The grammar pattern "虽然⋯⋯ 但是⋯⋯" (suīrán... dànshì...) is one of the most common used patterns in Chinese, especially in written Chinese. You can think of it as meaning "although," but unlike in English, you still need to follow it with a "but" word in Chinese.

Structure

"虽然(suīrán) ⋯⋯ ，但是(dànshì) ⋯⋯ " expresses that while the former part of the sentence is true, there is an adverse reaction in the latter part.

Simply put, the pattern means, although..., but... In English, you wouldn't normally need the "but" there, but it is required in Chinese. Be aware that "可是" can be used interchangeably with "但是" for the "but" part.

Examples

他虽然不想去，但是还是去了。 Tā suīrán bù xiǎng qù, dànshì háishì qù le.Although he didn't want to go, he did after all.
虽然他家很有钱，可是他从来不浪费钱。Suīrán tā jiā hěn yǒuqián, kěshì tā cónglái bù làngfèi qián.Even though his family is rich, he never wastes money.
这件衣服虽然有点贵，但是质量很好。Zhè jiàn yīfu suīrán yǒudiǎn guì, dànshì zhìliàng hěn hǎo.Although this piece of clothing is a little expensive, the quality is pretty good.
他虽然有错，可是不能全怪他。Tā suīrán yǒu cuò, kěshì bù néng quán guài tā.Although he did something wrong, you can't blame him for all of it.
你虽然学历高，可是没行业经验。Nǐ suīrán xuélì gāo, kěshì méi hángyè jīngyàn.Although you're well-educated, you don't have experience in this industry.
虽然奶奶已经八十多了，但是她精神很好。Suīrán nǎinai yǐjīng bāshí duō le, dànshì tā jīngshén hěn hǎo.Although grandma is in her eighties, she look very well.
虽然她病了，可是她没有请假。 Suīrán tā bìng le, kěshì tā méiyǒu qǐngjià.Although she's sick, she didn't ask for sick leave.
虽然他不是很有天赋，可是他非常努力。 Suīrán tā bù shì hěn yǒu tiānfù, kěshì tā fēicháng nǔlì.Although he's not very talented, he works very hard.
虽然我们准备得很好，但是还是有点紧张。Suīrán wǒmen zhǔnbèi de hěn hǎo, dànshì háishì yǒudiǎn jǐnzhāng.Although we all prepared very well, we're still a little nervous.
我认识他的时间虽然不长，但是我已经很了解他了。Wǒ rènshi tā de shíjiān suīrán bù cháng, dànshì wǒ yǐjīng hěn liǎojiě tā le.Although I haven't known him for a long time, I've known him very deeply.

Structure

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books