quality is good.

How is 但是 different from 所以?

但是 introduces a contrast or turn. 所以 (suǒ yǐ) introduces a result that follows from a reason.

Only 但是 fits here

我很想去，但是我太忙了。

Wǒ hěn xiǎng qù, dànshì wǒ tài máng le.

I really want to go, but I am too busy.

How is 但是 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    你想去看电影吗？

    Nǐ xiǎng qù kàn diànyǐng ma?

    Do you want to go see a movie?

  2. Speaker B:

    我想去，但是今天太晚了。

    Wǒ xiǎng qù, dànshì jīntiān tài wǎn le.

    I want to go, but it's too late today.

  3. Speaker A:

    明天呢？

    Míngtiān ne?

    What about tomorrow?

  4. Speaker B:

    明天可以，但是我只有晚上有空。

    Míngtiān kěyǐ, dànshì wǒ zhǐyǒu wǎnshang yǒu kòng.

    Tomorrow works, but I'm only free in the evening.

Can you use 但是 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.Fill in the blank: 我很想去，___我太忙了。
  2. 2.Fill in the blank: 虽然外面很冷，___里面很暖和。
  3. 3.Which word fits: 中文很有意思，___也很难。

What should you learn next?

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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.