# A softer "but" with "不过"

<SentenceQuiz>

- 这 件 衣服 我 很 喜欢 ，_不过_ 有点 贵 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiàn yīfu wǒ hěn xǐhuan, _bùguò_ yǒudiǎn guì. -->
  - I like this piece of clothing, but it's a little bit expensive.
- 这 家 餐厅 我 没 去 过 ，_不过_ 我 听说 还 不错 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiā cāntīng wǒ méi qù guo, _bùguò_ wǒ tīngshuō hái bùcuò. -->
  - I've never been to this restaurant, but I heard it's pretty good.
- 这个 学生 很 聪明 ，_不过_ 有点 懒 。
  <!-- - Zhège xuéshēng hěn cōngming, _bùguò_ yǒudiǎn lǎn. -->
  - This student is very smart, but he's a little lazy.
- 那儿 的 天气 不 太 好 ，_不过_ 我们 玩 得 很 开心 。
  <!-- - Nàr de tiānqì bù tài hǎo, _bùguò_ wǒmen wán de hěn kāixīn. -->
  - The weather there was not very good, but we had a lot of fun.
- 他 是 东北 人 ，_不过_ 他 没有 口音 。
  <!-- - Tā shì dōngběi rén, _bùguò_ tā méiyǒu kǒuyīn. -->
  - He's from the northeast, but he doesn't have the accent.
- 他 说 得 不错 ，_不过_ 不 认识 汉字 。
  <!-- - Tā shuō de bùcuò, _bùguò_ bù rènshi Hànzì. -->
  - He can speak well, but he doesn't know any Chinese characters.
- 我 的 钱包 丢 了 ，_不过_ 没 丢 什么 重要 的 东西 。
  <!-- - Wǒ de qiánbāo diū le, _bùguò_ méi diū shénme zhòngyào de dōngxi. -->
  - I lost my wallet, but I didn't lose anything important.
- 刚 来 的 时候 很 想 家 ，_不过_ 现在 习惯 了 。
  <!-- - Gāng lái de shíhou hěn xiǎng jiā, _bùguò_ xiànzài xíguàn le. -->
  - I was homesick when I first got here, but I'm used to it now.
- 你 可以 参加 ，_不过_ 有 个 条件 。
  <!-- - Nǐ kěyǐ cānjiā, _bùguò_ yǒu gè tiáojiàn. -->
  - You can participate, but there is a condition.
- 他 还 在 考虑 ，_不过_ 我 已经 决定 了。
  <!-- - Tā hái zài kǎolǜ, _bùguò_ wǒ yǐjīng juédìng le. -->
  - He's still considering it, but I've already decided.

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points) / [HSK4](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK4_grammar_points)
- Similar to
  - [Two words for "but"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Two_words_for_%22but%22) (A2)
  - [Expressing "although" with "虽然" and "但是"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22although%22_with_%22suiran%22_and_%22danshi%22) (B1)
  - [The "however" adverb "却"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/The_%22however%22_adverb_%22que%22) (B2)
- Used for: [Contrasting](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Contrasting), [Connecting ideas](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Connecting_ideas)
- Keywords: [不](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D), [不过](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D%E8%BF%87), [过](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E8%BF%87)

</TOC>

Instead of just using [可是 or 但是](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Two_words_for_%22but%22), you can also use the softer and more informal 不过 (búguò), which also means "[but](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/But)."

## Structure

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

⋯⋯ ，不过 ⋯⋯

## Examples

- 这 件 衣服 我 很 喜欢 ，_不过_ 有点 贵 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiàn yīfu wǒ hěn xǐhuan, _bùguò_ yǒudiǎn guì. -->
  - I like this piece of clothing, but it's a little bit expensive.
- 这 家 餐厅 我 没 去 过 ，_不过_ 我 听说 还 不错 。
  <!-- - Zhè jiā cāntīng wǒ méi qù guo, _bùguò_ wǒ tīngshuō hái bùcuò. -->
  - I've never been to this restaurant, but I heard it's pretty good.
- 这个 学生 很 聪明 ，_不过_ 有点 懒 。
  <!-- - Zhège xuéshēng hěn cōngming, _bùguò_ yǒudiǎn lǎn. -->
  - This student is very smart, but he's a little lazy.
- 那儿 的 天气 不 太 好 ，_不过_ 我们 玩 得 很 开心 。
  <!-- - Nàr de tiānqì bù tài hǎo, _bùguò_ wǒmen wán de hěn kāixīn. -->
  - The weather there was not very good, but we had a lot of fun.
- 他 是 东北 人 ，_不过_ 他 没有 口音 。
  <!-- - Tā shì dōngběi rén, _bùguò_ tā méiyǒu kǒuyīn. -->
  - He's from the northeast, but he doesn't have the accent.
- 他 说 得 不错 ，_不过_ 不 认识 汉字 。
  <!-- - Tā shuō de bùcuò, _bùguò_ bù rènshi Hànzì. -->
  - He can speak well, but he doesn't know any Chinese characters.
- 我 的 钱包 丢 了 ，_不过_ 没 丢 什么 重要 的 东西 。
  <!-- - Wǒ de qiánbāo diū le, _bùguò_ méi diū shénme zhòngyào de dōngxi. -->
  - I lost my wallet, but I didn't lose anything important.
- 刚 来 的 时候 很 想 家 ，_不过_ 现在 习惯 了 。
  <!-- - Gāng lái de shíhou hěn xiǎng jiā, _bùguò_ xiànzài xíguàn le. -->
  - I was homesick when I first got here, but I'm used to it now.
- 你 可以 参加 ，_不过_ 有 个 条件 。
  <!-- - Nǐ kěyǐ cānjiā, _bùguò_ yǒu gè tiáojiàn. -->
  - You can participate, but there is a condition.
- 他 还 在 考虑 ，_不过_ 我 已经 决定 了。
  <!-- - Tā hái zài kǎolǜ, _bùguò_ wǒ yǐjīng juédìng le. -->
  - He's still considering it, but I've already decided.

## See also

- [Two words for "but"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Two_words_for_%22but%22)
- ["Although" with "虽然" and "但是"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22Although%22_with_%22suiran%22_and_%22danshi%22)

## Sources and further reading

### Books

- [HSK Standard Course 4上](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK_Standard_Course_4%E4%B8%8A) (pp. 119) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modern_Mandarin_Chinese_Grammar:_A_Practical_Guide) (pp. 258) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Short-term_Spoken_Chinese:_Elementary_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%8F%A3%E8%AF%AD%E9%80%9F%E6%88%90%E5%9F%BA%E7%A1%80%E7%AF%87)>) (pp. 23) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Chinese_Grammar_-_Broken_down_into_100_items_-_Basic_and_Intermediate_Levels_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%AD%E6%B3%95%E7%99%BE%E9%A1%B9%E8%AE%B2%E7%BB%83_-_%E5%88%9D%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7)>) (pp. 254) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Boya Chinese Lower Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语准中级加速篇)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Boya_Chinese_Lower_Intermediate_1_(%E5%8D%9A%E9%9B%85%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%87%86%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7%E5%8A%A0%E9%80%9F%E7%AF%87)>) (pp. 12) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_1) (pp. 163) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_2) (pp. 96) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)