The word but is one of the seven coordinating conjunctions in English (the others are and, or, so, for, nor, and yet). It’s used to connect two statements that contrast or contradict each other in some way.
but是英語中七個并列連詞之一（其他連詞是and，or，so，for，nor，and yet）。它被用來連接兩個在某種程度上相互對比或矛盾的陳述。

For example, learning English is difficult but fun! But getting into the specifics of such commonly used words can be tricky. This article will answer some questions you may have about how to use but.
例如，學英語很難，但很有趣！但要了解這些常用詞的具體情況可能會很棘手。本文將回答一些關于如何使用but的問題。

When do I use a comma?
我什么時候用逗號？

According to standard grammar, a comma is used before a coordinating conjunction to connect two independent clauses. An independent clause is a clause with both a subject and a verb so that it can stand on its own. If the second clause does not contain a subject, then no comma is needed.
根據(jù)標準語法，在并列連詞之前使用逗號連接兩個獨立的從句。獨立從句是一個既有主語又有動詞的從句，它可以獨立存在。如果第二個子句不包含主題，則不需要逗號。

He liked the meal, but not the dessert. (No comma)
他喜歡這頓飯，但不喜歡甜點。（無逗號）

He liked the meal, but didn’t like the dessert. (No comma)
他喜歡這頓飯，但不喜歡甜點。（無逗號）

He liked the meal, but he didn’t like the dessert. (Here, the subject is listed both times, making both clauses independent. A comma is appropriate.)
他喜歡這頓飯，但不喜歡甜點。（此處，主題同時列出，使兩個條款獨立。逗號是合適的。）

However, this is a rule that not many native speakers are aware of. Most people will place commas according to where they would naturally make a small pause while speaking.
然而，這是一個規(guī)則，不是很多母語人士都知道。大多數(shù)人會根據(jù)說話時自然會停頓的地方放置逗號。

When do I use “but rather”?
我什么時候用“but rather”？

While but can be used to contrast two statements, it can also be used in the construction “not this but that.” For example:
雖然可以用來對比兩種說法，但也可以用在“不是這個而是那個”的結構中，例如：

It wasn’t a drought but more of a dry spell.
這不是旱災，而是出于干旱期。

This sentence is saying that whatever happened wasn’t a drought. Instead, it was a dry spell. To convey this idea, we use the conjunction but. We could also replace this with the phrase but rather.
這句話是說無論發(fā)生什么都不是干旱。相反，這是一個干旱期。為了表達這個想法，我們使用連詞but。我們也可以用這個短語來代替它，但更確切地說。

It wasn’t a drought but rather more of a dry spell.
這不是旱災，而是一次干旱期。

The phrase but rather could also just be a combination of but and rather in their separate usages.
but-rate這個短語也可以是but和rather的組合，而是它們各自的用法。

You’d think he would break up with her face-to-face. But rather than doing that, he decided to do it over the phone. (Here, but is used as a contrast to the previous sentence, not in combination with rather.)
你會認為他會和她當面分手。但他決定不那樣做，而是通過電話。（此處，但用作與前一句的對比，而不是與相反的組合。）

What’s the difference between “but” or “yet”?
“but”和“yet”有什么區(qū)別？

But and yet are conjunctions with very similar meanings, and usually, when you can use the word yet, you can replace it with but. The difference is that yet means something more like “despite that” or “regardless of that.” Grammatically speaking, it has a concessive meaning. He’s given her so many red flags, yet she still wants to be with him. (In other words, He’s given her so many red flags. Despite that, she still wants to be with him.)
但是and-yet是具有非常相似含義的連詞，通常，當您可以使用yet這個詞時，您可以用but替換它。不同的是，它的意思更像是“盡管”或“不考慮”。從語法上講，它有一個讓步的意思。他給了她那么多紅旗，但她仍然想和他在一起。（換句話說，他給了她那么多的紅旗。盡管如此，她還是想和他在一起。）

