不过 bù guò
“only; merely; no more than”
conjunction, adverb, particleHSK 4 · 2021 list level 2Traditional 不過
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
不过 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1050: 不过 búguò — Level 4; official annotation 4（5） (连、（副）). PDF page 106
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 不过
不过 usually means “but; however” as a conjunction. It introduces a contrasting or qualifying clause after a first statement and is very common in everyday conversation. Typical pattern: clause 1, 不过 + clause 2.
例句Example sentences
- 这家饭馆很小，不过菜很好吃。zhè jiā fàn guǎn hěn xiǎo, bú guò cài hěn hǎo chī.This restaurant is small, but the food is very good.
- 我想去旅行，不过这个月没有时间。wǒ xiǎng qù lǚ xíng, bú guò zhè ge yuè méi yǒu shí jiān.I want to travel, but I don’t have time this month.
- 他学汉语时间不长，不过说得很不错。tā xué hàn yǔ shí jiān bù cháng, bú guò shuō de hěn bú cuò.He hasn’t studied Chinese long, but he speaks quite well.