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

• 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.
• 奶奶 虽然 八十 多 了 ，但是 精神 很 好 。Nǎinai suīrán 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 最 聪明 的 ，但是 他 总是 很 努力 。Suīrán tā bù shì , dànshì tā zǒngshì hěn nǔlì.Although he's not the smartest, he always 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.

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