I attended every lecture in the class, and yet I still don’t understand anything. (It’s possible to use yet with and, making it more of an adverb than a conjunction.)
我參加了班上的每一堂課，但仍然什么都不懂。（還可以與and連用，使之更像副詞而不是連詞。）

Apparently, she keeps a calendar, yet she always forgets about the plans she makes.
顯然，她有日歷，但她總是忘記自己的計劃。

In all these examples, you could probably replace yet with but and still have it make sense.
在所有這些例子中，您可能還可以用but替換，但仍然有意義。

He’s given her so many red flags, but she still wants to be with him.
他給了她那么多紅旗，但她還是想和他在一起。

I attended every lecture in the class, but I still don’t understand anything.
我參加了班上的每一堂課，但我還是什么都不懂。

Apparently, she keeps a calendar, but she always forgets about the plans she makes.
顯然，她有日歷，但她總是忘記自己的計劃。

The difference is that but only creates a simple contrast. If you really want to say, “This is true, but none of it really matters because…”, then yet is a much better way to convey that nuance.
不同的是，這只會產(chǎn)生一個簡單的對比。如果你真的想說，“這是真的，但沒有一個是真的，因為…”，那么這是一個更好的方式來表達這種細微差別。

When can I use “but” at the beginning of a sentence?
我什么時候可以在句子的開頭使用“but”？

While you may have formally been taught that a sentence can’t begin with a conjunction, the reality is that you can begin any sentence with a conjunction. The two following examples basically mean the same thing:
雖然你可能已經(jīng)正式地被教導一個句子不能以連詞開頭，但事實是你可以以連詞開頭。以下兩個例子的意思基本相同：

I’ll come with you and keep you company if you want. But I’m not going to enjoy it.
如果你愿意，我會和你一起去陪你。但我不會喜歡的。

Why make a clause with a conjunction its own separate sentence? It depends on how you like to break up your sentences.
為什么把連詞從句變成單獨的句子？這取決于你喜歡如何分句。

Periods usually convey more of a break between ideas than commas do. You might also want to avoid run-on sentences that use too many commas.
句號通常比逗號更能表達思想間的停頓。您可能還希望避免在使用過多逗號的句子上運行。

When do I use “but also”?
我什么時候用“but also”？

The phrase but also is similar to but rather, but instead of meaning “not this but that,” it means “not just this but also that.” It’s used to add even more additional information than might be expected.
這個短語“但是”與“但是”類似，但它的意思不是“不是這個而是那個”，它的意思是“不僅是這個，而且是那個”。它用于添加比預期更多的附加信息。

They not only spilled beer all over the floor but also broke one of the lamps.
他們不僅把啤酒灑得滿地都是，還打碎了一盞燈。

You’re not just a mother but also a friend.
你不僅是母親，還是朋友。

When using this phrase, be sure to create parallel constructions if you want to be grammatically correct. This means linking phrases of the same kind together.
使用這個短語時，如果你想語法正確，一定要創(chuàng)建平行結構。這意味著將同類短語連接在一起。

In the following sentence, the placement of the word only makes it so that it connects nouns together, therefore making it a parallel construction.
在下面的句子中，單詞的位置只使它把名詞連接在一起，因此使它成為一個平行結構。

He doesn’t know only Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
他不僅懂西班牙語，還懂葡萄牙語和意大利語。

This next sentence is incorrect because it connects a verb (“to know”) with nouns (“Portuguese and Italian”).
下一個句子是不正確的，因為它把動詞（“to know”）與名詞（“葡萄牙語和意大利語”）連接起來。

He not only knows Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
他不僅懂西班牙語，還懂葡萄牙語和意大利語。

When I can I use “but not limited to”?
我什么時候可以用“but not limited to”？

You can use the phrase including but not limited to when you want to list some items in a category, but you also want to indicate there are many more besides that. It basically means the same thing as the word including by itself but emphasizes the high amount of things in a given category. Usually, this phrase is found in legal contexts, maybe because the wording is more precise.
您可以使用短語including，但不限于當您要列出某個類別中的某些項時，但您也要指出除此之外還有許多項。它基本上和單詞本身的意思是一樣的，但它強調(diào)了給定類別中的大量事物。通常，這個短語出現(xiàn)在法律語境中，可能是因為措辭更精確。

