虽然…但是: How to Say 'Although… But' in Chinese

虽然 (suīrán) means "although". It goes in the first clause, either before or after that clause's subject. 但是 (dànshì) means "but", and it starts the second clause, before that clause's subject. Unlike English, Chinese normally keeps both words: 虽然天气很热，但是我们还是决定去郊游 (suīrán tiānqì hěn rè, dànshì wǒmen háishi juédìng qù jiāoyóu), "even though it was hot, we still decided to go on an outing". 可是 (kěshì) or 不过 (búguò) can take the place of 但是, and 还是 (háishi, "still") often follows it.

Below are the variants in one table, then the word order, when you can leave one of the two words out, the three words for "but", 虽然 vs 尽管, and example sentences by HSK level. The example sentences are from Mandarin Mosaic's HSK lessons, checked by a native speaker. 虽然 and 但是 are both HSK 2 words.

虽然…但是 Grammar: The Quick Reference Table

These are the forms you'll meet, from the everyday pair to the clipped written one. The highlighted word in each sentence is the one the row is about.

* The two sentences marked with an asterisk are short examples of our own, because our lessons have no checked sentence with those pairs. Every other sentence on this page is from the lessons.

虽然…但是 is one of the HSK 2 patterns in our Chinese grammar lessons, which list the other two-part connectors, such as 因为…所以 (yīnwèi… suǒyǐ, "because… so"), that work the same way.

How to Use 虽然…但是 in a Sentence: Word Order

The pattern has two halves. The first, with 虽然, says something that is true. The second, with 但是, says what happens anyway, against what you'd expect. The Chinese Grammar Wiki's page on 虽然 and 但是 sets it out as 虽然……，但是 / 可是…… and points out the difference from English: you wouldn't normally say "but" after "although" in English, but Chinese needs it.

虽然 goes before or after the subject

Both orders are correct, and you'll see both in grammar references and in our lessons. Putting the subject first makes it the topic of the whole sentence, which is common when both halves are about the same person or thing:

The third sentence shows that a different subject in the second half doesn't force 虽然 to the front. If you're unsure, starting the sentence with 虽然 is never wrong.

These sentences also use 但 (dàn), the one-syllable form of 但是. The Grammar Wiki notes that 但是 is shortened to 但 in informal speech, so 但 isn't only for writing.

但是 goes before the subject, 却 after it

但是, 可是 and 不过 are conjunctions: they join the two halves, so they come first in the second half, before its subject. 却 (què, "yet") is different. The Grammar Wiki's page on 却 calls it an adverb, which comes after the subject and before the verb, and says it can be used together with 但是 for emphasis, as in 但她的家人却一点也不会 above.

Right and wrong: our own short examples

Three mistakes to avoid. The wrong sentences are ours, made up to show each mistake:

• Wrong: 虽然很贵，我但是买了。 Right: 虽然很贵，但是我买了。 (suīrán hěn guì, dànshì wǒ mǎi le, "it was expensive, but I bought it.") 但是 joins the two halves, so it comes before the subject 我.
• Wrong: 虽然我很累，却孩子们不想睡觉。 Right: 虽然我很累，孩子们却不想睡觉。 (suīrán wǒ hěn lèi, háizimen què bù xiǎng shuìjiào, "I'm tired, but the children don't want to go to sleep.") 却 is an adverb, so it comes after the subject 孩子们.
• Wrong: 虽然很贵，我买了。 Right: 虽然很贵，我还是买了。 (suīrán hěn guì, wǒ háishi mǎi le, "it was expensive, but I still bought it.") With nothing in the second half to answer 虽然, the sentence sounds unfinished.

Can You Drop 虽然 or 但是?

You can drop 虽然, but you can't leave the second half with nothing to answer it.

但是 without 虽然: yes

但是 on its own is simply "but", and it's used that way all the time. The second half can still carry 还是 for "still":

Adding 虽然 to the first half signals the contrast from the start, before the reader or listener reaches the "but".

虽然 without 但是: only if something else answers it

The Grammar Wiki says the "but" part is required in Chinese, so 虽然 with a bare second half (the last wrong sentence above) isn't standard. What you will see is 但是 left out when another word does its job: 还是 ("still"), 却 ("yet") or 仍然 (réngrán, "still"). Two of the sentences in the table at the top do this: 虽然汤药很苦，我还是不得不喝了 and 虽然他严格，却富有同情心. The Grammar Wiki's pattern for 尽管 also shows 但是 as optional when 还是 follows.

