Spanish has two words that both translate as “but”: pero and sino. While they may seem similar, they are used in different situations. Pero introduces contrast, while sino corrects or replaces a previous negative statement. In this module, you will learn when to use pero and when to use sino.
Pero introduces contrast between two ideas.
Example Sentences
Quiero participar, pero tengo otra reunión. – I want to participate, but I have another meeting.
El proyecto es interesante, pero requiere más tiempo. – The project is interesting, but it requires more time.
Ella entiende la idea, pero necesita más detalles. – She understands the idea, but she needs more details.
Nosotros analizamos los resultados, pero todavía hay dudas. – We analyze the results, but there are still doubts.
Ellos aceptan el plan, pero quieren modificar algunos puntos. – They accept the plan, but they want to modify some points.
Sino corrects a negative statement.
Example Sentences
No quiero café, sino té. – I do not want coffee, but tea.
No estudiamos francés, sino alemán. – We do not study French, but German.
Ella no trabaja aquí, sino en otra empresa. – She does not work here, but in another company.
No visitamos el museo, sino el parque histórico. – We did not visit the museum, but the historic park.
No necesitamos más tiempo, sino más recursos. – We do not need more time, but more resources.
Sino often replaces incorrect information with correct information.
Example Sentences
No fue un error, sino una decisión estratégica. – It was not a mistake, but a strategic decision.
No buscamos problemas, sino soluciones. – We do not look for problems, but solutions.
No es una dificultad, sino una oportunidad. – It is not a difficulty, but an opportunity.
No es un fracaso, sino una lección. – It is not a failure, but a lesson.
No es una crítica, sino una sugerencia. – It is not a criticism, but a suggestion.
When correcting a full clause, Spanish uses sino que.
Example Sentences
No cancelaron el evento, sino que cambiaron la fecha. – They did not cancel the event, but rather changed the date.
No rechazaron la propuesta, sino que pidieron más detalles. – They did not reject the proposal, but requested more details.
No ignoraron el problema, sino que buscaron una solución. – They did not ignore the problem, but looked for a solution.
No abandonaron el plan, sino que lo modificaron. – They did not abandon the plan, but modified it.
No olvidaron la reunión, sino que llegaron tarde. – They did not forget the meeting, but arrived late.
The context determines which word to use.
Example Sentences
El plan es bueno, pero necesita ajustes. – The plan is good, but it needs adjustments.
No es un problema, sino una oportunidad. – It is not a problem, but an opportunity.
Queremos ayudar, pero necesitamos más información. – We want to help, but we need more information.
No visitamos Madrid, sino Barcelona. – We did not visit Madrid, but Barcelona.
El informe es claro, pero requiere más datos. – The report is clear, but it requires more data.
In this module, you learned the difference between pero and sino. Pero introduces contrast between two ideas, while sino corrects or replaces a previous negative statement. Recognizing this difference will help you express contrasts and corrections more accurately in Spanish.