Pero and Sino p. 319 - Chapter 7 Realidades 3
Pero = but The word pero is usually the equivalent of the English conjunction but. Hace sol, pero también frío. It is sunny, but also cold. Quiero hablar con Pablo, pero no está en casa. I want to speak with Pablo, but he is not home.
Sino = but/but rather/ but on the contrary/just However, there is another word in Spanish, “sino”, that also means but. Sino is used after a negative, in order to offer the idea of an alternative: not this, but rather that. “Sino” is used when something is denied, and something else is affirmed.
Sino ejemplos 1. Ella no es fea, sino rara. She is not ugly, just/but rather weird. -Sino is used because you are denying that she is ugly, and offering an alternative to her oddity.
2. No voy a beber jugo de frutas, sino agua. Más sino 2. No voy a beber jugo de frutas, sino agua. I’m not going to drink fruit juice, but rather water. A negative statement is presented, and then followed with an alternative directly related to the first clause.
3. Yo no tengo dinero, sino deudas 3. Yo no tengo dinero, sino deudas. I don’t have money, just/but rather debt. You negate having money and affirm having debt. (an alternative to the first clause)
Sino también You can also use sino with no sólo…sino también… (not only…but also) Apareció no sólo el sol sino también la Luna.
Sino que You use sino que instead of sino when there is a conjugated verb in the second part of the sentence. No vendí mis libros, sino que los regalé.
Pero/ Sino/ Sino que/ Sino también 1. No salí a pasear, _________ me quedé en casa. (I didn’t go for a walk, but rather stayed in the house.) 2. Vino no sólo Paco, _________ Ana. (Not only Paco came, but also Ana.) 3. Necesito leer este cuento, ________ no tengo tiempo. (I need to read this story, but I don’t have time) 4. Esta leyenda no es fácil, _______ difícil.(This legend is not easy, but rather difficult.)