虽然...，但...
Reach for 虽然...但... when you want to acknowledge a fact and then push past it — 'although X, still Y.' It's the everyday concession pattern, more conversational than 尽管...但.... The first clause admits something true; the second delivers what holds despite it. Common in speech, casual writing, and any moment where you want to grant a downside before landing your main point. Often paired with 还是 in the second clause for an extra 'still' nuance.
Structure
虽然 [CONCESSION], 但 (+ Subject) + 还是/也 + [MAIN POINT]
suīrán... dàn...
How to Think About It
虽然 means 'although' — it primes the listener for a coming reversal. 但 (or 但是) lands the contrasting point. The pair is fixed: drop 但 and the concession floats unfinished. 还是 in the second clause adds emphasis ('still'), which is a very common pairing: 虽然累, 但还是去了. Compared to 尽管, 虽然 is the casual, daily-life version; pick 虽然 for speech and most conversation, 尽管 for formal writing.
Examples
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 in English 'although' works alone. But Chinese needs both halves — the second clause must contain a contrast marker. Without 但 (or 还是), the sentence feels truncated and the concession is left hanging.
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...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.
不过 (however)
不过 stands alone as 'however / but' and is softer than 但. 虽然 needs a paired marker; 不过 doesn't. 我喜欢, 不过太贵 = I like it, but it's too pricey.
Practice
___ 我很累, 但还是去了健身房。
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虽然
虽然他不喜欢吃菜, ___ 每天还是吃一点。
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但
Put in order: [虽然 / 但 / 我 / 听 / 懂 / 慢 / 他 / 说 / 很]
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虽然他说很慢, 但我听不懂。
Translate to Chinese: 'Although this book is hard, I really like it.'
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虽然这本书很难, 但我很喜欢。
Write a sentence conceding a downside and pushing past it, using 虽然...但....
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Example answer: 虽然中文很难学, 但我每天都在进步。 (Although Chinese is hard to learn, I'm making progress every day.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
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.