How Mandarin pairs conjunctions

In English, 'Although it was raining, I went out' uses ONE conjunction (although) at the front, and the second clause goes naked. In Mandarin, the standard pattern uses TWO words, one for each clause:

• 虽然下雨, 但是我去了。(Suī rán xià yǔ, dàn shì wǒ qù le.) - Although it was raining, I went out.

虽然 marks 'although'-clause; 但是 marks 'but'-clause. Both are present, both are normal. Skipping one (you can drop either in casual speech) is allowed but the doubled form is the textbook default and what learners should drill first.

The pattern is reliable across the inventory. Get these eight pairings and you'll handle most multi-clause Mandarin sentences.

虽然…但是 (although…but…): contrast

• 虽然他很累, 但是他还在工作。 (Suī rán tā hěn lèi, dàn shì tā hái zài gōng zuò.) - Although he's tired, he's still working.
• 虽然中文很难, 但是我喜欢学。 (Suī rán zhōng wén hěn nán, dàn shì wǒ xǐ huan xué.) - Although Chinese is hard, I like learning it.
• 虽然下雨, 但是我们还是去了。 (Suī rán xià yǔ, dàn shì wǒ men hái shì qù le.) - Although it was raining, we still went.

可是 (kě shì) is interchangeable with 但是 in this pattern. 但是 is slightly more formal; 可是 is slightly more colloquial. Either works.

因为…所以 (because…so…): cause and effect

• 因为我累, 所以我不去。 (Yīn wèi wǒ lèi, suǒ yǐ wǒ bú qù.) - Because I'm tired, I'm not going.
• 因为下雨, 所以我没出去。 (Yīn wèi xià yǔ, suǒ yǐ wǒ méi chū qù.) - Because it was raining, I didn't go out.
• 因为他很忙, 所以没有时间。 (Yīn wèi tā hěn máng, suǒ yǐ méi yǒu shí jiān.) - Because he's busy, he doesn't have time.

In a strict because-so sentence, English drops 'so' as redundant. Mandarin keeps both halves explicit. The paired structure is the default.

如果 / 要是…就 (if…then…): conditional

如果 (rú guǒ) and 要是 (yào shì) are interchangeable conditionals. The 就 (jiù, then) in the second clause is what binds them into a unit.

• 如果你来, 我就给你打电话。 (Rú guǒ nǐ lái, wǒ jiù gěi nǐ dǎ diàn huà.) - If you come, I'll phone you.
• 要是明天下雨, 我们就不去。 (Yào shì míng tiān xià yǔ, wǒ men jiù bú qù.) - If it rains tomorrow, we won't go.
• 如果你有时间, 就给我打电话。 (Rú guǒ nǐ yǒu shí jiān, jiù gěi wǒ dǎ diàn huà.) - If you have time, phone me.

The 就 in the second clause sits right before the verb. It binds the condition to the consequence and feels load-bearing: dropping it makes the sentence read as two unconnected statements.

一边…一边 (one side…one side…): simultaneous

For doing two things at the same time.

• 我一边吃饭, 一边看电视。 (Wǒ yì biān chī fàn, yì biān kàn diàn shì.) - I eat while watching TV.
• 他一边走路, 一边打电话。 (Tā yì biān zǒu lù, yì biān dǎ diàn huà.) - He's walking while making a phone call.
• 我一边学习, 一边听音乐。 (Wǒ yì biān xué xí, yì biān tīng yīn yuè.) - I study while listening to music.

Both halves of the pairing are required. The subject can be stated once at the start and the second 一边 attaches to a bare verb phrase.

…的时候 (when…): time clause

A time clause: 'when X, Y'. The 的时候 attaches to the END of the time clause.

• 我吃饭的时候, 他来了。 (Wǒ chī fàn de shí hou, tā lái le.) - When I was eating, he came.
• 你来的时候, 给我打电话。 (Nǐ lái de shí hou, gěi wǒ dǎ diàn huà.) - When you come, phone me.
• 我在中国的时候, 学了一点中文。 (Wǒ zài zhōng guó de shí hou, xué le yì diǎn zhōng wén.) - When I was in China, I learned a bit of Chinese.

