不过（Conj.） "but；however" 

    It is similar to 可是, often used in spoken Chinese. The meaning of 不过, however, is softer than that of 可是. 

Examples:
1. 我们工厂不打，不过生产技术很好。
Our factory is not big, but our technology is very good.
2. 汉字很难写，不过很有意思。
Chinese characters are very difficult to write, but they are very interesting.

Substitutive drills: