虽然……但是/但……
Reach for 虽然...但是/但... when you want to admit one thing is true and then pivot to a contrasting point — 'although X, but Y.' Workhorse concession pattern, used everywhere from speech to writing. 虽然 frames the fact you're conceding; 但是 (or shorter 但) introduces the contrasting point you actually want the listener to focus on.
Structure
虽然 [CONCESSION], 但是 / 但 [MAIN POINT]
suīrán... dànshì / dàn...
How to Think About It
Chinese keeps BOTH halves of the contrast — like 因为...所以..., not English. Where English picks 'although' OR 'but,' Chinese says both: 虽然 sets up the concession, 但是 lands the actual point. Drop 但是 and the sentence feels like it's missing its punchline; drop 虽然 and the concession becomes a flat fact. The MAIN point lives in the SECOND clause, not the first — get this backwards and the emphasis flips.
Examples
虽然下雨了, 但是我们还是出去玩了。
Suīrán xiàyǔ le, dànshì wǒmen háishì chūqù wán le.
Even though it rained, we still went out.
虽然他很年轻, 但是经验很丰富。
Suīrán tā hěn niánqīng, dànshì jīngyàn hěn fēngfù.
Even though he's young, his experience is very rich.
虽然这道题很难, 但我最后做出来了。
Suīrán zhè dào tí hěn nán, dàn wǒ zuìhòu zuò chūlái le.
Even though this problem was hard, I figured it out in the end.
Common Mistake
English speakers drop 但是 because doubling 'although' and 'but' sounds redundant in their head. In Chinese both stay. They also sometimes put the main point in the 虽然 clause, treating 虽然 like a soft connector — but 虽然 always marks the SECONDARY fact.
虽然他很累, 他还是去了。
虽然他很累, 但是他还是去了。
Don't Confuse With
尽管……但……
Slightly more formal and emphatic about the concession. Use 尽管 in writing or when you want to underline that you fully acknowledge the obstacle. 虽然 is the everyday default.
即使……也……
Hypothetical — 'even if X (which may not happen).' 虽然 treats X as actually true; 即使 treats X as a scenario.
不过 / 可是
Standalone contrast words ('but, however') without a 虽然 setup. Use them when you don't need to formally introduce the concession first.
Practice
___ 我很累, 但是我还想再看一集。
Show answer
虽然
虽然这家店很小, ___ 东西很好吃。
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但是
Put in order: [虽然 / 但是 / 喜欢 / 我 / 累 / 工作 / 很 / 我 / 的]
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虽然很累, 但是我喜欢我的工作。
Translate to Chinese: 'Although the food is expensive, the taste is amazing.'
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虽然这个菜很贵, 但是味道很棒。
Write one sentence about something with a downside that you still like, using 虽然...但是....
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Example answer: 虽然学中文很难, 但是我觉得很有意思。 (Even though Chinese is hard, I find it really interesting.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 虽然……但是/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.