诚然…然而【chéngrán … rán'ér】

诚然 means "it is true that, admittedly". It grants a point – often one the other side would make – and 然而 "however" then turns to the point the writer actually wants to make. The pair belongs to essays, reports and formal argument.

诚然 goes after the subject and before the predicate, or it opens the sentence on its own, followed by a comma.

然而 is the most formal turn. 但是, 可是 and 却 also follow 诚然, a step down in register.

诚然 or 虽然

虽然 "although" concedes a fact without comment. 诚然 makes a point of agreeing with it, which is why it shows up where a writer is answering an objection. 固然 sits between the two, and is common in speech too.

Where 然而 goes

然而 opens its clause, before the subject. Learners following 也 or 却 put it after the subject.

• × 诚然，科技很方便，它然而也带来了问题 → 诚然，科技很方便，然而它也带来了问题

The 诚然 clause is a concession and needs the turn that follows it. On its own the sentence is unfinished.

• × 这种方法诚然有效。 → 这种方法诚然有效，然而成本太高。