固然 (gùrán) — of course, admittedly

固然 (gùrán)

固然 is a formal adverb used to concede a point — acknowledging that something is undeniably true — before introducing a qualification, contrast, or counterargument. It is structurally equivalent to "it is true that" or "granted that" in English. Like 诚然, it is a hallmark of nuanced, sophisticated argumentation in formal Chinese.

Meanings

1. [adv] of course, granted, admittedly (concessive, acknowledging truth before a qualification)
2. [adv] naturally, undeniably (affirming something as self-evidently true)

Example Sentences

成功固然令人欣喜，但其背后所经历的失败与磨砺才是真正的财富。 Chénggōng gùrán lìng rén xīnxǐ, dàn qí bèihòu suǒ jīnglì de shībài yǔ mólì cái shì zhēnzhèng de cáifù. Success is of course gratifying, but the failures and hardships behind it are the true wealth.

智力固然重要，但情商和坚韧性对一个人的长远发展更具决定性意义。 Zhìlì gùrán zhòngyào, dàn qíngshāng hé jiānrèn xìng duì yīgè rén de chángyuǎn fāzhǎn gèng jù juédìng xìng yìyì. Intelligence is of course important, but emotional intelligence and resilience are more decisive for a person's long-term development.

经济增长固然是发展的必要条件，但绝非充分条件，更非唯一目标。 Jīngjì zēngzhǎng gùrán shì fāzhǎn de bìyào tiáojiàn, dàn jué fēi chōngfèn tiáojiàn, gèng fēi wéiyī mùbiāo. Economic growth is of course a necessary condition for development, but it is by no means a sufficient condition, let alone the only goal.

他固然才华横溢，却因缺乏团队协作的意识而错失了许多发展机遇。 Tā gùrán cáihuá héngyì, què yīn quēfá tuánduì xiézuò de yìshí ér cuòshī le xǔduō fāzhǎn jīyù. He is admittedly a person of brilliant talent, but due to a lack of team cooperation awareness he missed many development opportunities.

网络固然提供了海量信息，但如何从中甄别真伪、提炼价值却对用户提出了更高要求。 Wǎngluò gùrán tígōng le hǎiliàng xìnxī, dàn rúhé cóng zhōng zhēnbié zhēnwěi, tíliàn jiàzhí què duì yònghù tíchū le gèng gāo yāoqiú. The internet certainly provides vast amounts of information, but sorting out truth from falsehood and extracting value places higher demands on users.

缩短工时固然有助于提升员工福祉，但其对企业生产效率的影响尚需实证检验。 Suōduǎn gōngshí gùrán yǒuzhù yú tíshēng yuángōng fúzhǐ, dàn qí duì qǐyè shēngchǎn xiàolǜ de yǐngxiǎng shàng xū shízhèng jiǎnyàn. Reducing working hours certainly helps improve employee well-being, but its impact on corporate productivity still requires empirical testing.

Collocations

Usage Notes

固然 and 诚然 are near-synonyms in concessive constructions, and both are more formal than 当然 (certainly/of course). The key difference is subtle: 诚然 tends to emphasize sincerity of acknowledgment, while 固然 emphasizes that something is firmly / undeniably true. Both are used in the pattern X固然/诚然A，但B. In practice, they are often interchangeable in formal writing.

Do not confuse with 固执 (stubborn) or 固有 (inherent); 固然 is purely adverbial. It does not appear in spoken Chinese — reserve it for formal essays and speeches.

Memory Hook

固 (firm/solid) + 然 (so/thus) — 固然 is "firmly so" — something is undeniably, solidly true, before you add a "but."