...，但係

Afterthought Conjunction

Level 5Sounds Like . . . ， daan6 hai6

In colloquial Cantonese, you can place the conjunction 但係 (daan6 hai6) at the very end of a sentence to soften a statement or imply a reservation without explicitly stating the negative consequence.

How It Works

This pattern is a hallmark of natural, spoken Cantonese. It allows speakers to be less blunt and more tactful by trailing off.

1. Placement and Pausing
The conjunction is placed after a complete clause, almost always following a brief pause (indicated by a comma). It often follows sentence-final particles like 喎 (wo3), 呀 (aa3), or 喇 (laa3).

2. Pragmatic Function
Ending with 但係 (daan6 hai6) serves several purposes:

  • Softening: It makes a refusal or criticism sound less harsh.
  • Ellipsis: It implies a reason that is too obvious or awkward to say out loud.
  • Emphasis: It highlights the contrast between what was just said and the reality of the situation.

3. Intonation
In speech, the pitch usually drops or fades out on the word 但係 (daan6 hai6), creating a sense of hesitation or 'leaving the door open' for the listener to respond.

Examples (4)

  1. 我想去呀，但係...

    I want to go, but... [implies: I can't/I'm busy]

    Word by Word: I want go [particle], but...

    The speaker expresses desire but uses the trailing 但係 (daan6 hai6) to signal an unspoken obstacle.

  2. 件衫好靚喎，但係。

    The shirt is very pretty, though [but it's too expensive/doesn't fit].

    Word by Word: [Classifier] shirt very pretty [particle], but.

    Here, 但係 (daan6 hai6) follows the particle 喎 (wo3), which notes a positive quality, while the 'but' suggests a reason not to buy it.

  3. 佢份人幾好，但係。

    He's quite a nice person, but... [there's something off about him].

    Word by Word: He [classifier] person quite good, but.

    This is a common way to offer a compliment while subtly hinting at a reservation or a 'but' that the speaker doesn't want to elaborate on.

  4. 太貴喇。好靚喎，但係。

    It's too expensive. It's very pretty, though.

    Word by Word: Too expensive [particle]. Very pretty [particle], but.

    This example shows the contrast between the price and the appearance, using the trailing conjunction to link the two thoughts across sentences.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the trailing 'but' in formal writing.

    此計劃可行，但係。
    此計劃可行，但仍有不足之處。

    Trailing conjunctions are strictly colloquial. In formal writing, you must complete the thought and use standard conjunction placement.

  • Leaving out the comma before the afterthought 但係 in writing.

    Different Meaning我想去呀但係。
    我想去呀，但係。

    In speech, 我想去呀但係 is fine as long as you pause before 但係. In writing, the comma shows that pause, so 但係 reads as a trailing afterthought and not the start of a new clause.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

...，但係Level 5Afterthought Conjunction

Learn This First

To use '但係' as an afterthought, you first need to know its basic function as a conjunction. You also need to understand the general Cantonese habit of right-dislocation, where speakers add extra information or qualifiers after the main sentence has finished.

Words in This Pattern

但系