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A small bird singing cheerfully while standing in a gentle rain shower under a dark cloud.

obstante

obs-TAHN-teh

conjunctionB2
nevertheless?connecting two opposing ideas
Also:however?showing a contrast,nonetheless?despite what was just mentioned

📝 In Action

Hacía mucho frío; no obstante, salimos a caminar.

B1

It was very cold; nevertheless, we went out for a walk.

El examen fue difícil. No obstante, todos los alumnos aprobaron.

B1

The exam was difficult. However, all the students passed.

No obstante los problemas iniciales, el proyecto fue un éxito.

B2

Despite the initial problems, the project was a success.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sin embargo (however)
  • aunque (although)
  • empero (but / however (very formal))

Antonyms

  • además (furthermore / in addition)
  • por lo tanto (therefore)

Common Collocations

  • no obstante lo cual – despite which / nevertheless
  • no obstante lo anterior – notwithstanding the above

💡 Grammar Points

The Power of 'No'

Even though the dictionary entry is for 'obstante,' you will almost always use it with the word 'no' right before it. Think of 'no obstante' as one single block that means 'however.'

Using Punctuation

When you use this to connect two sentences, it's common to put a semicolon (;) before it and a comma (,) after it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'No'

Mistake: "Using 'obstante' by itself to mean 'however.'"

Correction: Always say 'no obstante' when you want to show a contrast between two ideas.

⭐ Usage Tips

Level Up Your Spanish

Using 'no obstante' instead of 'pero' (but) or 'sin embargo' (however) makes your Spanish sound much more sophisticated and professional.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: obstante

Question 1 of 2

Which of these is the most common way to see 'obstante' used in a sentence?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

obstar(to hinder / to stand in the way) - verb
obstáculo(obstacle) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'obstante' a verb?

Technically, it comes from the verb 'obstar' (to hinder), but in modern Spanish, it is almost exclusively used as a connector in the phrase 'no obstante.'

Can I use 'no obstante' at the beginning of a sentence?

Yes! Just like 'However' in English, you can start a new sentence with 'No obstante,' followed by a comma.