但

dàn

conjunction HSK 2 #64

Meanings

1 but
2 yet
3 however

Characters

but; however; only

Person radical 亻+ 旦 (dawn) — at dawn things change direction, hence 'but/however'

Examples

他很忙，但很开心。

Tā hěn máng, dàn hěn kāixīn.

He's busy but happy.

我想去，但没有时间。

Wǒ xiǎng qù, dàn méiyǒu shíjiān.

I want to go, but I don't have time.

天气很热，但不太潮湿。

Tiānqì hěn rè, dàn bú tài cháoshī.

The weather is hot but not too humid.

Tips

usage

但 is more literary than 但是 and often appears in writing. In speech, 但是 or 不过 is more common.

Stroke Order

但 dàn