47.6 The Conjunction 但係 daan6 hai6 (‘but’)

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The conjunction 但係 daan6 hai6 means ‘but’. We use 但係 daan6 hai6 to introduce an idea that contrasts with what was said before. We put 但係 daan6 hai6 at the beginning of the clause with the contrasting idea.

A:有冇巴士去呀？
jau5 mou5 baa1 si2 heoi3 aa3?
Are there any buses that go there?
B:有呀，但係坐巴士去耐啲。
jau5 aa3, daan6 hai6 co5 baa1 si2 heoi3 noi6 di1.
Yes, but taking the bus to go there takes longer.

In Grammar and Vocabulary 21.8, we also learned that the conjunction 不過 bat1 gwo3 means ‘but’. While both 但係 daan6 hai6 and 不過 bat1 gwo3 mean ‘but’, they are slightly different in their tone.

ConjunctionTone
但係
daan6 hai6		The tone of 但係 daan6 hai6 is slightly stronger. 但係 daan6 hai6 usually conveys a stronger and more explicit sense of contrast between ideas. When we use 但係 daan6 hai6 to respond to someone, we often show a hint of disagreement with their ideas.
不過
bat1 gwo3		The tone of 不過 bat1 gwo3 is slightly softer and more tactful. 不過 bat1 gwo3 usually conveys a softer and more subtle sense of contrast between ideas. When we use 不過 bat1 gwo3 to respond to someone, it’s more like we’re trying to offer a different idea for them to consider.

We can often use 但係 daan6 hai6 and 不過 bat1 gwo3 interchangeably.

A:有冇巴士去呀？
jau5 mou5 baa1 si2 heoi3 aa3?
Are there any buses that go there?
B:有呀，但係坐巴士去耐啲。
jau5 aa3, daan6 hai6 co5 baa1 si2 heoi3 noi6 di1.
有呀，不過坐巴士去耐啲。
jau5 aa3, bat1 gwo3 co5 baa1 si2 heoi3 noi6 di1.
Yes, but taking the bus to go there takes longer.
The sentence with 但係 daan6 hai6 shows a stronger sense of contrast, while the sentence with 不過 bat1 gwo3 shows a softer sense of contrast. Although the tone differs slightly, 但係 daan6 hai6 and 不過 bat1 gwo3 can be used interchangeably in this context.