How to pronounce dan shi (但是) in Chinese
Hear 但是 (dàn shì) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.
但是
dàn shì
Characters & meanings
but; however
to be; correct
Common mistake
Double fourth (4-4): two decisive falls, matching the word's contrastive punch. Shì is the retroflex buzzy syllable — don't relax it into "shir" or "she".
Example sentence
我想去，但是没时间。
Wǒ xiǎng qù, dànshì méi shíjiān.
I want to go, but I have no time.
Try it yourself
Record yourself saying 但是 and get instant AI feedback.
</>Embed this on your site
Free for teachers and blogs — paste this code into your page:
Related sounds
Keep exploring
Train, don't just read
Practice your pronunciation in the app
A guide can explain the tones, but you can't fix your pronunciation by reading. The TonePerfect app lets you actually say the words and scores every syllable — initial, final, and tone — in real time, so you hear your mistakes and correct them on the spot.
- Instant AI feedback on every syllable
- Practice any word, sentence, or HSK list
- Hands-on tone training you can't get from reading
Free to start · 4.6★ · 20,000+ learners