虽然 at the end: an afterthought

虽然 can also come second, after the main point, like "…, although…" in English. Here the 虽然 clause has no 但是 partner: the main point simply comes first. The Grammar Wiki's page doesn't cover this order, but our lessons have two examples, both checked by a native speaker:

For your own sentences, the usual order (虽然 first, 但是 second) is the safer choice; save the afterthought order for when you want to add a reservation after making your point.

但是, 可是 or 不过 after 虽然?

All three mean "but" after 虽然, and the choice is mostly about tone:

• 但是 (dànshì) is the neutral choice, and the one to learn first. The Grammar Wiki calls it slightly more formal than 可是.
• 可是 (kěshì) is interchangeable with 但是 here, a little more informal and a little weaker in tone.
• 不过 (búguò) is softer and more informal again, a gentle "but" or "mind you". Note the tone change: 不 becomes bú before the fourth tone of 过.

The two-row comparison, with a sentence for each word, is in the 但是 vs 可是 section of our commonly confused Chinese words guide. On the HSK 2.0 lists, 但是 is an HSK 2 word, while 可是 and 不过 come at HSK 4; on HSK 3.0, all three are level 2.

虽然 vs 尽管

尽管 (jǐnguǎn) also means "although", and in most sentences you could swap it for 虽然. The Grammar Wiki's page on 尽管 says it's a little stronger than 虽然, closer to "despite" or "even though", and gives the pattern as 尽管……，(可是 / 但是 +) subject + 还是……: the "but" is optional when 还是 follows.

In the second sentence, 尽管如此 (literally "despite this being so") refers back to the sentence before it, like "even so".

尽管 can also mean "feel free to"

Before a verb, with no "but" to follow, 尽管 means "go ahead and…" or "don't hesitate to…": 你尽管说 (nǐ jǐnguǎn shuō) is "just say it", "speak freely". 虽然 never has this meaning. The CC-CEDICT dictionary lists both senses: "despite, although, even though" and "do not hesitate (to ask, complain etc.)".

尽管 is an HSK 4 word on the HSK 2.0 lists (level 5 on HSK 3.0), so for HSK 2 and 3, 虽然 is the one to use.

虽然 Example Sentences by HSK Level

Twelve more sentences from our lessons, each checked by a native speaker, grouped by the HSK level the app gives each sentence (HSK 2.0), easiest first. The easier sentences are in the sections above. To see the level of every word in a sentence, paste it into our HSK level checker.

HSK 4

HSK 5

HSK 6

Notice how often 还是, 仍 or 却 turns up in the second half, with or without 但是. Learning the pattern from whole sentences like these, rather than from a rule, is the idea behind sentence mining: Mandarin Mosaic shows you sentences with one new word each and brings them back with spaced repetition. 虽然 and 但是 are in our HSK 2 vocabulary list with the other linking words at that level.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does 虽然 Mean in English?

虽然 (suīrán) means "although" or "even though". It's usually followed by 但是 (dànshì, "but") in the second half of the sentence, which English leaves out: "although it's expensive, I bought it" is 虽然很贵，但是我买了.

Do You Need 但是 After 虽然?

Something has to answer 虽然 in the second half. Usually it's 但是, 可是 or 不过; 还是, 却 or 仍然 can also do the job on their own, as in 虽然汤药很苦，我还是不得不喝了. A second half with none of these sounds unfinished. The exception is when 虽然 comes second, as an afterthought: then there's no 但是 at all.

Is 虽然 Formal?

No. It's an HSK 2 word used in conversation and in writing, though the Grammar Wiki notes that the pattern is especially common in written Chinese. The single character 虽, as in 她虽疲劳但仍继续工作, is the more formal, written form.

Can 虽然 Go After the Subject?

Yes. 他虽然没有通过考试 and 虽然他没有通过考试 are both correct. 但是, on the other hand, always comes before the subject of its half.

What's the Difference Between 虽然 and 即使?

虽然 is for things that are true: "although it's raining". 即使 (jíshǐ) is "even if", for something hypothetical, and pairs with 也 (yě): 即使下雨，我也去, "even if it rains, I'll go". The Grammar Wiki's page on 即使 says that if the situation is real, use 虽然 instead. For another set of HSK 2 words that English squeezes into one, see 会 vs 能 vs 可以.

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