不过
bùguò
Meaning
不过 has two uses: 1. A conjunction — “but”, “however”. It adds to or qualifies what came before. 2. An adverb — “only”, “merely”, “just”. It stresses that the amount or degree is small.
Basic structure
A, 不过 B. → A, but B.
不过 + amount / number → only, merely…
1. Conjunction: contrast
不过 does not reject what came before — it adds another side of the situation.
除了工作以外，家里还有母亲和儿子需要照顾。
Besides work, there's my mother and my son at home to look after.
不过现在我很幸福。
But I'm happy now.
Softening or qualifying
你再早来一会儿就好了，那辆车刚开走，你只能等下一辆了。
It would have been better if you'd come a little earlier. That bus has just gone — you'll have to wait for the next.
不过也不用多长时间，估计十几分钟就来了。
It won't be long though — about fifteen minutes, I'd say.
2. Adverb: “only, merely”
我们不过谈了点儿工作方面的问题，别的都没谈。
We only discussed a couple of work matters — nothing else.
Replying to thanks
没有你的帮助，我们肯定不能按时完成任务，真是太谢谢你了。
Without your help we'd never have finished on time. Thank you so much.
你太客气了，我不过是给了些建议，这一切都是你们辛苦努力的结果。
You're too kind. I only gave a few suggestions — all this is the result of your hard work.
不过 vs. 但是
| 不过 | 但是 |
|---|---|
| More conversational | More neutral, closer to written style |
| Softens the contrast | States the contrast more directly |
| Can also be an adverb: “only” | Cannot be an adverb ❌ |
Remember:
不过 → but, however (conjunction).
不过 → only, merely (adverb).
As a conjunction it opens the second clause; as an adverb it precedes the amount.
Softer and more spoken than 但是.