adverbs that indicate contrast
41.2我哥哥虽然已经三十岁了可是还没结婚。
我哥哥雖然已經三十歲了可是還沒結婚。
Wǒ gēge suīrán yǐjing sānshí suì le kěshì hái méi jiéhūn.
Although my older brother is already 30 years old, but (he) still hasn’t married.41.1.2 relative order of the clauses in contrast sentences
The position of the clauses is fixed. The 虽然/雖然 suīrán clause comes first. The 可是 kěshì,
但是 dànshì, or 不过/不過 bùguò clause comes second.
Say this Not this虽然他认识很多人， *(可是)他没有很好的朋友，
可是他没有很好的朋友。 虽然他认识很多人。
雖然他認識很多人， (可是)他沒有很好的朋友，
可是他沒有很好的朋友。 雖然他認識很多人。
Suīrán tā rènshi hěn duō rén, kěshì
tā méi yǒu hěn hǎo de péngyou.(Kěshì) tā méi yǒu hěn hǎo de péngyou,
suīrán tā rènshi hěn duō rén.
Although he knows a lot of people,
he doesn’t have any very good friends.虽然他很小不过他胆子很大。 *他胆子很大虽然他很小。
雖然他很小不過他膽子很大。 他膽子很大雖然他很小。
Suīrán tā hěn xiǎo bùguò tā dǎnzi hěn dà. Tā dǎnzi hěn dà suīrán tā hěn xiǎo.
Although he is little, he is very brave
(his courage is big).41.1.3 omission of the connecting words
虽然/雖然 suīrán can be freely omitted:他很有钱，可是我还不愿意嫁给他。
他很有錢，可是我還不願意嫁給他。
Tā hěn yǒu qián, kěshì wǒ hái bù yuànyi jiàgěi tā.
He has a lot of money, but I’m still not willing to marry him.
可是 kěshì, 但是 dànshì, or 不過 bùguò can be omitted when the second clause contains
the adverb 还/還 hái or an adverb that indicates contrast. Adverbs that indicate contrast are
presented in 41.2.虽然他很有钱，我还不愿意嫁给他。
雖然他很有錢，我還不願意嫁給他。
Suīrán tā hěn yǒu qián, wǒ hái bù yuànyi jiàgěi tā.
Although he has a lot of money, I’m still not willing to marry him.41.2 Adverbs that indicate contrast
41.2.1 adverbs that must occur before the [prepositional phrase +] verb or
verb phrase
却 què ‘in contrast’
却 què may occur with other contrast connectors.虽然他很有钱，可是我却不愿意嫁给他。
雖然他很有錢，可是我卻不願意嫁給他。
Suīrán tā hěn yǒu qián, kěshì wǒ què bù yuànyi jiàgěi tā.
Although he is rich, I am not willing to marry him.