但

dàn

亻 + 旦

HSK 3.0Level 2

Definitions

dàn (conjunction) but; however; yet

dàn (adverb) only; merely

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 旦 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bare-chested". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Phonetic: 旦

About

但 is a phono-semantic compound: the human radical 亻 on the left provides the meaning, while 旦 (dàn, 'dawn') on the right gives the sound. The original meaning was 'bare-chested', the act of stripping off clothing to bare the upper body, directly linked to the human radical. This physical sense was later lost, and the character was borrowed for its sound to serve as a conjunction meaning 'but', 'yet', or 'however', introducing a contrast or reservation.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我很忙，但很快乐。

Wǒ hěn máng, dàn hěn kuàilè.

I am busy, but very happy.

他想去，但没时间。

Tā xiǎng qù, dàn méi shíjiān.

He wants to go, but has no time.

天气不好，但我们去了。

Tiānqì bù hǎo, dàn wǒmen qùle.

The weather was bad, but we went.

他学习很努力，但成绩不好。

Tā xuéxí hěn nǔlì, dàn chéngjī bù hǎo.

He studies very hard, but his grades are not good.

这本书很厚，但内容很有趣。

Zhè běn shū hěn hòu, dàn nèiróng hěn yǒuqù.

This book is very thick, but the content is very interesting.

虽然价格昂贵，但质量非常好。

Suīrán jiàgé ángguì, dàn zhìliàng fēicháng hǎo.

Although the price is expensive, the quality is very good.

她昨天生病了，但今天还是来上班了。

Tā zuótiān shēngbìngle, dàn jīntiān háishì lái shàngbānle.

She was sick yesterday, but she still came to work today.

虽然他已经道歉了，但我仍然觉得很难过，因为伤害已经造成了。

Suīrán tā yǐjīng dàoqiànle, dàn wǒ réngrán juédé hěn nánguò, yīnwèi shānghài yǐjīng zàochéngle.

Although he has already apologized, I still feel very sad because the harm has already been done.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 亻

Component: 旦

但