English has one word for contrast: but. Spanish has two: pero and sino — and they are not interchangeable. The split is one of the cleanest in Spanish grammar, but English speakers default to pero everywhere because that is what their instinct provides. Getting sino right is one of the fastest ways to sound less like a learner.
The rule, in a single sentence: pero adds a contrast that doesn't cancel the first idea; sino replaces a negated first idea with a corrective one. Es alto pero no juega al baloncesto (he's tall but he doesn't play basketball — both true) vs No es alto, sino bajo (he's not tall — he's short, the second replaces the first).
This page covers the cardinal pero / sino distinction, the variant sino que before a conjugated verb, the related no sólo... sino también construction, and the subtle cases where speakers debate which one fits.
Pero — additive contrast
Pero introduces a contrast that leaves the first idea standing. Both parts of the sentence are true; the second adds something that limits, qualifies, or surprises against the first.
Es alto pero no juega al baloncesto.
He's tall but he doesn't play basketball. — both are true: he is tall AND he doesn't play basketball.
Hace frío pero no quiero quedarme en casa todo el domingo.
It's cold but I don't want to stay home all Sunday. — the cold is real, AND I still want to go out.
Me gusta la paella, pero la prefiero sin marisco, soy alérgica.
I like paella, but I prefer it without seafood — I'm allergic.
The structure is statement A, pero statement B. The two statements coexist; B doesn't undo A. Pero is the everyday word for but in all its standard contrastive senses, and it works after both affirmative and negative first clauses.
Pero after a negation — when both ideas still stand
This is the place where pero and sino might look interchangeable but aren't. After a negation, pero is used when the second part adds information rather than replacing the negated content.
No tengo coche, pero puedo llevarte en bici si no es lejos.
I don't have a car, but I can take you on the bike if it's not far. — second part adds an alternative, doesn't replace 'I don't have a car'.
No me gusta el café, pero me lo bebo si no hay otra cosa por las mañanas.
I don't like coffee, but I drink it if there's nothing else in the morning. — both true: I don't like it AND I drink it anyway.
No conozco a tu hermano, pero he oído hablar mucho de él.
I don't know your brother, but I've heard a lot about him.
In all three sentences, the second clause does not contradict or correct the first — it simply adds something. The first part (negation) stays valid throughout.
Sino — corrective contrast
Sino introduces a corrective contrast — the second element replaces the first, which was negated. The structure is rigid: no A, sino B, where the speaker rejects A and immediately offers B as the correct alternative.
No es alto, sino bajo.
He's not tall — he's short. — the second part replaces 'tall' with 'short'.
No quiero café, sino té, por favor.
I don't want coffee but rather tea, please.
No vino el lunes, sino el martes por la tarde.
He didn't come on Monday — he came on Tuesday afternoon.
In each case, the negated element and the sino element are parallel — they belong to the same category (an adjective replacing an adjective, a noun replacing a noun, a day replacing a day) and they are incompatible in the same slot. If A is true, B is false, and vice versa.
The English translation often reaches for but rather or but instead to capture the corrective force. In conversation, English speakers often just use but: he's not tall — he's short. The grammatical force is the same; Spanish just marks it with a separate word.
The diagnostic test
When in doubt, ask: can both parts be true at the same time?
- Yes → pero. (He's tall but he doesn't play basketball — both true.)
- No, the second replaces the first → sino. (He's not tall — he's short — only one can be true.)
A second test: does the second part contain the same kind of element that the first negated? If yes (noun replaces noun, adjective replaces adjective, day replaces day), it's almost always sino.
| Sentence type | Connector | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative + contrast | pero | Es alto pero no juega al baloncesto. |
| Negation + added info (both true) | pero | No tengo coche, pero puedo llevarte en bici. |
| Negation + correction (replaces) | sino | No es alto, sino bajo. |
| Correction with full clause (with verb) | sino que | No estudia, sino que trabaja. |
Sino que — when the second part has its own verb
If the second part contains a conjugated verb of its own — that is, it's a full clause, not just a noun or an adjective — Spanish uses sino que instead of plain sino.
No estudia, sino que trabaja en una agencia de viajes desde junio.
He doesn't study — rather, he works at a travel agency since June.
No me lo dijo directamente, sino que me lo dio a entender con un gesto.
He didn't say it to me directly — rather, he made me understand it with a gesture.
No vamos a quedarnos en Madrid este verano, sino que vamos a alquilar una casa en la playa.
We're not going to stay in Madrid this summer — we're going to rent a beach house instead.
The reasoning: sino alone joins two parallel elements within a single clause structure. When the corrective alternative needs its own verb, the que signals "here begins a new clause." Without que, the sentence would be ungrammatical.
The test is straightforward: if there's a conjugated verb on the right side of the contrast, use sino que; if there's just a noun, adjective, or adverb, use sino.
No es médico, sino enfermero.
He's not a doctor — he's a nurse. — single noun, sino alone.
No es médico, sino que estudia para serlo.
He's not a doctor — he's studying to become one. — full clause, sino que.
No sólo... sino también... — "not only... but also..."
A high-frequency variant of the sino family. The structure no sólo A sino también B (or no sólo A sino B también) expresses not only A but also B — both elements are affirmed, with the second adding to rather than replacing the first.
