但凡

dànfán

conjunction #36,151

Meanings

1 every single (one of); whenever
2 as long as; provided that
3 if only

Characters

Examples

但凡有点常识的人都不会这么做。

Dànfán yǒu diǎn chángshí de rén dōu bù huì zhème zuò.

Anyone with even a bit of common sense wouldn't do this.

但凡有空,他就会去看望母亲。

Dànfán yǒukòng, tā jiù huì qù kànwàng mǔqin.

Whenever he has time, he goes to visit his mother.

但凡他早一点说,我就能帮上忙了。

Dànfán tā zǎo yīdiǎn shuō, wǒ jiù néng bāng shàng máng le.

If only he had spoken up earlier, I could have helped.

Tips

grammar

Two patterns: (1) 但凡 + condition, 都/就… — 'every X without exception': 但凡看过的人都说好 ('everyone who has seen it says it's good'). (2) Counterfactual: 但凡 X, 就 Y — 'if only X had happened, then Y'. Slightly literary; everyday speech swaps in 只要 (zhǐyào) or 凡是 (fánshì).

Stroke Order

但 dàn

凡 fán