Kilo Lingo
Mandarin grammar Part of Chapter 7

CEFR A2-B1

5 min read

Test yourself (17 questions)

Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More

By Michael McGettrick and Wee Khang LinUpdated 12 October 2026

Mandarin usually marks both halves of a joined sentence: one word opens the first clause, a partner answers it in the second. ， (yīnwèi xià yǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ méi qù), because it rained, I didn't go. English drops the "so"; Mandarin keeps it.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Tap the word for each gap.

  1. 因为下雨，我没去。 (Because it rained, I didn't go.)

    yīn wèi xià yǔ ，___ wǒ méi qù 。 (Because it rained, I didn't go.)

  2. 虽然他很累，他还在工作。 (Although he's tired, he's still working.)

    suī rán tā hěn lèi ，___ tā hái zài gōng zuò 。 (Although he's tired, he's still working.)

  3. 我吃饭，他来了。 (When I was eating, he arrived.)

    wǒ chī fàn ___， tā lái le 。 (When I was eating, he arrived.)

The whole system on one screen

The colours stay the same all page long: the word that opens the first half, and its partner in the second.

marks the first halfanswers in the second half和 hé (joins two nouns)What do the colours mean?
PairPinyinEnglish
… …yīnwèi… suǒyǐ…because… so…
… …suīrán… dànshì…although… but…
… …rúguǒ… jiù…if… then…
…… de shíhouwhen…
… …yìbiān… yìbiān…while… (at once)
… …xiān… ránhòu…first… then…
… …yě… yě…both… and… (adding)
… …yòu… yòu…both… and… (qualities)
héand (nouns only)

因为 (yīnwèi)… 所以 (suǒyǐ): because… so

marks the first halfanswers in the second halfWhat do the colours mean?

(yīnwèi) opens the reason, (suǒyǐ) opens the result:

Opener
Reason
Partner
Result
，
。
，
。
HanziPinyinEnglish
，。Yīnwèi xià yǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ méi qù.Because it rained, I didn't go
，。Yīnwèi tā hěn máng, suǒyǐ méiyǒu shíjiān.He's busy, so he has no time

English "so" can stand alone, and so can (suǒyǐ). In quick speech either half can drop, but the pair is never wrong:

  • ，。 (Wǒ hěn lèi, suǒyǐ bú qù le.) - I'm tired, so I'm not going.

虽然 (suīrán)… 但是 (dànshì): although… but

marks the first halfanswers in the second halfWhat do the colours mean?

English uses "although" OR "but". Mandarin uses both, (suīrán) in the first half and (dànshì) in the second:

HanziPinyinEnglish
，。Suīrán tā hěn lèi, dànshì tā hái zài gōngzuò.Although he's tired, he's still working
，。Suīrán Zhōngwén hěn nán, dànshì wǒ xǐhuan xué.Chinese is hard, but I like learning it

(kěshì) can replace (dànshì), and is a little more spoken. (suīrán) can also come after the subject: (tā suīrán hěn lèi). Softer "but"s, such as (búguò), are on the concession page.

如果 (rúguǒ)… 就 (jiù): if… then

marks the first halfanswers in the second halfWhat do the colours mean?

(rúguǒ), or the more spoken (yàoshi), opens the condition; (jiù) marks the result. is an adverb, so it goes after the second subject, straight before the verb:

HanziPinyinEnglish
，。Rúguǒ nǐ lái, wǒ jiù gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.If you come, I'll give you a ring
，。Yàoshi míngtiān xià yǔ, wǒmen jiù bú qù.If it rains tomorrow, we won't go

The full story of "if", (de huà) included, is on conditionals.

…的时候 (de shíhou): when

marks the first halfWhat do the colours mean?

English "when" opens its clause. Mandarin (de shíhou), "the time of", CLOSES it. Then a comma, then the main clause:

HanziPinyinEnglish
，。Wǒ chī fàn de shíhou, tā lái le.When I was eating, he arrived
，。Nǐ lái de shíhou, gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.When you come, give me a ring
，。Wǒ zài Zhōngguó de shíhou, xué le yìdiǎn Zhōngwén.When I was in China, I learned a bit of Chinese

一边 (yìbiān)… 一边 (yìbiān): while, both at once

marks the first halfanswers in the second halfWhat do the colours mean?

(yìbiān) goes before each of two actions done at the same time. Say the subject once:

HanziPinyinEnglish
，。Wǒ yìbiān chī fàn, yìbiān kàn diànshì.I watch TV while I eat
，。Tā yìbiān zǒu lù, yìbiān dǎ diànhuà.He's on the phone as he walks

先 (xiān)… 然后 (ránhòu): first… then

marks the first halfanswers in the second halfWhat do the colours mean?

For one action after another, (xiān) marks the first, (ránhòu) or (zài) the next:

Six panels following the same woman with long hair and a bow through her day: the alarm clock rings beside her bed while she is still asleep; she stretches as she gets up, the sun at the window; she has breakfast at a table with a bowl, toast and a cup; she talks on the phone; she shops, holding a full bag in front of the shelves; she comes home to her house in the evening.

先起床 xiān qǐchuáng, first she gets up; 然后吃早饭 ránhòu chī zǎofàn, then she has breakfast.

