How to use 可是但是
……，可是 / 但是……
可是 and 但是 introduce a contrast with what has just been said. Place either word before the clause that adds the contrary information. The contrast may concern an obstacle, a limitation, or a fact that goes against the expectation created by the first clause. Both can serve many ordinary uses of English “but.”
但是 is common in more formal explanation, while 可是 often sounds conversational. These are tendencies rather than strict boundaries, and much depends on the sentence and delivery. When both clauses share a subject, the second subject can sometimes remain unstated. Shorter forms 可 and 但 also occur, but their naturalness depends on the style and structure of the surrounding language.
Examples with pinyin and English
我喜欢他， 可是他不喜欢我。
I like him, but he doesn't like me.
我很想去， 但是我太忙了。
I really want to go, but I am too busy.
中文很有意思， 但是也很难。
Chinese is very interesting, but it is also very hard.
我喜欢这件衬衫， 可是太贵了。
I like this shirt, but it is too expensive.
What to remember
- Introduce the contrasting clause with either word.
- Formality differences are tendencies, not absolute rules.
- A shared subject may remain unstated.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.