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不可否认,…(但)…

admittedly …, (but) …; there is no denying that …, (but) …

Structure
不可否认(的是) , 你承认的事实 , 但/然而/可是 你真正的观点

What it means

Admittedly …, but …: you first grant a point the other side would make, to show you are fair, then turn to your own point, which carries the weight.

How it is built

不可否认(的是)+ conceded fact + 但/然而/可是 + your real view: 不可否认,网购很方便,可是也让不少人乱花钱 (online shopping is convenient, admittedly, but it makes many people overspend).

When to use it

Essays, commentary, debates, formal speeches; in conversation say 确实…,不过… or 话是这么说,但…. Like 固然…但…, but it heads the sentence and sounds more emphatic. Variant: 无可否认.

Watch out

What follows 不可否认 is the point you concede, not the one you are arguing for. In an argument, leave out the 但 turn and the sentence feels unfinished.

Examples

不可否认,基因编辑有望治愈不少遗传病,但它并不完美。
Admittedly, gene editing may cure a good many hereditary diseases, but it is not perfect.
不可否认,网购给生活带来了很多方便,可是也让不少人养成了乱花钱的习惯。
There is no denying that online shopping has made life much more convenient, but it has also got a lot of people into the habit of spending money carelessly.
不可否认的是,这座城市这几年发展很快;然而,房价也涨得让年轻人买不起房。
It cannot be denied that the city has grown fast these last few years; yet house prices have risen so far that young people cannot afford a home.
Learn this in Lesson 179 · HSK 7–9: 克隆猴与基因编辑 (Cloned monkeys and edited genes)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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