Pero and sino: contrast and correction in Spanish

The idea

Use pero for contrast; after a negation use sino for a replacement, or sino que before a conjugated verb.

Examples

• Estoy cansada, pero trabajo.I am tired, but I am working.
• No es té, sino café.It is not tea, but coffee.
• Ella no trabaja, sino que estudia.She does not work; rather, she studies.
• La habitación es pequeña, pero luminosa.The room is small, but bright.
• No quedamos el lunes, sino el martes.We do not meet on Monday, but on Tuesday.
• Él no llamó, sino que escribió.He did not call; rather, he wrote.

Watch out

Not every negative sentence needs sino: use pero when the second part contrasts without replacing the first.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the connector for a contrast, not a replacement. Estoy cansada, ___ trabajo. (pero / sino)

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   pero

   Pero adds a contrast: being tired does not rule out working.

2. Choose the connector replacing the rejected drink. No es té, ___ café. (sino / pero)

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   sino

   Sino replaces tea with coffee after the explicit negation.

3. Choose the connector before the conjugated replacement verb. Ella no trabaja, ___ estudia. (sino que / pero)

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   sino que

   Sino que introduces the conjugated replacement verb estudia.

Use it today

Choose the connector that expresses the stated relation, and include que when the correction contains a finite verb.