虽然...但...
Reach for this when you want to acknowledge one fact while emphasizing a contrasting reality — 'although X, but Y.' It's the same concession structure as 虽然...但是..., just with the shorter 但 instead of 但是. Slightly more compact and slightly more written-feeling. Common in opinion writing, headlines, and crisp arguments where you want the contrast to land tight. Adult register; works in both written and spoken Chinese.
Structure
虽然 [CONCEDED POINT]，但 [CONTRASTING MAIN POINT]
suīrán... dàn...
How to Think About It
Chinese keeps BOTH halves of the concession. English picks 'although' OR 'but'; Chinese says both. 虽然 marks the point you're conceding (yes, this is true) and 但 carries the real punchline (and yet, here's what matters). Dropping 但 leaves the contrast hanging; dropping 虽然 turns it into a plain 'but' contrast without the acknowledged concession. 但 is the tighter spoken variant of 但是 — same meaning, slightly faster.
Examples
虽然下雨了，但我们还是去爬山了。
Suīrán xiàyǔ le, dàn wǒmen háishi qù páshān le.
Even though it was raining, we still went hiking.
虽然这家店有点贵，但东西真的好。
Suīrán zhè jiā diàn yǒudiǎn guì, dàn dōngxi zhēn de hǎo.
This shop is a bit expensive, but the stuff is genuinely good.
虽然他学中文才一年，但已经能看新闻了。
Suīrán tā xué Zhōngwén cái yī nián, dàn yǐjīng néng kàn xīnwén le.
Even though he's only been studying Chinese for a year, he can already read the news.
虽然下着雨, 但我们还是出去了。
Suīrán xià zhe yǔ, dàn wǒmen háishì chūqù le.
Although it was raining, we still went out.
虽然她很忙, 但每天都给妈妈打电话。
Suīrán tā hěn máng, dàn měitiān dōu gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.
Although she's busy, she calls her mom every day.
虽然这家店有点远, 但东西真的好。
Suīrán zhè jiā diàn yǒudiǎn yuǎn, dàn dōngxī zhēn de hǎo.
Although this shop is a bit far, the products are genuinely good.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 但 because English doesn't double up. The second clause needs 但 (or 但是/可是) — without it, the contrast doesn't land and natives feel the sentence is incomplete.
虽然他很累，他还在工作。
虽然他很累，但他还在工作。
Don't Confuse With
虽然...但是...
Same meaning, slightly more spoken/full. 但 is the contracted spoken form; 但是 is the fuller form. Mostly interchangeable.
尽管...但...
More formal/written ('despite the fact that'). 虽然 is the everyday default; 尽管 sounds like a newspaper editorial.
不过
Softer 'however' — adds a qualification without the full concession setup. Use solo at the start of a clause, not paired with 虽然.
虽然...可是...
Same meaning. 可是 is slightly more spoken and softer than 但 or 但是. Pick either in conversation; in writing, 但 sounds tighter.
尽管...但...
尽管 is the formal cousin. In essays and news, 尽管 fits better; in everyday speech, 虽然 sounds more natural.
Practice
Fill in: ____然他很忙，但还是来了。
Show answer
虽
Fill in: 虽然这部电影很长，____很有意思。
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但
Arrange: 但 / 虽然 / 想去 / 我 / 没时间 / ， / 我
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虽然我想去，但我没时间。
Translate to Chinese: Although the price went up, sales are still very good.
Show answer
虽然价格涨了，但销售还是很好。
Use 虽然...但... to acknowledge a downside and emphasize an upside.
Show answer
虽然这份工作压力很大，但我学到了很多东西。
___ 我很累, 但还是去了健身房。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 3 Fluentide episodes:
片单虽然类型丰富，但似乎缺乏一部具有绝对统治力的"爆款"。
虽然这是一场全西班牙语的狂欢，但坏痞兔还是选择用英语说了一句“上帝保佑美国”
虽然只有一部分用户能试用，但反响非常热烈。
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 虽然...但... 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.