虽然

• Pinyin: suī rán
• Hanzi breakdown: 虽 = 口 (mouth) + 虫 (insect), phonetic; 然 = 月 (flesh) + 犬 (dog) + 灬 (fire), originally 'to burn,' now a grammatical particle

Meaning

Although; even though. A conjunction introducing a concessive clause.

Used to introduce a fact that is followed by a contrasting or unexpected result. Must be paired with a contrasting word in the second clause, typically 但是, 可是, or 不过. The pattern is: 虽然A，但是B. Unlike English 'although,' 虽然 can appear before or after the subject.

Examples

1. 虽然下雨了，但是我还是去了。 Although it rained, I still went.
2. 他虽然年轻，但是很有经验。 Although he is young, he is very experienced.
3. 虽然很累，我还是坚持学习。 Although I'm very tired, I still persist in studying.

Usage Guide

Context: reasoning, comparison, concession

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 虽然天气不好，我们还是出去了。(Although the weather was bad, we still went out.)
• 虽然贵，但是质量很好。(Although it's expensive, the quality is very good.)

Don't Say

• 不要只用虽然而不加转折 (Don't use 虽然 without a contrasting clause — 虽然 should be paired with 但是, 可是, or 不过 for a complete sentence)

Origin & History

虽 (suī, although) + 然 (rán, so/thus). 虽 originally contained 虫 (insect) and 口 (mouth), while 然 meant 'to burn.' Together they form a grammatical conjunction meaning 'even though.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal