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但. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
但, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
但 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
但 you have here. The definition of the word
但 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
但, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Translingual
| Stroke order
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| Stroke order
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Han character
但 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+5, 7 strokes, cangjie input 人日一 (OAM), four-corner 26210, composition ⿰亻旦)
Derived characters
References
- Kangxi Dictionary: page 97, character 21
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 495
- Dae Jaweon: page 206, character 10
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 132, character 4
- Unihan data for U+4F46
Chinese
Glyph origin
| Historical forms of the character 但
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Transcribed ancient scripts
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References:
Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:
- Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
- Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
- Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and
- Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).
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Old Chinese
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| 皽
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*tjaʀ, *tanʔ, *tjanʔ
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| 担
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*taːnʔ
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| 胆
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*daːn, *daːn
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| 疸
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*taːnʔ, *taːns
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| 觛
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*taːnʔ, *taːns, *daːnʔ
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| 亶
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*taːnʔ
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| 嬗
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*taːnʔ, *tʰaːn, *djans
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| 笪
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*taːnʔ, *taːns, *taːd
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| 狚
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*taːnʔ, *taːns, *taːd
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| 旦
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*taːns
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| 鴠
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*taːns
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| 譠
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*tʰaːn, *rteːn
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| 坦
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*tʰaːnʔ
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| 但
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*daːn, *daːnʔ, *daːns
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| 檀
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*daːn
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| 壇
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*daːn
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| 儃
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*daːn, *djan
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| 驙
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*daːn, *tan
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| 袒
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*daːnʔ, *rdeːns
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| 襢
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*daːnʔ, *tanʔ, *tans
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| 繵
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*daːnʔ
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| 膻
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*daːnʔ
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| 澶
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*daːns, *djan
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| 邅
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*tan, *danʔ, *dans
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| 鱣
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*tan
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| 饘
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*tjan, *tjanʔ
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| 旜
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*tjan
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| 氈
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*tjan
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| 鸇
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*tjan
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| 顫
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*tjans
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| 蟺
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*djanʔ
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| 擅
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*djans
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| 羶
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*hljan
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| 呾
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*taːd, *ʔraːd
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| 怛
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*taːd
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| 妲
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*taːd
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| 靼
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*taːd, *tjad
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| 炟
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*taːd
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Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *daːn, *daːnʔ, *daːns) : semantic 亻 + phonetic 旦 (OC *taːns).
Etymology
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(d/t)a(n/j) (“single; one; whole; only”). Cognate with 單 (OC *taːn, “single”).
Pronunciation
Note: thán - archaic.
Note:
- tān - literary;
- nā - vernacular (limited, e.g. 毋但).
| Rime
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| Character
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但
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但
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但
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| Reading #
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1/3
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2/3
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3/3
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| Initial (聲)
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定 (7)
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定 (7)
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定 (7)
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| Final (韻)
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寒 (61)
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寒 (61)
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寒 (61)
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| Tone (調)
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Level (Ø)
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Rising (X)
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Departing (H)
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| Openness (開合)
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Open
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Open
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Open
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| Division (等)
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I
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I
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I
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| Fanqie
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徒干切
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徒旱切
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徒案切
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| Baxter
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dan
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danX
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danH
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| Reconstructions
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Zhengzhang
Shangfang
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/dɑn/
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/dɑnX/
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/dɑnH/
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Pan
Wuyun
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/dɑn/
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/dɑnX/
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/dɑnH/
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Shao
Rongfen
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/dɑn/
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/dɑnX/
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/dɑnH/
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Edwin
Pulleyblank
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/dan/
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/danX/
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/danH/
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Li
Rong
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/dɑn/
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/dɑnX/
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/dɑnH/
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Wang
Li
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/dɑn/
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/dɑnX/
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/dɑnH/
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Bernard
Karlgren
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/dʱɑn/
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/dʱɑnX/
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/dʱɑnH/
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Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
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tán
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dàn
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dàn
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Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
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taan4
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daan6
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daan6
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| Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
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| Character
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但
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| Reading #
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1/1
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Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
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dàn
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Middle
Chinese
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‹ danX ›
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Old
Chinese
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/*ˁaʔ/
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| English
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only
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Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:
* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;
* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
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| Zhengzhang system (2003)
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| Character
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但
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但
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但
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| Reading #
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1/3
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2/3
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3/3
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| No.