No sólo cocina muy bien, sino que también canta de maravilla.
Not only does he cook very well, but he also sings wonderfully.
Esta novela no sólo es entretenida, sino también muy bien escrita.
This novel is not only entertaining but also very well written.
No sólo vinieron mis padres, sino también mis tíos y mis primos del norte.
Not only did my parents come, but so did my aunts, uncles and cousins from the north.
Even though the structure starts with no, this is not a corrective contrast. No sólo... sino... is an idiomatic chunk that means both A and B, and what's more, B might be unexpected. Both elements remain true.
The variants you'll see:
- no sólo A sino B (most condensed)
- no sólo A sino también B (the most common)
- no sólo A sino que también B (when B is a full clause)
- no solamente A sino también B (slightly more formal solamente in place of sólo)
No solamente me llamó, sino que vino a mi casa a disculparse personalmente.
Not only did he call me — he came to my house to apologize in person.
Cases where both pero and sino might seem possible
A handful of sentence patterns trip learners up. Here are the trickiest:
After negation, with an unrelated addition
If the negation in the first clause is just incidental — that is, the second clause doesn't address the same proposition — use pero.
No tengo hambre, pero te acompaño a cenar.
I'm not hungry, but I'll come along to dinner. — pero, because 'come along' isn't the parallel/corrective of 'hungry'.
No es muy guapo, pero tiene un sentido del humor que se le perdona todo.
He's not very good-looking, but he has a sense of humour that makes up for everything.
In both, the second clause is adding information, not correcting the negated content. Sino would be wrong because te acompaño a cenar is not the corrective alternative to "I'm not hungry."
When the contrast involves antonyms — sino
When the second element is the antonym or the direct alternative to the negated first element, sino is the only correct choice.
No es difícil, sino fácil.
It's not difficult — it's easy. — fácil is the antonym of difícil, sino is mandatory.
No fue ayer, sino anteayer.
It wasn't yesterday — it was the day before yesterday.
No lo hizo él, sino su hermano.
He didn't do it — his brother did. — su hermano replaces él as the subject.
When emphasis on parallel categories matters
The sino pattern always preserves a parallel between the negated and the corrected element. They occupy the same grammatical slot.
El problema no es el dinero, sino el tiempo.
The problem isn't money — it's time. — el dinero and el tiempo are both noun subjects of es.
No actúa por interés, sino por convicción.
He doesn't act out of self-interest — he acts out of conviction. — por interés / por convicción, parallel prepositional phrases.
Mas — the literary variant of pero
A historical note worth mentioning: in older or literary Spanish, mas (with no accent — distinct from más with accent, meaning more) is used as a synonym of pero. It survives in literature, formal essays, and song lyrics, but is archaic in everyday speech.
Quise hablarle, mas no encontré las palabras. (literary/archaic)
I wanted to speak to him, but I couldn't find the words.
You should be able to recognize it but don't need to use it. In conversation, mas would sound jarringly antique. Don't confuse it with más — the accent is the only thing distinguishing them, and the meanings are unrelated.
Common Mistakes
❌ No es alto pero bajo.
Incorrect — after a negation, when the second element corrects the first, use sino, not pero. Bajo is the corrective alternative to alto.
✅ No es alto, sino bajo.
He's not tall — he's short.
❌ No estudia, sino trabaja en una agencia de viajes.
Incorrect — the second part contains a conjugated verb (trabaja), so it needs sino que, not plain sino.
✅ No estudia, sino que trabaja en una agencia de viajes.
He doesn't study — rather, he works at a travel agency.
❌ Me gusta la paella, sino la prefiero sin marisco.
Incorrect — the first clause is affirmative (me gusta...), so sino is impossible. Use pero.
✅ Me gusta la paella, pero la prefiero sin marisco.
I like paella, but I prefer it without seafood.
❌ No tengo coche, sino puedo llevarte en bici.
Incorrect — 'I can take you on the bike' isn't the corrective alternative to 'I don't have a car' — it's additional information. Use pero.
✅ No tengo coche, pero puedo llevarte en bici.
I don't have a car, but I can take you on the bike.
❌ No solo cocina bien, pero también canta de maravilla.
Incorrect — the fixed expression is no sólo... sino (también), not no sólo... pero. Pero breaks the construction.
✅ No sólo cocina bien, sino que también canta de maravilla.
Not only does he cook well, but he also sings wonderfully.
Key takeaways
- Spanish splits English but into two words: pero for additive contrast (both ideas still stand) and sino for corrective contrast (the second replaces a negated first).
- The diagnostic test: can both parts be true at the same time? Yes → pero. No, the second corrects the first → sino.
- Sino requires a preceding negation and parallel categories (noun replaces noun, adjective replaces adjective): no es alto, sino bajo / no quiero café, sino té.
- When the corrective part contains a conjugated verb, use sino que: no estudia, sino que trabaja.
- After a negation, pero is still correct if the second part adds information rather than replacing the negated content: no tengo coche, pero puedo llevarte en bici.
- No sólo... sino (también)... ("not only... but also...") is a fixed expression that uses sino even though both parts are affirmed — it's an idiomatic chunk to learn as a unit.
- Mas (without accent) is a literary/archaic synonym of pero. Recognize it; don't use it in conversation.
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