但是...
Reach for 但是 when you want to flip a sentence's direction — you stated one thing, and now you are about to say something that pushes against it. It is the everyday 'but' of Chinese: drop a 但是 at the start of the second clause and the listener immediately knows a contrast is coming. Works at HSK 1 with no partner word required, which is why it shows up constantly in spoken Chinese and news headlines.
Structure
[CLAUSE 1]。但是 [CLAUSE 2]。
dànshì...
How to Think About It
但是 is the pivot point — everything before it is setup, everything after is the surprise. Unlike 虽然...但是..., solo 但是 doesn't need a partner: the contrast lives entirely in the 但是 clause. Native speakers often put a comma or a full stop right before 但是 because the pivot deserves a beat — the listener needs that micro-pause to brace for the flip.
Examples
今天很冷，但是我没穿外套。
Jīntiān hěn lěng, dànshì wǒ méi chuān wàitào.
Today is cold, but I didn't wear a jacket.
这家店很有名，但是东西不好吃。
Zhè jiā diàn hěn yǒumíng, dànshì dōngxi bù hǎochī.
This restaurant is famous, but the food isn't good.
我想去，但是我没有时间。
Wǒ xiǎng qù, dànshì wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān.
I want to go, but I don't have time.
Common Mistake
Learners stick 但是 in the middle of a single short clause as if it were the English word 'but'. In Chinese, 但是 introduces a full clause with its own subject and verb — it never glues two adjectives together inside one sentence.
他很聪明但是懒。
他很聪明，但是他很懒。
Don't Confuse With
可是...
Same meaning, slightly softer and more spoken. 可是 feels conversational; 但是 is neutral and works in writing too. In a textbook essay, pick 但是.
虽然...但是...
Use the pair when you want to concede the first point up front ('Although X, but Y'). Solo 但是 just announces a contrast — no concession framing.
不过...
Lighter pushback — closer to 'though' than 'but'. Use 不过 when you are softening, qualifying, or adding a small caveat rather than flipping the direction completely.
Practice
他很有钱，___ 他不快乐。
Show answer
但是
我喜欢咖啡，但是 ___ 喜欢茶。 (also negative — 不)
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不
Put in order: [但是 / 我 / 很 / 累 / 还要 / 工作]
Show answer
我很累，但是还要工作。
Translate to Chinese: 'The movie is long, but it's very good.'
Show answer
这部电影很长，但是很好看。
Write one sentence about a food you like with a downside, using 但是.
Show answer
Example answer: 我很喜欢吃辣的，但是吃多了胃不舒服。 (I love spicy food, but if I eat too much my stomach hurts.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 3 Fluentide episodes:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 但是... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.