Two words for "but"

Basic Pattern

There are two main words for "but" in Chinese: 可是 and 但是. These are largely the same, with some small differences:

可是 vs 但是

可是	但是
Lighter	Stronger
Less formal	More formal
Used more in speech	Used more in writing
Used more in the north	Used more in the south

Usually 可是 and 但是 precede a new phrase within a sentence:

• 我 喜欢，但是 我 不 需要 买。
• 在 图书馆 你 可以 喝水，但是 不 可以 抽烟。
• 我们 决定 九点 见面，可是 我 觉得 他 会 迟到。

See also

• A Softer "But"
• "Although" with "suiran" and "danshi"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 254 - 5) →buy
• 发展汉语 中级汉语口语上 (pp. 3)