HanziPinyinEnglish
，。Wǒ xiān chī fàn, ránhòu kàn diànshì.First I eat, then I watch TV
，。Wǒmen xiān qù gōngyuán, zài qù fànguǎn.First the park, then the restaurant

(zài) suits plans and instructions. For things that have already happened, (ránhòu) is the safe choice:

  • ，。 (Wǒ xiān chī le fàn, ránhòu kàn le diànshì.) - First I ate, then I watched TV.

也 (yě)… 也 and 又 (yòu)… 又: both… and

marks the first halfanswers in the second halfWhat do the colours mean?

… (yě… yě) adds one thing to another. … (yòu… yòu) piles up two qualities of one thing, often with feeling:

HanziPinyinEnglish
，。Wǒ yě xǐhuan chá, yě xǐhuan kāfēi.I like tea and I like coffee too
。Zhège cài yòu piányi yòu hǎochī.This dish is cheap and tasty
。Jīntiān yòu lěng yòu xià yǔ.It's cold and raining today

More on (yě) on its own is on 也 and 都.

和 (hé) and 跟 (gēn): and, with

和 hé (joins two nouns)What do the colours mean?

(hé) joins two nouns or pronouns. It does NOT join two sentences: there, Mandarin uses a comma, or a word such as (ránhòu) or (yě):

HanziPinyinEnglish
chá hé kāfēitea and coffee
wǒ hé tāhe and I
，。Wǒ qù le shāngdiàn, mǎi le niúnǎi.I went to the shop and bought milk

(gēn) does the same job and also means "with". It is a little more spoken; (hé) a little more written:

  • 。 (Wǒ gēn wǒ péngyou yìqǐ qù.) - I'm going with my friend.

那么 (nàme): in that case

At the start of a sentence, (nàme), often shortened to (nà), draws a conclusion from what was just said:

  • ？。 (Nǐ bù xiǎng qù? Nàme wǒmen zài jiā ba.) - You don't want to go? In that case, let's stay in.

Between (méiyǒu) and an adjective, the same word means "as… as" instead: see comparatives.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
。，。 (hé) does not join two clauses
，。，。 (jiù) goes after the subject
，。，。 (de shíhou) closes its clause
，。，。 (suīrán) pairs with (dànshì)

The pairs on this page, with (hé) and (gēn), are on the AQA GCSE Chinese specification at Foundation and Higher tier. Higher pairs have their own pages: 不但…而且, 除了…以外, 越来越 and 一…就.

What to do next

  1. Do the drill below.
  2. Tell someone about your day with (xiān)… (ránhòu)… (de shíhou).
  3. Then read conditionals for (rúguǒ), (yàoshi) and (de huà).

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/4

Tap the word for each gap.

  1. 因为下雨，我没去。 (Because it rained, I didn't go.)

    yīn wèi xià yǔ ，___ wǒ méi qù 。 (Because it rained, I didn't go.)

  2. 虽然他很累，他还在工作。 (Although he's tired, he's still working.)

    suī rán tā hěn lèi ，___ tā hái zài gōng zuò 。 (Although he's tired, he's still working.)

  3. 我吃饭，他来了。 (When I was eating, he arrived.)

    wǒ chī fàn ___， tā lái le 。 (When I was eating, he arrived.)

  4. 茶咖啡 (tea and coffee)

    chá ___ kā fēi (tea and coffee)

Complete the story

0/3

Choose the word for each gap.

A rainy Saturday

因为下雨，我们没去公园。我们先吃饭，看电视。我一边吃，打电话。

Gap 1 of 3

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

  1. rú guǒ míng tiān xià yǔ ， jiù wǒ men bú qù 。

  2. de shí hou wǒ chī fàn ， tā lái le 。

  3. wǒ chī le fàn hé kàn le diàn shì 。

Put the words in order

0/2

Put the words in order.

  1. I'm going with my friend.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. This dish is cheap and tasty.

    Your sentence is empty.

Matching

0/5

Match each pair to its English.

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Frequently asked questions

Why do Mandarin conjunctions come in pairs?
Mandarin usually marks both halves: one word opens the first clause and a partner answers it in the second. ， (yīnwèi xià yǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ méi qù), because it rained, I didn't go. Casual speech often drops one half, but the full pair is always correct.
Can I use (hé) to join two sentences?
No. (hé) joins nouns: (chá hé kāfēi), tea and coffee. Two clauses are joined with a comma, or with a word such as (ránhòu), then, or (yě), also: ， (wǒ qù le shāngdiàn, mǎi le niúnǎi), I went to the shop and bought milk.
Where does (jiù) go in a … sentence?
After the subject of the second clause, before its verb, because (jiù) is an adverb: ， (rúguǒ míngtiān xià yǔ, wǒmen jiù bú qù), if it rains tomorrow, we won't go. is wrong.
How do you say 'when' in Mandarin?
Put (de shíhou) at the END of the 'when' clause: (wǒ chī fàn de shíhou), when I'm eating. Then a comma and the main clause: ， (nǐ lái de shíhou, gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà), when you come, give me a ring.
What is the difference between … and …?
… (yě… yě) adds one thing to another: ， (tā yě huì chànggē, yě huì tiàowǔ), he can sing and he can dance. … (yòu… yòu) piles up two qualities of one thing, often with feeling: (yòu piányi yòu hǎochī), cheap and tasty.