Concessive Compound: 虽然…但是/可是, 不过

Q: How do you use 转折复句 (Concessive Compound) in a sentence?

虽然天气很冷，但是我很高兴。 — Suī rán tiān qì hěn lěng, dàn shì wǒ hěn gāo xìng. — Although the weather is very cold, I am very happy. Minimal frame: 虽然 + adjective clause, 但是 + result clause.

Chinese grammar · HSK 2 · 转折复句 · By Carson 木林森 · Updated October 2026

A concessive compound sentence grants one fact with 虽然 (suīrán, although) and then adds a contrasting result with 但是, 可是 or 不过 (but). The two halves are normally used together in Chinese.

虽然 suī rán although; even though (often used correlati… 但是 dàn shì but; however 可是 kě shì 不过 bù guò

但是 and 可是 both mean 'but'; 但是 is a little more common in writing, 可是 more common in speech.
不过 is softer and more casual.
虽然 can sometimes be dropped, but the second connector (但是/可是/不过) is required.

❌ 虽然天气冷，我们出去了。(missing second connector — incomplete)
✅ 虽然天气冷，但是我们出去了。

Worked examples

Chinese	Pinyin	English	What it shows
虽然天气很冷，但是我很高兴。	Suī rán tiān qì hěn lěng, dàn shì wǒ hěn gāo xìng.	Although the weather is very cold, I am very happy.	Minimal frame: 虽然 + adjective clause, 但是 + result clause.
虽然这个工作很忙，可是他觉得很有意思。	Suī rán zhè ge gōng zuò hěn máng, kě shì tā jué de hěn yǒu yì si.	Although this job is very busy, he thinks it's very interesting.	可是 as an alternative to 但是; adds the opinion verb 觉得.
虽然她很累，不过她还是每天去公司上班。	Suī rán tā hěn lèi, bú guò tā hái shi měi tiān qù gōng sī shàng bān.	Although she is tired, she still goes to work at the company every day.	不过 as a softer connector; adds 还是 (still) to reinforce the contrast.

Word by word

Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.

虽然…但是 (suī rán…dàn shì)

Admits one fact and then states the contrast.

Structure: 虽然 + clause 1, 但是 + clause 2

Chinese	Pinyin	English
虽然这家店不大，但是东西很全。	Suī rán zhè jiā diàn bú dà, dàn shì dōng xi hěn quán.	The shop is not big, but it has everything.
虽然他只学了一年，但是说得很好。	Suī rán tā zhǐ xué le yì nián, dàn shì shuō de hěn hǎo.	He has studied for only a year, but he speaks well.
虽然已经很晚了，但是她还在工作。	Suī rán yǐ jīng hěn wǎn le, dàn shì tā hái zài gōng zuò.	Although it is late, she is still working.

Not: ~~虽然天气不好，所以我们去了。~~ 虽然 pairs with 但是 or 可是; 所以 pairs with 因为.

虽然…但是 is also explained in: Complex Sentences: 不仅…还…, 只有…才…, 虽然…但是… (HSK 3) · 虽然…但是…: although…but (HSK 4).

可是 (kě shì)

Is the spoken twin of 但是.

Structure: 虽然 + clause 1, 可是 + clause 2

Chinese	Pinyin	English
虽然她只有十岁，可是已经会做饭了。	Suī rán tā zhǐ yǒu shí suì, kě shì yǐ jīng huì zuò fàn le.	She is only ten, but she can already cook.
虽然房间很小，可是很干净。	Suī rán fáng jiān hěn xiǎo, kě shì hěn gān jìng.	The room is small, but it is clean.
虽然我不喜欢，可是还是吃了。	Suī rán wǒ bù xǐ huan, kě shì hái shì chī le.	I do not like it, but I ate it anyway.

Not: ~~虽然他很小，但是可是很聪明。~~ Use only one of 但是 and 可是.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, conjunctions (连接分句或句子).

不过 (bú guò)

Gives a lighter turn than 但是.

Structure: 虽然 + clause 1, 不过 + clause 2

Chinese	Pinyin	English
虽然这个工作很累，不过工资很高。	Suī rán zhè gè gōng zuò hěn lèi, bú guò gōng zī hěn gāo.	The work is tiring, but the pay is high.
我很想去，不过今天太晚了。	Wǒ hěn xiǎng qù, bú guò jīn tiān tài wǎn le.	I really want to go, but it is too late today.
他的中文不错，不过写字还不太好。	Tā de zhōng wén bú cuò, bú guò xiě zì hái bú tài hǎo.	His Chinese is good, though his writing is not very good yet.

Not: ~~虽然他很忙，不过但是他来了。~~ 不过 already means 'but'; do not add 但是 after it.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, conjunctions (连接分句或句子); level 7-9, fixed patterns.

不过 is also explained in: Conjunctions: 或者、不过、但是、而且、如果、虽然、只要 (HSK 2).

Produce this pattern without stopping to think about it. GraphChinese drills Concessive Compound across 12 exercises and schedules the review that keeps it.

What you need first

Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.

Conjunctions

What this opens up

These patterns list Concessive Compound among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.

Questions about Concessive Compound

What does 转折复句 (Concessive Compound) mean in Chinese?

How do you use 转折复句 (Concessive Compound) in a sentence?

虽然天气很冷，但是我很高兴。 — Suī rán tiān qì hěn lěng, dàn shì wǒ hěn gāo xìng. — Although the weather is very cold, I am very happy. Minimal frame: 虽然 + adjective clause, 但是 + result clause.

What do you need to know before 转折复句 (Concessive Compound)?

Conjunctions (HSK 2). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.

What does 转折复句 (Concessive Compound) lead to?

Complex Sentences (HSK 3), 虽然…但是… (HSK 4). Each of them names 转折复句 (Concessive Compound) among its own prerequisites.

Do I need both 虽然 and 但是?

Chinese normally uses both, unlike English. Say 虽然很贵，但是很好用。 Using only the second half is common in speech.

How is 不过 different from 但是?

不过 is softer and more casual, a small turn. 但是 is firmer and fits a real contrast. 这个菜很好吃，不过有点儿辣。

Concessive Compound is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.

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