但

但 U+4F46, 但 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4F46 ← 佅 [U+4F45] CJK Unified Ideographs 佇 → [U+4F47]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

但 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+5, 7 strokes, Cangjie input 人日一 (OAM), four-corner 2621₀, composition ⿰亻旦)

Derived characters

• 𭈂, 𢭱, 𣵤, 𨧝, 𩊹, 亱, 𮏈, 𮃿, 𨵀, 𠜬

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

simp. and trad.		但

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 但
Small seal script s05883 Transcribed ancient scripts L34714 L16006 L16007
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).

Characters in the same phonetic series (旦) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
皽	*tjaʀ, *tanʔ, *tjanʔ
担	*taːnʔ
胆	*daːn, *daːn
疸	*taːnʔ, *taːns
觛	*taːnʔ, *taːns, *daːnʔ
亶	*taːnʔ
嬗	*taːnʔ, *tʰaːn, *djans
笪	*taːnʔ, *taːns, *taːd
狚	*taːnʔ, *taːns, *taːd
旦	*taːns
鴠	*taːns
譠	*tʰaːn, *rteːn
坦	*tʰaːnʔ
但	*daːn, *daːnʔ, *daːns
檀	*daːn
壇	*daːn
儃	*daːn, *djan
驙	*daːn, *tan
袒	*daːnʔ, *rdeːns
襢	*daːnʔ, *tanʔ, *tans
繵	*daːnʔ
膻	*daːnʔ
澶	*daːns, *djan
邅	*tan, *danʔ, *dans
鱣	*tan
饘	*tjan, *tjanʔ
旜	*tjan
氈	*tjan
鸇	*tjan
顫	*tjans
蟺	*djanʔ
擅	*djans
羶	*hljan
呾	*taːd, *ʔraːd
怛	*taːd
妲	*taːd
靼	*taːd, *tjad
炟	*taːd

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *daːn, *daːnʔ, *daːns): semantic 亻 (“person”) + 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

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): dàn (dan⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄢˋ

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): dān

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): daan⁶

  (Dongguan, Jyutping++): deng³

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): an⁵

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): than / thán

  (Hailu, HRS): tan^ˇ / tan^ˊ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): dan⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): dan³
• Eastern Min (BUC): dáng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): dang⁵
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): tān / nā

  (Teochew, Peng'im): dang⁶

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): dang⁶

• Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): daan⁶
• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶de / ⁶dae / ⁶daen
  • (Jinhua): ³da; ⁶dan
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): dan⁵ / dan⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dàn
    • Wade–Giles: tan⁴
    • Yale: dàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dann
    • Palladius: дань (danʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tän⁵¹/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: dān
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tã⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: daan⁶
    • Yale: daahn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: daan⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: dan⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taːn²²/
  • (Dongguan, Guancheng)
    • Jyutping++: deng³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɛŋ³²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: an⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /an³²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: than / thán
    • Hakka Romanization System: tan / tan^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: tan⁴ / tan³
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰan⁵⁵/, /tʰan³¹/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: tan^ˇ / tan^ˊ
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰan¹¹/, /tʰan²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: dan⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tan⁵³/

Note: thán/tanˊ - archaic.

• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: dan³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /tæ̃⁴⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: dáng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɑŋ²¹³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: dang⁵
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: dāng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taŋ¹¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: dang⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taŋ²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tān
    • Tâi-lô: tān
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dan
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /tan⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /tan²²/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tan³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nā
    • Tâi-lô: nā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: na
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /nã²²/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /nã⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /nã³³/

Note:

• tān - literary;
• nā - vernacular (limited, e.g. 毋但).

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: dang⁶
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tăng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /taŋ³⁵/
• (Leizhou)
  • Leizhou Pinyin: dang⁶
  • Sinological IPA: /taŋ³³/
• Southern Pinghua
  • (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
    • Jyutping++: daan⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tan²²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁶de
    • MiniDict: de^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³de
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /de²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /de²³¹/
  • (Northern: Changzhou, Jiaxing, Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ⁶dae
    • MiniDict: dae^去
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /dɛ²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /dɛ¹¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /dɛ¹¹³/
  • (Northern: Hangzhou, Shaoxing)
    • Wugniu: ⁶daen
    • MiniDict: daen^去
    • MiniDict: daeon^去
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /dẽ̞¹¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /dæ̃¹¹/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ³da; ⁶dan
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /dɑ⁵³⁵/, /dã¹⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: dan⁵ / dan⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tan²¹/, /tan⁴⁵/

Note:

• dan5 - vernacular;
• dan4 - literary.

