Pero vs sino in Spanish: two ways to say but

Both pero and sino translate as “but”, but they do different jobs. Use pero to add a contrast, where both halves of the sentence are true: Es caro, pero me gusta. Use sino to correct a negative statement, replacing the wrong idea with the right one: No es caro, sino barato (not expensive, but rather cheap).

Quick test: if the sentence starts with a negative and you are swapping the negated idea for the correct one, use sino. In every other case — adding a limitation or a contrast where both facts stand — use pero.

Pero: adding a contrast

Use pero to add information that contrasts with or limits what came before. The two parts do not cancel each other out — both are true at the same time. It works after an affirmative or a negative statement.

Estoy cansado, pero voy a salir.
I’m tired, but I’m going to go out.

No tengo dinero, pero soy feliz.
I don’t have money, but I’m happy.

In both sentences the second clause adds a separate, equally valid fact. Nothing is being corrected, so pero is the right choice.

Sino: correcting a negative

Use sino after a negative statement to correct it: you reject one idea and put the right one in its place. The pattern is No + A, sino + B, where B replaces A.

No quiero té, sino café.
I don’t want tea, but rather coffee.

No es mi hermana, sino mi prima.
She’s not my sister, but my cousin.

The first clause must be negative, and sino introduces the single element that fixes it. Here the contrast is not “both are true” — it is “this one, not that one”.

Sino que before a verb

When the part after sino is a full clause with a conjugated verb, use sino que, not just sino.

No estudió, sino que durmió.
He didn’t study, but rather slept.

No lo perdimos, sino que lo regalamos.
We didn’t lose it, but rather gave it away.

The rule is mechanical: a conjugated verb follows, so sino que is required. With a single word or phrase (no café, sino té), plain sino is enough.

No solo… sino también

The pair no solo… sino también means “not only… but also”. It adds a second true element instead of correcting the first.

No solo es inteligente, sino también amable.
He’s not only intelligent, but also kind.

No solo habla español, sino también francés.
She not only speaks Spanish, but also French.

A short spelling note: sino written as one word is the conjunction above. Split into two words, si no means “if not / unless”: Ven, si no, me enfado (Come, if not, I’ll get annoyed). The same care with addition and negation shows up in también vs tampoco, where the agreeing word changes with the polarity of the sentence.

Common mistakes

Using pero to correct a negative

When a negative statement is being fixed, you need sino, not pero.

No es caro, pero barato. → No es caro, sino barato.
It’s not expensive, but cheap. (you are replacing “expensive” with “cheap”)

Using sino without a preceding negative

Sino only works after a negative. An affirmative clause takes pero.

Es caro, sino bonito. → Es caro, pero bonito.
It’s expensive, but pretty. (both facts are true, nothing is corrected)

Using sino instead of sino que before a verb

A conjugated verb after the contrast needs sino que.

No vino, sino llamó. → No vino, sino que llamó.
He didn’t come, but rather called. (a full verb clause follows)

Choosing the right “but” is a decision you make inside a real sentence, not in a list. Fluera gives you short Spanish sentences where you read the situation first — is it a contrast or a correction? — and then pick the form, so you can practice Spanish until the choice becomes automatic.

Practice