dàn
but; however
我今天很忙，但我会尽快完成作业。
wǒ jīntiān hěn máng, dàn wǒ huì jǐnkuài wánchéng zuòyè.
I am very busy today, but I will finish my homework as soon as possible.
他很聪明，但他不努力学习。
tā hěn cōngmíng, dàn tā bù nǔlì xuéxí.
He is very smart, but he does not study hard.
她很漂亮，但她很内向。
tā hěn piàoliang, dàn tā hěn nèixiàng.
She is very beautiful, but she is very introverted.
可是 (kěshì)
but, however
然而 (rán'ér)
however, nevertheless
却 (què)
however
而 (ér)
but
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The Chinese character 但 (dàn) is composed of two parts: the radical 歹 (dǎi), which means "bad" or "evil", and the phonetic component 单 (dān), which means "single" or "alone". The original meaning of 但 was "only" or "merely", but over time it has come to be used in a wider variety of contexts.In modern Chinese, 但 can be used as a conjunction, an adverb, or a pronoun. As a conjunction, it means "but" or "however". As an adverb, it means "only" or "merely". As a pronoun, it means "one" or "someone".The character 但 is also used in a number of idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 但行好事，莫问前程 means "just do good deeds, and don't worry about the future". The proverb 但愿人长久，千里共婵娟 means "may we all live long and healthy lives, so that we can enjoy the moon together from afar".The character 但 is a versatile and important character in the Chinese language. It is used in a wide variety of contexts, and it has a rich history and etymology.
