Expressing "although" with "suiran" and "danshi"

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.

虽然 ⋯⋯ ，但是 / 可是 ⋯⋯

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

• 虽然 他 不 想 去 ，但是 还是 去 了 。 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.
• 虽然 是 他 的 错 ，可是 他 不是 故意 的 。Although you are busy, you still need to spend more time with your kid.
• 我 虽然 没 见 过 我爷爷 ，可是 我 知道 很 多 他 的 故事 。Wǒ suīrán méi jiàn guo wǒ yéye, kěshì wǒ zhīdào hěn duō tā de gùshi.Although I've never seen my grandfather, I know many stories about him.
• 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.
• 我们 认识 的 时间 虽然 不 长 ，但是 我们 了 。Wǒmen rènshi de shíjiān suīrán bù cháng, dànshì wǒmen yǐjīng jiàn guò hǎo jǐ cì le.Although we haven't known each other for a long time, we've met several times.
• 虽然 她 说 不 太 饿 ，但是 她 点 了 很 多 菜 。Suīrán tā shuō bù tài è, dànshì tā diǎn le hěn duō cài.Even though she said she isn't very hungry, she ordered a lot of food.
• 虽然 这 次 考试 不 重要 ，但是 我 也 要 好好 准备 。Suīrán zhè cì kǎoshì bù zhòngyào, dànshì wǒ yě yào hǎohǎo zhǔnbèi.Although this exam is not important, I'm going to prepare well anyway.
• 虽然 他 已经 在 上海 住 了 两 年 了 ，但是 还是 不太 了解 这个 城市 。 Suīrán tā yǐjīng zài Shànghǎi zhù le liǎng nián le, dànshì háishì bù tài liǎojiě zhège chéngshì.Although he's been living Shanghai for two years, he still doesn't know much about this city.

See also

• Two words for "but"
• "Although" with "jinguan"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 115-6) →buy
• Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例) (pp. 217) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 245) →buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 256-7) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 177) →buy