The job involves many tasks, including but not limited to serving customers, checking inventory, cleaning the workspace, and taking phone calls.
這項工作涉及許多任務，包括但不限于為客戶服務、檢查庫存、清潔工作區(qū)和接聽電話。

Natural language processing has a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to chatbots, language translation, sentiment analysis, and spell check.
自然語言處理有著廣泛的應用，包括但不限于聊天機器人、語言翻譯、情感分析和拼寫檢查。

The book covers many topics, including but not limited to the Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, and Jim Crow laws.
這本書涵蓋了許多主題，包括但不限于內(nèi)戰(zhàn)、重建時代和吉姆·克勞定律。

What’s the difference between “but” and “although”?
“但是”和“雖然”有什么區(qū)別？

This question is tricky because although can have two different usages.
這個問題很棘手，因為雖然有兩種不同的用法。

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The first is to mean “despite the fact that” or “even though,” which is like saying, “What I’m about to say doesn’t really matter.” In this case, the clause that although introduces will usually come before the main clause.
第一個意思是“盡管”或者“盡管”，就像是說，“我要說的并不重要?！痹谶@種情況下，盡管引入的子句通常會在主子句之前。

Although it was scorching outside, we still decided risk sunburns and go hiking.
雖然外面很熱，我們還是決定冒著曬傷的危險去遠足。

Although I had a test the next morning, I decided to go out with my friends and ended up coming home late.
盡管第二天早上我做了個測試，但我還是決定和朋友們出去玩，結果回家晚了。

Then there is the second usage of although, which is to mean the same thing as but, except it tends to indicate more of an afterthought rather than a firm contrast.
第二個用法是雖然，意思和但是是一樣的，只是它傾向于表示更多的事后思考，而不是堅定的對比。

This is usually when although comes after the main clause, which is how you’ll be able to tell the difference between the two meanings.
這通常發(fā)生在主從句之后，也就是你如何區(qū)分這兩個意思的時候。

I really didn’t want to go to the show, although it did end up being somewhat interesting. (This can be like saying, Now that I think about it, it was sort of interesting.)
我真的不想去看這個節(jié)目，盡管最后確實有些有趣。（這就像是說，現(xiàn)在我想起來了，這有點有趣。）

Mark’s thinking about transferring schools, although I’m not sure why. I thought he liked it here. (Using although instead of but indicates that the main topic is about Mark, not what the speaker thinks.)
馬克正在考慮轉(zhuǎn)學，盡管我不知道為什么。我以為他喜歡這里。（使用雖然而不是但是表示主要話題是關于馬克的，而不是說話者的想法。）

If you want to create a contrast or transition between what you were just talking about and a topic that’s just as important, it might be better to use but instead of although, such as in this sentence:
如果你想在你剛才所說的和同樣重要的話題之間建立一個對比或過渡，最好使用，但不要使用，例如在這句話中：

Mental illness can be difficult or awkward to talk about, but there are many ways we can be supportive.
精神疾病可能很難或很難談論，但有很多方法我們可以支持。

The main point is not that mental illness is a difficult subject. Instead, the speaker is trying to transition into a topic they want to talk about. This makes but a much more appropriate choice than although.
重點并不是說精神疾病是一門難學的學科。取而代之的是，演講者試圖轉(zhuǎn)換成他們想談論的話題。這是一個比“雖然”更合適的選擇。

What’s the difference between “but” and “except”?
“but”和“except”有什么區(qū)別？

Except (that) is another conjunction that means something similar to but, except it indicates more of an exception than a contrast (I just used it now!).
Except（that）是另一個連詞，它的意思與but類似，只是它表示的是一個異常，而不是一個對比（我現(xiàn)在才使用它?。?

