但是 — but

但是

dànshì

but, however

conjunction · HSK 2 · topic “Studies and tasks”

How to pronounce it

但是 is read dàn shì: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.

dàn — 4th tonesharply falling, like “Stop!”

shì — 4th tonesharply falling, like “Stop!”

How to write it

但

dàn — but

On the left, 亻 “person”.

是

shì — be

On top, 日 “sun”.

Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “但是”.

Examples

Sentences from the course lessons with 但是. Tap the sound icon to listen.

虽然下雨，但是我想出去。suīránxiàyǔ,dànshìwǒxiǎngchūqùAlthough it's raining, I want to go out.
虽然很累但是我很高兴suīránhěnlèi,dànshìwǒhěngāoxìngAlthough I'm very tired, I'm happy.
他没说话，但是心里很高兴。tāméishuōhuà,dànshìxīnlihěngāoxìngHe didn't say anything, but inside he was glad.
尽管工作很累，但是她很开心。jǐnguǎngōngzuòhěnlèi,dànshìtāhěnkāixīnAlthough her work is tiring, she's happy.
这个公寓不大但是很舒适zhègegōngyùbúdà,dànshìhěnshūshìThis apartment isn't big, but it's very comfortable.
这个包不太好看但是很实用zhègebāobútàihǎokàn,dànshìhěnshíyòngThis bag isn't very pretty, but it's very practical.

More words from the lesson “Although… (but)…”

Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.

Frequently asked questions

What does 但是 mean?

但是 (dànshì) means “but, however”.

How do you write 但是?

但是 is 2 characters: 但 (dàn) — but; 是 (shì) — be. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.

How do you pronounce 但是?

但是 is read dànshì. Tones: dàn — fourth tone, shì — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.

“but” in the lesson “Although… (but)…”

This word is from the topic “Studies and tasks” of HSK 2. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.

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