Pero vs' Sino

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Pero vs. Sino
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• Pero is the word youve learned for but.
• But . . . theres another word for but sino.
• Theyre not interchangeable. Sino is used when
  the first part of the sentence is negative and
  the second part contradicts it
• We didnt go to the movies but to the concert.
• No fuimos al cine sino al concierto.
• They dont want the red car but the blue one.
• No quieren el coche rojo sino el azul.

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• Look at the two sentences you saw at the
  beginning
• We didnt go to the movies but to the concert.
• No fuimos al cine sino al concierto.
• They dont want the red car but the blue one.
• No quieren el coche rojo sino el azul.
• In both cases, but is followed by a phrase.
  What if its followed by a conjugated verb?
• He didnt eat lunch but read a book.
• You still use sino because you can still say
  but rather
• He didnt eat lunch but rather read a book.
• But since you have a conjugated verb, you have to
  put que in there
• No almorzó sino que leyó un libro.

4

• And thats it. Pretty straightforward. Just
  be on the lookout for a rather that can
  accompany but. If you can say but rather,
  use sino, not pero. And if theres a
  conjugated verb after it, throw in a que.

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• OK, thats the explanation you get in textbooks.
  But something that works is thinking of sino as
  but rather
• We didnt go to the movies but rather to the
  concert.
• No fuimos al cine sino al concierto.
• They dont want the red car but rather the blue
  one.
• No quieren el coche rojo sino el azul.

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• If you cant say but rather, then its pero
• I didnt want to go to the movies, but I went.
• I didnt want to go to the movies, but rather I
  went. ??????
• That doesnt make sense. So you say,
• No quería ir al cine, pero fui.

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