Maybe you want to state something that’s true except for one detail. In that case, except will help you convey that better than but.
也許你想說一些事實，除了一個細節(jié)。在這種情況下，除了會幫助你傳達比但是更好。

He and I are on good terms, except he still needs to pay me the money he owes. We have everything we need for dinner, except that I still need to buy oil.
他和我的關系很好，只是他還得把欠我的錢還給我。我們有晚餐所需的一切，除了我還需要買石油。

A: Everything’s fine, except…
A： 一切都很好，除了…

B: Except what?
B： 除了什么？

Don’t confuse this with the phrase except for, which is used as a preposition, not a conjunction. You can only follow it with noun phrases.
不要把這個和短語混淆，除了用作介詞而不是連詞的for。你只能用名詞短語跟在后面。

Everyone submitted their entries on time except for him.
除了他以外，每個人都按時提交了參賽作品。

He and I are on good terms, except for the fact that he still needs to pay me the money he owes.
他和我的關系很好，只是他還需要把欠我的錢還給我。

Practice
練習

Time for some practice! The following sentences each have an error in them. Try to spot them and see if you can correct them.
是時候練習了！下列句子各有一處錯誤。試著找出它們，看看你能不能糾正它們。

It’s not the concerts themselves rather the social experience that I enjoy.
我喜歡的不是音樂會本身，而是社會經(jīng)驗。

I can teach you how to play many genres, including and not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues.
我可以教你如何演奏許多流派，包括但不限于爵士樂、搖滾樂、鄉(xiāng)村音樂和藍調(diào)。

He drives not only poorly but also can’t park properly.
他開車不僅不好，而且停車也不好。

A lot of times, we follow rules, but don’t really understand why.
很多時候，我們遵循規(guī)則，但并不真正理解為什么。

He spent hours and hours more on the painting, but it still looks bad. (What could you replace but with to show that his work was useless?)
他花了越來越多的時間在這幅畫上，但看起來還是很糟糕。（你能用什么來代替，但要證明他的工作是無用的？）

Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an exception?)
總的來說，這部電影很棒，但結局本可以更好。（除了表示更多的異常之外，您可以用什么替換？）

Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an afterthought?)
總的來說，這部電影很棒，但結局本可以更好。（你可以用什么來代替，但是用以表示更多的事后思考？）

Answers:
回答：

It’s not the concerts themselves but rather the social experience that I enjoy. (You need the whole phrase but rather, not just rather.)
我喜歡的不是音樂會本身，而是社會經(jīng)驗。（你需要整句話，但不僅僅是。）

I can teach you how to play many genres, including but not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues. (“Including and not limited to” is not a standard expression.)
我可以教你如何演奏多種類型的音樂，包括但不限于爵士樂、搖滾樂、鄉(xiāng)村音樂和藍調(diào)。（“包括但不限于”不是標準表達式。）

He not only drives poorly but also can’t park properly. OR Not only does he drive poorly, but he also can’t park properly. (Either of these makes the sentence a parallel construction.)
他不僅開車不好，而且停車也不好。或者他不僅開車不好，而且停車也不好。（這兩種情況中的任何一種使句子成為一個平行結構。）

A lot of times, we follow the rules but don’t really understand why. (The second clause is not an independent clause, so you don’t need to use a comma.)
很多時候，我們遵循規(guī)則，但并不真正理解為什么。（第二個子句不是獨立子句，因此不需要使用逗號。）

He spent hours and hours more on the painting, yet it still looks bad. (Now, you can tell more how useless his effort was.)
他花了越來越多的時間在這幅畫上，但它看起來仍然很糟糕。（現(xiàn)在，你可以知道他的努力是多么的無用。）

Overall, the movie was great, except the ending could have been better. (Now, it’s specified that the ending was really the one thing wrong with the movie.)
總的來說，這部電影很棒，只是結局本可以更好。（現(xiàn)在，已經(jīng)明確了結局確實是電影的一個問題。）

Overall, the movie was great, although the ending could have been better. (Now, it sounds more like the speaker doesn’t care as much about the ending.)
總的來說，這部電影很棒，盡管結局本可以更好。（現(xiàn)在，這聽起來更像是演講者不太在乎結局。）

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