Contrastive conjunctions (oysa, halbuki)

"Whereas" and "But in fact" (oysa)

Use oysa to contrast an expectation with reality. It translates to "whereas" or "but in fact" and usually bridges two clauses to introduce a surprising truth.

You think this problem is difficult, whereas the solution is very simple.
Sen bu problemi zor sanıyorsun, oysa çözüm çok basit.
At the beginning, everything seems difficult, whereas reality is very different.
Başlangıçta her şey zor görünüyor, oysa gerçeklik çok farklı.

"However" (halbuki)

Another common conjunction for highlighting a contradiction is halbuki. For most everyday situations, it is completely interchangeable with oysa.

He seems rich, however he is very poor, because appearances are deceptive.
O zengin görünüyor, halbuki çok fakir; çünkü görünüş aldatıcı.
The questions on the exam seem impossible, however, the answers are very easy.
Sınavdaki sorular imkânsız görünüyor, halbuki cevaplar çok kolay.

"Nevertheless" (bununla birlikte)

To express "nevertheless," use bununla birlikte (literally, "together with this"). While oysa and halbuki usually link two clauses, bununla birlikte typically starts a brand-new sentence, acknowledging the previous statement before offering a contrasting thought.

At the beginning, the film seems very boring. Nevertheless, the story is wonderful.
Başlangıçta film çok sıkıcı görünüyor. Bununla birlikte, hikâye harika.
The weather is very bad today. Nevertheless, taking a walk is not impossible.
Bugün hava çok kötü. Bununla birlikte, yürüyüş yapmak imkânsız değil.