---

• Middle Chinese: dan, danX, danH

Rime
Character	但	但	但
Reading #	1/3	2/3	3/3
Initial (聲)	定 (7)	定 (7)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	寒 (61)	寒 (61)	寒 (61)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I	I
Fanqie	徒干切	徒旱切	徒案切
Baxter	dan	danX	danH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/dɑn/	/dɑnX/	/dɑnH/
Pan Wuyun	/dɑn/	/dɑnX/	/dɑnH/
Shao Rongfen	/dɑn/	/dɑnX/	/dɑnH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/dan/	/danX/	/danH/
Li Rong	/dɑn/	/dɑnX/	/dɑnH/
Wang Li	/dɑn/	/dɑnX/	/dɑnH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/dʱɑn/	/dʱɑnX/	/dʱɑnH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	tán	dàn	dàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	taan4	daan6	daan6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[d]ˤa[n]ʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*daːn/, /*daːnʔ/, /*daːns/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	但
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	dàn
Middle Chinese	‹ danX ›
Old Chinese	/*[d]ˁa[n]ʔ/
English	only
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	但	但	但
Reading #	1/3	2/3	3/3
No.	2060	2067	2072
Phonetic component	旦	旦	旦
Rime group	元	元	元
Rime subdivision	1	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	壇	但	憚
Old Chinese	/*daːn/	/*daːnʔ/	/*daːns/
Notes	通作袒

Definitions

但

1. only

   但求  ―  dàn qiú  ―  to only hope

2. 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 shǎojiàn, dàn yě bùshì bùhuì fāshēng. [Pinyin]

   This type of situation is rare, but it may still happen.

3. a surname
4. (Protestantism) Dan

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 但是 (“but; however”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		而, 然, 但, 卻, 則
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		但是, 但, 可是, 不過, 然而
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	但是, 但, 可是, 不過
	Malaysia	但
	Singapore	但, 但是, 可是, 不過
Southwestern Mandarin	Guilin	但是
	Pematangsiantar	tapi
Cantonese	Guangzhou	但係, 不過, 之不過, 之但係
	Hong Kong	但係, 不過, 之不過, 之但係, but
	Taishan	但係
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	但係
	Singapore (Guangfu)	但係, 不過, 之不過
Hakka	Meixian	但係, 董係
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	但係, 毋過
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	但係, 毋過, 毋故
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	但係, 毋過
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	但係, 毋過
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	但係, 毋過
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	毋過
	Senai (Huiyang)	但係
	Kuching (Hepo)	tapi
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	但是
	Matsu	但是
Southern Min	Xiamen	但是, 毋過, 毋句, 不過, 不而過
	Quanzhou	但是, 毋句, 不過, 不而過
	Zhangzhou	但是, 毋過, 不過, 不而過
	Taipei	但是, 毋過, 不而過
	Penang (Hokkien)	tapi, 但是
	Singapore (Hokkien)	tapi, 但是, 毋句, 毋過
	Manila (Hokkien)	毋過, 但是, 毋句
	Medan (Hokkien)	tapi
	Shantou	是呾
	Shantou (Chenghai)	是呾
	Jieyang	是呾, 比補
	Bangkok (Teochew)	但是, แต่ว่า
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	但是, tapi
	Singapore (Teochew)	tapi, 不過, 但是
	Wenchang	但是
	Qionghai	但是
Wu	Shanghai	但是, 必過, 不過, 但不過, 但必過
	Wuxi	但必過

• (Dan): (Catholicism) 丹 (dān)

Compounds

• 不但 (bùdàn)
• 但云
• 何但
• 但使
• 但係 / 但系
• 但凡 (dànfán)
• 但店 (Dàndiàn)
• 但得
• 但是 (dànshì)
• 但曲
• 但書 / 但书 (dànshū)
• 但有 (dànyǒu)
• 但歌
• 但民
• 但求塞責 / 但求塞责
• 但求如願 / 但求如愿
• 但澤 / 但泽 (Dànzé)
• 但聞 / 但闻 (dànwén)
• 但須 / 但须
• 但願 / 但愿 (dànyuàn)
• 可但
• 撒但 (Sādàn)
• 撒但教 (Sādànjiào)
• 格但斯克 (Gédànsīkè)
• 豈但 / 岂但 (qǐdàn)
• 非但 (fēidàn)

Japanese

Kanji

但

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: だん (dan)
• Kan-on: たん (tan)
• Kun: ただし (tadashi, 但し, Jōyō)、ただ (tada, 但)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
但
ただ Grade: S
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 但 – see the following entry.

【ただ】 [adverb] 唯, 只, 但: merely, commonly, simply, only [conjunction] 唯, 只, 但, 惟: but, however, although, except that Alternative spellings 唯, 只, 惟

(This term, 但, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
但
ただ(し) Grade: S
kun'yomi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ta̠da̠ɕi]
• (Tokyo) ただし [táꜜdàshì] (Atamadaka – [1])

Proper noun

但(ただし) or 但(たゞし) • (Tadashi) 

1. a male given name

References

• “^△但”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja

但 (eumhun 다만 단 (daman dan))

1. hanja form^? of 단 (“only”)
2. hanja form^? of 단 (“but, however, yet, still”)

Vietnamese

Han character

但: Hán Việt readings: đãn, đán
但: Nôm readings: giản, đản, đởn

1. (literary) only
2. (literary) but, however