How to Say "but" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “but” is “pero” — use 'pero' to show a direct contrast or contradiction between two ideas or clauses, functioning as the most common equivalent of 'but'..
pero
/peh-roh//'pe.ɾo/
Examples
Me gusta el chocolate, pero no puedo comerlo ahora.
I like chocolate, but I can't eat it now.
La película es buena, pero un poco larga.
The movie is good, but a little long.
Quería salir, pero empezó a llover.
I wanted to go out, but it started to rain.
The Bridge Between Ideas
'Pero' works like a bridge to connect two parts of a sentence. The second part usually adds a contrast, a problem, or an unexpected piece of information to the first part.
Confusing 'Pero' and 'Sino'
Mistake: “No es un perro, pero un gato.”
Correction: No es un perro, sino un gato. (It's not a dog, but rather a cat.) Use 'sino' right after a 'not this...' statement to correct it with a '...but this instead.' Use 'pero' for almost all other 'but' situations, like: 'Es un perro, pero es muy pequeño.' (It's a dog, but it's very small.)
excepto
/eks-SEP-toh//ekˈsepto/
Examples
Todos vinieron a la fiesta, excepto Juan.
Everyone came to the party, except Juan.
Trabajo todos los días excepto los domingos.
I work every day except on Sundays.
La tienda está abierta siempre, excepto cuando es feriado.
The store is always open, except when it's a holiday.
Excluding Something from a Group
Use 'excepto' to single out the one thing that is different from the rest of the group. It works just like 'except' in English. Just put it before the thing you want to exclude.
Using 'Excepto que' for Situations
When you want to talk about an exceptional situation (not just a thing), you can use 'excepto que'. This often means 'unless'. For example, 'Saldremos a caminar, excepto que llueva' (We'll go for a walk, unless it rains).
'Excepto' vs. 'Menos'
Mistake: “Not knowing that 'menos' can also mean 'except'.”
Correction: 'Todos vinieron excepto María' and 'Todos vinieron menos María' mean the same thing. They are often interchangeable, so don't worry too much about picking the 'wrong' one. 'Excepto' can feel slightly more formal.
menos
/MEH-nohs//ˈme.nos/
Examples
Todos mis amigos vienen a la fiesta, menos Ricardo.
All my friends are coming to the party, except Ricardo.
Puedes comer de todo, menos los pasteles.
You can eat everything, except the cakes.
Trabajo todos los días menos los domingos.
I work every day except Sundays.
mas
/mahs//mas/
Examples
Quiso ayudar, mas no tenía los medios.
He wanted to help, but he didn't have the means.
Es un camino largo y difícil, mas la recompensa es grande.
It is a long and difficult path, yet the reward is great.
Le advertí del peligro, mas no me escuchó.
I warned him of the danger, but he didn't listen to me.
A Formal or Literary 'But'
Think of 'mas' as a fancy, old-fashioned way to say 'but'. It does the same job as 'pero': it connects two ideas that contrast with each other. You put it between the two contrasting parts of the sentence.
The Accent Mark is Everything!
Mistake: “Me gusta el café, mas sin azúcar.”
Correction: This is technically correct, but very unusual in conversation. Most importantly, do NOT confuse it with 'más'. For example, if you want 'more coffee', saying 'Quiero mas café' is wrong. You MUST say 'Quiero más café'.
Choosing between 'pero', 'excepto', and 'menos'
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