Comparing 无论 [Wúlùn] and 不管 [Bùguǎn] in Chinese

1. Ways to use 无论 and 不管 in Chinese

1.1 Correct usage of 无论 [Wúlùn]

– Wúlùn is a conjunction, combined with a pronoun or a question word. 无论 means regardless of any situation, the conclusion or result remains unchanged in Chinese grammar. In the following clause, it is often used with '都' or '也'.
Example:

无论 whether singing or dancing, he is capable.
/ Wúlùn chànggē háishì tiàowǔ, tā dōu xíng /
No matter if it's singing or dancing, he excels in both.

Everyone in their studies 无论 encounters any difficulties, can always find me.
/ Dàjiā zài xuéxí shàng wúlùn yù dào shénme kùnnán, dōu kěyǐ suíshí zhǎo wǒ. /
No matter what difficulties everyone encounters in their studies, they can always find me.

无论 who asks him, he is always willing to help.
/ Wúlùn shéi qiú tā, tā dōu rèqíng xiāngzhù. /
Whoever asks him for help, he always assists warmly.

The current set of classes, 无论 which one, must be studied seriously.
/ Xiànzài shè de kè, wúlùn nǎ yī mén, dōu dé rènzhēn xué /
In the current classes, regardless of which one, one must study diligently.

Tomorrow, 无论 whether it's a good day or a bad day, we still have to go to Fragrant Hills.
/ Míngtiān wúlùn shì hǎo tiān háishì huài tiān, yě yào qù xiāngshān /
Regardless of whether it's sunny or rainy tomorrow, we must go to Fragrant Hills.

Doing this, 无论 whether it's for him or for you, has benefits.
/ Zhèyàng zuò, wúlùn duì tā háishì duì nǐ, dōu yǒu hǎochù /
Doing this, whether it's for him or for you, both have advantages.

1.2 Usage of 不管 [Bùguǎn]

– Bùguǎn is a conjunction that expresses meaning under any circumstances, where the result or conclusion remains unchanged.

Often combined with indefinite pronouns such as “谁, 什么, 怎么, 那么, 多么” in the preceding clause, the following clause uses “都, 总, 也”.

Example:
不管 how busy, he always reads the newspaper for an hour every day.
/ Bùguǎn duōme máng, tā měitiān zǒng yào kàn yī xiǎoshí bào /
No matter how busy he is, he always spends an hour reading the newspaper daily.

No matter what job we do, we should do it seriously.
/ Wǒmen bùguǎn zuò shénme gōngzuò, dōu yīnggāi rènzhēn zuò hǎo. /
Regardless of the job we do, we should do it seriously.

When doing homework, 不管 who calls me, I won't go.
/ Zuò zuo yè de shíhòu, bùguǎn shéi jiào wǒ, wǒ yě bù qù. /
When doing homework, no matter who calls me, I won't go.

不管 how it's said, he still won't admit fault.
/ Bùguǎn zěnme shuō, tā yě bù rèncuò /
Regardless of how it's said, he still won't admit fault.

When used with a list, between two enumerated elements, you can add “还是” or separate each conditional clause.

Example:
那部电影不管 whether adults or children can watch.
/ Nà bù diànyǐng bùguǎn dàrén háishì xiǎohái dōu kěyǐ kàn. /
The movie, regardless of whether adults or children, can watch.

Over the past twenty-plus years, 不管 winter or summer, 不管 wind or rain, he's never been late.
/ Èrshí duō nián lái bu guǎn dōngtiān háishì xiàtiān, bùguǎn guā fēng háishì xià yǔ, tā cóng méi chídàoguò. /
For over twenty years, whether winter or summer, whether windy or rainy, he has never been late.

不管 whether it's hot or not, I'm going.
/ Bùguǎn tiānqì rè bù rè, wǒ dū yào qù. /
Regardless of whether it's hot or not, I'm going.

– If the sentence describes a truth, “不管” should not be used. Below is a common misuse example.

Example:
不管 the weather is bad, I still went to Jingshan. -> Incorrect
(Correct sentence: 尽管天气不好，我还是去了景山。 -> Correct)

– 不管 cannot be combined with “如何”.

Example: 不管如何，I also want to go and see -> Incorrect

After 不管, it can be used in an affirmative-negative form. When using this form after 无论, people often add 还是/跟/与 in between the affirmative and negative elements.

Ví dụ:

不论天气炎热与否，他总是穿得很多。
/ Bùlùn tiānqì yǎnrè yǔ fǒu, tā zǒng shì chuān dé hěn duō /
Không vấn vẫn thời tiết nóng hay không, anh ấy lúc nào cũng mặc quá nhiều.

无论天气是热还是不热，他总是穿这么多。
/ Wúlùn tiānqì shì rè háishì bù rè, tā zǒng shì chuān zhème duō. /
Cho dù là nóng hay không, anh ấy lúc nào cũng mặc nhiều như vậy.

2. So sánh 无论 [Wúlùn] và 不论 [Bùlùn] trong tiếng Trung

Dưới đây là bảng so sánh điểm giống và khác của 2 từ 无论 và 不论 để cho bạn dễ dàng nắm bắt và sử dụng đúng hơn.