but [bʌt]
conjunction
1 (contrasting) pero
she was poor but she was honest era pobre pero honrada; I want to go but I can't afford it quiero ir, pero no tengo el dinero; but it does move! ¡pero sí se mueve!
2 (in direct contradiction) sino
he's not Spanish but Italian no es español sino italiano
he didn't sing but he shouted no cantó sino que gritó
adverb
(only) solo; sólo; solamente; (no more than) no más queIn the past the standard spelling for [solo] as an adverb was with an accent ([sólo]). Nowadays the [Real Academia Española] advises that the accented form is only required where there might otherwise be confusion with the adjective [solo].
if I could but speak to him si solamente or solo pudiese hablar con él
you can but try con intentar no se pierde nada
one cannot but admire him no se puede sino admirarle; she's but a child no es más que una niña
all but naked casi desnudo
had I but known de haberlo sabido (yo); si lo hubiera sabido
preposition
(except) menos; excepto; salvoanything but that cualquier cosa menos eso
everyone but him todos menos él
but for you si no fuera por ti
the last but one el/la penúltimoapenúltima;a penúltima
the last but three el tercero antes del último
there is nothing for it but to pay up no hay más remedio que pagar
who but she could have said something like that? ¿quién sino ella podría haber dicho semejante cosa?
noun
pero (m); objeción (f)no buts about it! ¡no hay pero que valga!
come on, no buts, off to bed with you! ¡vale ya! no hay pero que valga, ¡a la cama!
There are three main ways of translating the conjunction but: pero, sino and sino que.
ContrastingTo introduce a contrast or a new idea, use pero:
Strange but interesting Extraño pero interesante
I thought he would help me but he refused Creí que me ayudaría, pero se negó
In informal language, pero can be used at the start of a comment:
But where are you going to put it? Pero ¿dónde lo vas a poner?
In formal language, sin embargo or no obstante may be preferred:
But, in spite of the likely benefits, he still opposed the idea Sin embargo or No obstante, a pesar de las probables ventajas, todavía se oponía a la idea
Correcting a previous negativeWhen but or but rather introduces a noun phrase, prepositional phrase or verb in the infinitive which corrects a previous negative, translate but using sino:
Not wine, but vinegar No vino, sino vinagre
They aren't from Seville, but from Bilbao No son de Sevilla, sino de Bilbao
His trip to London was not to investigate the case but to hush it up Su viaje a Londres no fue para investigar el caso sino para taparlo
When but or but rather introduces a verb clause (or requires a verb clause in Spanish) which corrects a previous negative, translate using sino que:
He's not asking you to do what he says but (rather) to listen to him No te pide que hagas lo que él dice, sino que le escuches
Not only ... but alsoWhen the but also part of this construction contains subject + verb, translate using no solo or no sólo or no solamente ... sino que también or sino que además:
It will not only cause tension, but it will also damage the economy No solo or No sólo or No solamente provocará tensiones, sino que además or sino que también dañará la economía
When the but also part does not contain subject + verb, translate using no solo or no sólo or no solamente ... sino también or sino además:
Not only rich but also powerful No solo or No sólo or No solamente rico sino también or sino además poderoso
We don't only want to negotiate but also to take decisions No queremos solo or sóloor solamente negociar, sino también tomar decisiones