A softer "but" with "buguo"

Instead of just using 可是 or 但是, you can also use the softer and more informal 不过 (búguò).

Structure

Just like its counterparts, "不过" is a conjunction that comes between two distinct clauses.

Clause 1, 不过 + Clause 2

Examples

• 喝 白酒 可以，不过 酒 的 度数 不 能 太 高。Hē báijiǔ kěyǐ, bùguò jiǔ de dùshu bù néng tài gāo.Drinking baijiu is okay, but the alcoholic content cannot be too high.
• 我 想 帮 你，不过 我 没有 空。Wǒ xiǎng bāng nǐ, bùguò wǒ méiyǒu kōng.I want to help you, but I don't have time.
• 他 的 汉语 水平 很 高，不过 他 的 声调 不 太 好。Tā de Hànyǔ shuǐpíng hěn gāo, bùguò tā de shēngdiào bù tài hǎo.His Chinese level is very high, but his tones aren't very good.

See also

• Two words for "but"
• "Although" with "suiran" and "danshi"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 258) →buy
• Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇) (pp. 23) →buy
• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 254) →buy
• Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇) (pp. 12) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (p. 163) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (p. 96) →buy