pero/sino/sino que - otra vez

Question

Tengo un problema con una de las preguntas para mis deberes.

Necesito elegir entre 'pero', 'sino', y 'sino que' por ésta frase: No tiene ninguna hija, [pero/sino/sino que] tiene cinco nietas preciosas.

Desde mi punto de vista, no es posible decir cuál es correcta, sin saber cómo la persona siente sobre el asunto.

Si la persona siente bueno que no tenga hijas porque en lugar de hijas tenga nietas, casi en una forma de premio de consolación, entonces elegiría 'pero'.

Si la frase simplemente quiere corregir la declaración, sin contento emocional, creo que elegería 'sino que'.

No estoy seguro de hay suficiente información en la pregunta para responderla - excepto, quizá, el uso de la palabra 'precosias' podría ser una pista que 'pero' es mejor.

Qué piensas?

Martyn.

• Great question Martyn. Thanks for asking it. - Izanoni1 Sep 6, 2009

Answer 1

With "pero" (to link sentences)

El no tiene una hija pero tiene cinco nietas preciosas.

With "sino que" (to link sentences)

El no tiene una hija sino que tiene cinco nietas preciosas. As I said to you, in this case, "tiene" is repetitive and unnecessary. Then it cannot be the correct sentence.

With "sino" (BUT)

El no tiene una hija sino cinco nietas preciosas.

• Excellent examples. - webdunce Sep 6, 2009
• Very instructive. - webdunce Sep 6, 2009
• And, it looks like Martyn may freely choose between pero (if he repeats the verb) and sino (no que, and only if he doesn't repeat the verb). Sino que appears not to be an option. - webdunce Sep 6, 2009
• This gets all the more intriguing... The person teaching me said I must use 'sino que' if the following word is a verb, which of course it is in this case. I am roundly confused! - Martyn Sep 6, 2009

Answer 2

Hi Martyn,

under my point of view only an answer is possible: pero.

This sentence can mean the same as: although he doesn't have any daughter, he has five pretty grandaughters.

Answer 3

Hola Martyn...why don't you just go for the most simple phrasing that correctly describes the situation? John Madden always says things in the most simple of ways, and it doesn't seem to have hurt his career one bit. Matter of fact, he became quite famous as a result of his ability to communicate very complex things in a very simple manner. So just think of communicating. The rest will fall into place.

• Thank you. If the sentence contained an idea of my own, I'd agree - however the sentence is conveying someone else's idea, and I can't be sure what that idea is, thus the confusion. - Martyn Sep 6, 2009

Answer 4

The only problem is that I cannot explain why we can repeat "tiene" when we use "pero" and why we don't get used to repeating the verb with "sino que". Is there a reason for that? I don't know.

I have a link that, perhaps, can help you.

http://www.bowdoin.edu/~eyepes/newgr/pero.htm

You can see this type of information:

"Sino" versus "sino que"

• Sino follows a negation and means something like "but on the contrary" or "but rather" : No es tonto, sino demasiado inteligente.He is not dumb, but (rather) too intelligent.

• The Spanish equivalent of "not only...but (also)" is no solo ... sino (también): El sistema no solo es eficaz, sino también agradable. The system is not only efficient, but also nice.

• The relative que must be used when sino introduces a clause with a conjugated verb:

No solo cantaron, sino que bailaron. No salí, sino que me quedé en casa. Not only did they listen to music, but they also danced. I did not go out, but (instead) I stayed home.

---

"pero" versus "sino"

The most common equivalent of "but" is pero: Hacía sol, pero también frío.It was sunny, but it was cold, too.

• Sino follows a negation and means something like "but on the contrary" or "but instead":

No use "pero", sino "sino". No es tonto, sino demasiado inteligente. Don't use pero, but sino instead. He is not stupid, but (rather) too intelligent.

• When the second phrase does not exclude the first, pero is used: No es alemán, pero habla bien el idioma.He is not German, but he speaks the language well.

---

• Thank you for going to so much trouble to help me - but it seems to me, the sticking point remains not knowing how the person feels about the situation. - Martyn Sep 6, 2009

Answer 5

I'll go out on a limb and suggest that it depends on whose statement is being negated. If A says "I don't have daughters but I do have granddaughters", it's "pero" in Spanish. However if A says "You have daughters, don't you?" B would/could reply "I don't have daughters but, rather, granddaughters ("sino") or "I don't have daughters but I do have granddaughters (pero si tengo). The use of "rather" in English is a bit tricky; it's possible for A to use "rather" in the first example but it's not common. Normally "rather" is used when one wishes to emphasize the distinction/disagreement with someone else's statement.