Unlike English 'when' (at the front), 的时候 sits at the back of its clause. The clause it attaches to comes first, then 的时候, then a comma, then the main clause.

也…也 (also…also…): 'both…and…'

For two parallel features of the same subject.

• 他也聪明, 也努力。 (Tā yě cōng míng, yě nǔ lì.) - He's both clever AND hardworking.
• 这本书也便宜, 也好。 (Zhè běn shū yě pián yi, yě hǎo.) - This book is both cheap and good.
• 我也喜欢茶, 也喜欢咖啡。 (Wǒ yě xǐ huan chá, yě xǐ huan kā fēi.) - I like both tea and coffee.

又…又 (and…and…): 'both…and…' (slightly stronger)

Similar to 也…也 but more emphatic and usually used with adjectives.

• 这道菜又便宜, 又好吃。 (Zhè dào cài yòu pián yi, yòu hǎo chī.) - This dish is both cheap AND tasty.
• 他又高, 又帅。 (Tā yòu gāo, yòu shuài.) - He's tall AND handsome.
• 今天又冷, 又下雨。 (Jīn tiān yòu lěng, yòu xià yǔ.) - Today is cold AND raining.

The rule of thumb: 也…也 for verbs and verb phrases, 又…又 for adjectives. Both can stretch into the other category.

先…然后 / 再 (first…then…): sequence

For a sequence of two actions.

• 我先吃饭, 然后看电视。 (Wǒ xiān chī fàn, rán hòu kàn diàn shì.) - First I eat, then I watch TV.
• 我们先去公园, 再去饭馆。 (Wǒ men xiān qù gōng yuán, zài qù fàn guǎn.) - First we go to the park, then to the restaurant.
• 先洗手, 然后吃饭。 (Xiān xǐ shǒu, rán hòu chī fàn.) - First wash your hands, then eat.

然后 (rán hòu, then-afterwards) and 再 (zài, then-and-then) are mostly interchangeable. 再 is shorter and slightly more colloquial.

Single conjunctions: 和, 跟, 都

The paired structures handle clauses. For joining nouns or marking parallel subjects, single conjunctions do the job.

和 (hé) and 跟 (gēn): 'and' or 'with' for nouns

Used to JOIN nouns. Not used to join clauses (that's the paired structures' job).

• 我和他 (wǒ hé tā) - me and him
• 茶和咖啡 (chá hé kā fēi) - tea and coffee
• 我跟我朋友去 (wǒ gēn wǒ péng you qù) - I'm going with my friend
• 他和我一起来。 (Tā hé wǒ yì qǐ lái.) - He's coming with me.

跟 leans 'with' / accompaniment; 和 leans 'and' / listing. Plenty of overlap. For Foundation level, either works; pick by feel.

都 (dōu): 'all' / 'both'

Marks that the subjects share a feature. Goes BEFORE the verb.

• 我们都是英国人。 (Wǒ men dōu shì yīng guó rén.) - We are all English.
• 他们都喜欢咖啡。 (Tā men dōu xǐ huan kā fēi.) - They all like coffee.
• 这些书都很好。 (Zhè xiē shū dōu hěn hǎo.) - These books are all good.

都 is one of the most-overused-then-underused words for learners. When you've listed multiple subjects, 都 makes the 'all/both' meaning explicit. Without it, the sentence reads as ambiguous about how many of them share the feature.

Higher-tier flags

A few pairings sit on the Higher tier and you'll meet them later:

• 不但…而且 (not only…but also) - escalation.
• 除了…以外 (besides X) - exception/addition.
• 越…越 (the more…the more) - correlative.
• 一…就 (as soon as) - immediate sequence.
• 或 / 或者 (or) in statements (vs 还是 for questions).

For Foundation level, the eight paired structures plus 和/跟/都 cover the inventory.

What to internalise

1. Mandarin pairs conjunctions. Both halves are usually present (虽然…但是, 因为…所以).
2. 的时候 goes at the END of its clause. English 'when' goes at the front.
3. 都 sits BEFORE the verb. It marks shared features across multiple subjects.
4. 如果…就 needs the 就. Dropping it weakens the binding.

For the wider sentence-pattern map, see the Mandarin grammar cheatsheet.