HSK 2
连接分句或句子：不过、但、但是、而且、那、如果、虽然、只要
lián jiē fēn jù huò jù zi ： bú guò 、 dàn 、 dàn shì 、 ér qiě 、 nà 、 rú guǒ 、 suī rán 、 zhǐ yào
Conjunctions linking clauses or sentences
Explanation
These are conjunctions (words that connect words or clauses) used to link clauses and express the semantic relationship between them.
不过 (búguò) / 但 (dàn) / 但是 (dànshì) = but (a reversal of meaning); 而且 (érqiě) = moreover (adding more); 那 (nà) = then, in that case (introducing a result); 如果 (rúguǒ) = if (stating a condition); 虽然 (suīrán) = although, even though (concession); 只要 (zhǐyào) = as long as.
Use 但 / 但是 / 不过 when the following clause contrasts with the preceding one; 而且 when adding a point in the same direction; 那 when drawing a conclusion from what was just said; 如果 and 只要 to open a condition; 虽然 to open a concessive idea, often paired 虽然…但是….
但是 (dànshì) is a little more formal than 不过 (búguò); 虽然 (suīrán) (although, referring to an existing fact) differs from 如果 (rúguǒ) (if, a hypothetical that hasn't happened).
Vietnamese learners tend to drop the conjunction in the first clause as in Vietnamese ("although… but…"), forgetting that in Chinese 虽然 and 但是 often come as a pair; they also often redundantly use 是 after 但是.
Examples
It's already winter now, but Beijing is still not very cold.
If you're not going, then I'll go by myself.
Practice
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Learn “连接分句或句子：不过、但、但是、而且、那、如果、虽然、只要” effectively
The grammar point “连接分句或句子：不过、但、但是、而且、那、如果、虽然、只要” (Conjunctions linking clauses or sentences) is one of the key structures at HSK 2. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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