但 meaning and stroke order
But; yet; however; still; merely; only; just
How to write 但, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 但
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- but; yet; however; still
- merely; only; just
How 但 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character.
旦 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 但
A person 亻 stands next to 旦 (dàn), the sunrise over the horizon. The 旦 part also gives the sound dàn, so think: a person at dawn says, "I wanted to sleep, but the sun is up."
但 (dàn) is a common word for "but" and often appears in the fuller form 但是 (dànshì). It also means "only" in set words like 但愿 (dànyuàn), "if only, I hope." Example: 我很累，但还想去。(Wǒ hěn lèi, dàn hái xiǎng qù.) I am tired, but I still want to go.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes drop the person radical and write 旦 (dàn, dawn), which is a different character with the same sound. Another trap is putting 但 at the very start of a sentence that already has 虽然 (suīrán) and then also adding 可是, which doubles the "but." Use just one: 虽然……但是…….
Common words with 但
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
但 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 但
How many strokes are in 但?
但 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 但 mean?
但 (dàn) means but; yet; however; still; merely; only; just. A common word with it is 但是 (dànshì), meaning "but; however".
How do you pronounce 但?
但 is pronounced dàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 但?
The radical of 但 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 但 under this radical.
Is 但 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 但 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 但 and 但是?
They mean the same thing. 但是 (dànshì) is more common in speech, and 但 alone is shorter and a little more written in tone. Both can follow 虽然 (suīrán) to mean "although... still...".
How do I use 不但 in a sentence?
不但 (bùdàn) means "not only" and is usually paired with 而且 (érqiě) or 也 (yě). Example: 她不但会唱歌，而且会跳舞。(Tā bùdàn huì chàng gē, érqiě huì tiàowǔ.) She can not only sing but also dance.