The easiest way to say “but” in Spanish is pero. However, depending on what you want to say, you might need to choose sino or sino que instead.
Learn the difference between these three words for “but” and how to use them. Plus, a few more options for when you mean “except.” Mastering how to say “but” in Spanish will help you write more sophisticated sentences and hold more complex conversations.
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Pero
The most common translation for “but” is pero. Use pero similarly to the English conjunction—to link contrasting ideas.
- Quiero cenar, pero es demasiado temprano. = I want to eat dinner, but it’s too early.
- Me gustaría tener una mascota, pero tengo alergias. = I would like to have a pet, but I have allergies.
- A mi padre le gusta la música, pero no toca ningún instrumento. = My father likes music, but he doesn’t play any instruments.
Remember to spell pero with only one “r” and pronounce it correctly, or you’ll accidentally be saying perro (dog).
- Quiero adoptar un perro, pero no está permitido en mi apartamento. = I want to adopt a dog, but it’s not allowed in my apartment.
Rosetta Stone helps you pronounce Spanish words accurately from day one, so you’ll avoid any misunderstandings. The TruAccent speech recognition engine can help you refine the differences in pronunciation between one “r” and two.
Use pero for emphasis
Make your feelings clear with pero. Consider the difference between ¿por qué? (why?) and ¿pero por qué? (but why?) in Spanish. One is just a simple question word in Spanish, while the other carries more emotion. You can add a tone, such as disapproval or surprise, to an otherwise ordinary sentence this way.
- ¡Pero si ya comiste! = But you already ate!
- ¡Pero no quiero irme a la cama! = But I don’t want to go to bed!
- ¡Pero qué guapa estás! = Wow, how pretty you look!
The Spanish upside-down exclamation point adds to the emphasis when you’re writing.
Sino
This word for “but” in Spanish works differently than pero. Sino translates to “but rather.” Use it to contradict or correct the previous idea.
- No es inglesa sino canadiense. = She’s not English, but rather Canadian.
- Yo no enseño en una escuela, sino en una empresa. = I don’t teach in a school, but rather in a business.
- Buddy no es un perro, sino un gato. = Buddy isn’t a dog, but rather a cat.
- No solo hablo español sino francés y inglés también. = I don’t only speak Spanish but also French and English.
Sino que
Use sino que (but rather) when you want to say “but rather” before a conjugated verb in Spanish.
- No camina a la escuela, sino que anda en patineta. = He doesn’t walk to school, but rather he rides a skateboard.
- No escribió el libro sino que lo ilustró. = He didn’t write the book, but rather he illustrated it.
How to say ‘but’ to mean ‘except’ in Spanish
If you’ve packed everything “but” the kitchen sink, or if every person “but” one responded to your invitation, you’ll want to say “except” in Spanish. Some options for this way to say “but” in Spanish are:
| Spanish | Spanish Example | English Translation |
| excepto | Compré todos los ingredientes excepto el azafrán. | I bought all the ingredients but the saffron. |
| menos | Recibí todos los paquetes menos uno. | I received all of the packages but one. |
| salvo | Terminé todas las tareas salvo el lavado de ropa. | I finished all the tasks but the laundry. |
Useful Spanish conjunctions like pero
Pero is often one of the first Spanish conjunctions you’ll learn to link your ideas. It’s a great idea to learn a few more useful conjunctions so you can express your thoughts more fully in Spanish.
| Spanish Conjunction | English Meaning |
| así que | so/therefore |
| luego | then |
| mientras | while |
| o | or |
| pero | but |
| si | if |
| sin embargo | however/nevertheless/but |
| y | and |
Key takeaways about ‘but’ in Spanish
The conjunction “but” is simple to express in Spanish, but there’s more than one word for it. Always get it right with these tips.
- Use pero most of the time to show contrast between two ideas.
- Pero can help add emotion to your statement.
- If you’re correcting or contradicting, it’s not pero, but sino or sino que.
- If “but” means “except,” choose excepto, menos, or salvo.
- Conjunctions like sin embargo (however/but) can help you express sophisticated thoughts in Spanish.
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