when do I use 'mas' and when do I use 'pero' for 'but'?

Question

'mas' or 'pero'? which to use ?

Welcome to the forum , please accept your first vote :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jan 8, 2012

Answer 1

Welcome to the forum - here's an answer I posted previously to the same question (sometimes doing a search through previously asked questions will turn up the info you're looking for )

Mas

Mas (without a written accent) is identical in meaning to pero, but it is archaic and mostly literary. When the accented más is used, it is an adverb meaning more.

Debía haberlo hecho, mas no pude. I should have done it, but I was unable to.

Pero

Pero is used to join two independent clauses. In a sentence where the first clause is affirmative, pero means but. In a sentence where the first clause is negative, pero means but or however.

Mi padre es viejo, pero fuerte. My father is old, but strong.

Jura que lo hará, pero no lo creo. He swears he will do it, but I don't believe it.

Also don't forget 'sino' another way to express 'but', this reference contained these thoughts

pero generally expresses "but (in spite of that)," and sino expresses "but (rather).

mas (not más) is rarely used nowadays.

I'd like to go but I don't think I'll be able to. Me gustaría ir pero/mas no creo que pueda.

It's not green, but blue. No es verde, sino azul.

I've lost everything but my old records. Lo he perdido todo, excepto mis discos antiguos.

Answer 2

What gringojrf wrote was ok but he needed to extend it.

Necesito más dinero pero no tengo trabajo.

I need more money but I don't have work (a job).

Necesito más dinero mas no tengo trabajo.

Both phrases are OK.

No Gringojrf was wrong. I had never heard of mas (no accent) before this thread. Sorry. - gringojrf, Jan 8, 2012

Answer 3

"Mas" (not to be confused with "más") and "pero" are basically the same. It's all a matter of preference. Use them as you like, because, as far as I know, there are no rules when it comes to when to use which.

Answer 4

mas vs pero

I am reading a series of ebooks translated into Spanish by a translator from Spain. The books were written between 1960 and 1985. He uses mas for pero quite often, so when they say that mas is an archaic or literary form, don't think of it as an Old English term that you aren't likely to run across. Mas is still alive and doing well.

Answer 5

Necesito más dinero pero no tengo trabajo.

I need more money but I don't have work (a job).

She's not talking about "más"; she means "mas," as in "but." - Naomi_Callas, Jan 8, 2012