Difference between revisions of "Expressing "although" with "suiran" and "danshi""
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{{Used for|Contrasting}} | {{Used for|Contrasting}} | ||
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{{Translation|but}} | {{Translation|but}} | ||
Revision as of 03:55, 20 February 2014
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Keywords
The grammar pattern "虽然...但是..." (suīrán ... dànshì ... ) is one of the most common used patterns in Chinese, especially in written Chinese.It is used often to bring up a certain point, then to show that there is a contrary reaction.
Structure
"虽然 ... 但是 ... " expresses that while the former part of the sentence is true, there is an adverse reaction in the latter part.
虽然 + Subject + 但是 + Contrary Reaction
Simply put, the pattern means Although...but.... in English, and is generally used in the same manner. Be aware that "可是" can be used interchangeably with "但是".
Examples
- 虽然 他 是 美国 人 ，但是 他 还 没 去 过 华盛顿。 Although he's American, he still hasn't been to Washington D.C.
- 虽然 她 说 不 太 饿，但是 她 点 了 很 多 菜。Even though she said she isn't hungry, she ordered a lot of food.
- 虽然 他 的 家里 很 有钱，可是 他 从来 不浪费 钱。Even though he‘s got a rich family, he never wastes money.
See also
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
