但 — However / But

Master (高手)たん, ただ

Radical ⼈ · radical 9 The building block this kanji is filed under

但 (readings: たん, ただ; Japanese kanji) means “However / But”. It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 但し (however).

Try it now

What does 但 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	但
Meaning	However / But
Readings	たん, ただ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	但し (however)

How to read 但

但 is read たん or ただ depending on the word.

Words with 但

但しnhưng mà / tuy nhiên

Learn 但 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,026 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Updated: 2026-07-22