• I think that the subjectivity of the statement was the author's original premise. - qfreed Sep 7, 2009

Answer 6

In Spainish, we say: él no tiene una hija sino cinco nietas preciosas.

¿What happens in this sentence?. It is unnecessary to say again: él tiene Then, we cannot say: él no tiene una hija sino tiene cinco nietas preciosas. In fact, as it is the same verb, you don't need to repeat it.

We cannot say either: él no tiene una hija sino que tiene cinco nietas preciosas. The fact is that behind "sino que" it is NECESSARY to use a verb. And as I said you before, it is completely unnecessary.

I hope this can be useful for you.

• Thank you. I appreciate your point in principle, but I'm stuck with the sentence the question setter used - my only choice in this particular instance is whether to use per/sino/sino que. - Martyn Sep 6, 2009
• Very helpful, Nila. you have explained this beautifully. - Izanoni1 Sep 6, 2009

Answer 7

I agree with your reasoning, but since homework problems usually only try to demonstrate the basics, I'd go with "sino que" since the principle of negating or contradicting the first negative clause exists. Homework problems rarely stand up to over-analysis.

• Thank you for following my reasoning - at the moment I'm inclined to go with 'pero', but I may well have changed my mind (again) in five minutes' time! - Martyn Sep 6, 2009

Answer 8

I know how I am going to explain. BUT=sino.

When we say "sino que" - this "que" it is used to link a sentence. It is similar to the use of "que". That is the door which I like. This "que" is useful for linking and explaining the previous sentence.

Answer 9

I am not sure that you must study this matter under the point of view of person's feelings about the situation. All the information I copy from the Internet has another view.

Look at this:

Pero (but) usually follows an affirmative expression, but may follow a negative statement if the verb of the first clause is repeated, or if another verb follows.

Bebe leche pero no bebe café. He drinks milk, but he does not drink coffee.

Sino (but) is only used in negative sentences of contrasting statements when the verb of the first clause is understood but not repeated.

No bebe café sino leche. He does not drink coffee, but milk.

• Sorry. What a silly mistake! But I have just corrected it. I meant: I am not sure .... - nila45 Sep 7, 2009
• Thanks for staying with this! Are you saying that because 'tiene' is repeated, that drives the choice toward 'pero'? - Martyn Sep 7, 2009

Answer 10

Hi Martyn,

It might help to keep in mind that sino que means "except that" or "but that", which really doesn't make sense in your sentence in question.

I think sino que would be used in sentences like: I would go with you except that (sino que) I must stay home and study.

Honestly, I think pero is the clear choice here.

Answer 11

Para mí está claro que debe ser pero, igual que para Nila, como vemos.

No tiene hijas pero (sí) tiene varias nietas, es decir que las niñas las tienen sus hijos varones. Con sino sería absurdo, como hacer una elección entre hijas y nietas.

Answer 12

Muchas gracias a todo por toda su ayuda.

Answer 13

Well I always thought the negative statement was followed by "sino" therefore after "no tiene", "sino" is used for but.

Answer 14

I would explain "pero" like this:

clause 1 (positive aspect) clause 2. (negative aspect)

She is pretty but she is not nice. You need to use the verb again to stress this second aspect. (You are contrasting a positive aspect with a negative aspect)

clause 1 (negative aspect) clause 2 (positive aspect)

She hasn't got any daughters but she does she have some pretty grandaughters. You need to use the verb again to stress this second aspect. (You are contrasting a negative aspect with a positive aspect).

I would explain "pero" as "despite of that".

Answer 15

I would explain “sino” or “sino que” like this:

Both of them mean “instead of that” or “on the contrary” however “sino” is not used to link two sentences.

She isn’t beautiful but pretty. Ella no es hermosa sino guapa. (Instead of being beautiful, she is pretty).

She isn’t beautiful but she is pretty. (Sino que: Instead of that/on the contrary). Ella no es hermosa sino que es guapa. (This case is not correct, because we cannot repeat the verb). Although it can have the meaning of “instead of being beautiful, she is pretty).

And remember: She isn’t beautiful but she is pretty. (Pero: despite of that). Ella no es hermosa pero es guapa. (This case is correct). Despite of not being beautiful, she is pretty.

Other examples with "sino que"

no vino, sino que llamó he didn’t come, he telephoned; Instead of that

no nos ayudó, sino todo lo contrario, … he didn’t help us, quite the opposite o on the contrary, …