In carpentry (and in life!), everything has its pros and cons. When you want to make a balanced argument, you can acknowledge a drawback before presenting a benefit.
Structured Concession: "certes... mais"
To say "admittedly... but" or "to be sure... but", French uses the paired connectors certes and mais.
In everyday usage, certes is usually placed directly after the conjugated verb in the first clause. The second clause is then introduced by mais.
| The carpenter admittedly has talent, but he is slow. | Le menuisier a certes du talent, mais il est lent. |
| This solid walnut piece of furniture is admittedly beautiful, but it is expensive. | Ce meuble en noyer massif est certes beau, mais il coûte cher. |
| The varnish is admittedly pretty, but it does not protect against scratches. | Le vernis est certes joli, mais il ne protège pas contre les rayures. |
Emphasizing the Concession
For a slightly more formal tone or to put extra emphasis on your concession, you can also place certes at the very beginning of the sentence, followed by a comma.
| Admittedly, walnut is heavy, but it is resistant. | Certes, le noyer est lourd, mais il est résistant. |
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