但 — “However / But” in Japanese

Master (高手)たん, ただ

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

“However / But” in Japanese is 但, read tan, tada (たん, ただ). 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).

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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 tan (たん) or tada (ただ) depending on the word.

Words with 但

但し

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Kanji read the same way as 但

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28