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2060
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2067
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2072
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Phonetic
component
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旦
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旦
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旦
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Rime
group
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元
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元
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元
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Rime
subdivision
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1
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1
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1
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Corresponding
MC rime
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壇
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但
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憚
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Old
Chinese
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/*daːn/
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/*daːnʔ/
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/*daːns/
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| Notes
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通作袒
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Definitions
但
- only
- 但求 ― dàn qiú ― to only hope
- but; however; yet; still
- 但是 ― dànshì ― but
這種情況很少見，但也不是不會發生。 [MSC, trad.]
这种情况很少见，但也不是不会发生。 [MSC, simp.]- Zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng hěn shàojiàn, dàn yě bùshì bùhuì fāshēng.
- This type of situation is rare, but it may still happen.
- a surname
- (Protestantism) Dan
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
但是 (“but; however”)
| Variety
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Location
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Words
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| Classical Chinese
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而, 然, 但, 卻, 則
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| Formal (Written Standard Chinese)
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但是, 但, 可是, 不過, 然而
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| Mandarin
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Taiwan
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但是, 但, 可是, 不過
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| Malaysia
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但
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| Singapore
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但, 但是, 可是, 不過
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| Pematangsiantar
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tapi
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| Cantonese
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Guangzhou
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但係, 不過, 之不過, 之但係
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| Hong Kong
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但係, 不過, 之不過, 之但係, but
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| Taishan
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但係
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| Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)
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但係
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| Singapore (Guangfu)
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但係, 不過, 之不過
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| Hakka
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Meixian
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但係, 董係
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| Miaoli (N. Sixian)
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但係, 毋過
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| Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
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但係, 毋過, 毋故
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| Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
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但係, 毋過
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| Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
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但係, 毋過
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| Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
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但係, 毋過
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| Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
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毋過
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| Senai (Huiyang)
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但係
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| Kuching (Hepo)
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tapi
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| Eastern Min
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Fuzhou
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但是
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| Matsu
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但是
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| Southern Min
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Xiamen
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但是, 毋過, 毋句, 不過, 不而過
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| Quanzhou
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但是, 毋句, 不過, 不而過
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| Zhangzhou
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但是, 毋過, 不過, 不而過
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| Taipei
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但是, 毋過, 不而過
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| Penang (Hokkien)
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tapi, 但是
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| Singapore (Hokkien)
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tapi, 但是, 毋句, 毋過
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| Manila (Hokkien)
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但是, 毋句, 毋過
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| Medan (Hokkien)
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tapi
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| Shantou
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是呾
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| Shantou (Chenghai)
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是呾
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| Jieyang
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是呾
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| Bangkok (Teochew)
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但是, แต่ว่า
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| Johor Bahru (Teochew)
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但是, tapi
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| Singapore (Teochew)
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tapi, 不過, 但是
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| Wenchang
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但是
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| Qionghai
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但是
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| Wu
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Shanghai
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但是, 必過, 不過, 但不過, 但必過
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| Wuxi
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但必過
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- (Dan): (Catholicism) 丹 (dān)
Compounds
Japanese
Kanji
但
(common “Jōyō” kanji)
Readings
Etymology 1
| For pronunciation and definitions of 但 – see the following entry.
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| 【ただ】
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- 唯, 只, 但: merely, commonly, simply, only
- 唯, 只, 但: but, however, although, except that
Alternative spellings唯, 只
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| (This term, 但, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
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Etymology 2
Proper noun
但 or 但 • (Tadashi)
- a male given name
Korean
Hanja
但 (eumhun 다만 단 (daman dan))
- Hanja form? of 단 (“only”).
- Hanja form? of 단 (“but, however, yet, still”).
Vietnamese
Han character
但: Hán Việt readings: đãn, đán
但: Nôm readings: giản, đản, đởn
- (literary) only
- (literary) but, however
References
