How to Write 但 (dàn) — Meaning “but; yet”

Imagine a person (亻) standing at dawn (旦) — they want to go outside, but it's still dark. The contrast between their desire and reality helps you remember that 但 means 'but' or 'however'. Another trick: think of the English word 'dawn' sounding like dàn, and at dawn you often have to say 'but' to arguments about waking up.

The left radical 亻 must be narrow and written first, with the vertical stroke straight. The right part 旦 has four strokes for 日 (sun) and a long bottom horizontal line; make sure the bottom line extends slightly beyond the right side of 日. A common mistake is making the 亻 too wide, which throws off the balance.

但 has the right component 旦 (which looks like 日 with a long bottom line), while 仔 has 子 (child) and 仕 has 士 (scholar). Their meanings are completely different: 但 means 'but', 仔 means 'young' or 'child' (as in 仔细 'careful'), and 仕 refers to being an official. Visually, the bottom stroke of 旦 is the longest among the three.

但 is most often used as a conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however', especially in the pattern 虽然...但是 (although... but). It also appears in common words like 不但 (bú dàn, 'not only') and 但愿 (dàn yuàn, 'I wish'). In everyday conversation, 但是 is more common than just 但 alone, but both are used to show contrast.

Common words containing 但 include: 但是 (dàn shì) — but; however; 但愿 (dàn yuàn) — If only / I wish.; 不但 (bù dàn) — not only.