Sentence StructureintermediateCEFR B1

Conjunctions: Y, O, Pero, Sino

What You'll Learn

Master y (and) and when to change it to e before i-/hi- sounds
Understand o (or) and when to change it to u before o-/ho- sounds
Distinguish between pero and sino (both mean "but")
Use ni...ni constructions (neither...nor)
Build longer, more complex sentences by linking ideas with conjunctions

Overview / Usage

Conjunctions are the glue that holds sentences together. They connect words, phrases, and clauses to build longer, more sophisticated sentences. Spanish coordinating conjunctions link elements of equal grammatical importance.

🔗 The Five Main Coordinating Conjunctions

y / e

and

pan y agua

bread and water

o / u

café o té

coffee or tea

pero

but (however)

rico pero triste

rich but sad

sino

but (rather)

no es rico sino pobre

he's not rich but poor

ni...ni

neither...nor

ni café ni té

neither coffee nor tea

These conjunctions allow you to express addition, alternatives, contrast, and negation - essential skills for moving beyond simple sentences into more natural, flowing Spanish.

Structure & Formation

🟢 Part 1: Y → E (And)

The conjunction y means "and" and connects words, phrases, or clauses. However, when the next word starts with the sound i- or hi-, change y to e to avoid awkward repetition of the "ee" sound.

Regular Use: Y

pan y mantequilla

bread and butter

tú y yo

you and I

rápido y eficiente

fast and efficient

día y noche

day and night

Carlos y María

Carlos and María

vino y queso

wine and cheese

⚠️ Change Y → E before I- or HI- sounds

When the following word starts with i- or hi- (the h is silent), use e instead:

padre e hijo

father and son

(hijo starts with hi-)

aguja e hilo

needle and thread

(hilo starts with hi-)

francés e inglés

French and English

(inglés starts with i-)

geografía e historia

geography and history

(historia starts with hi-)

mujeres e hijos

women and children

(hijos starts with hi-)

cobre e hierro

copper and iron

(hierro starts with hie-)

Important Exception:

If the word starts with hie- in a diphthong (like "hielo"), you still use e:
agua e hielo (water and ice)

🔵 Part 2: O → U (Or)

The conjunction o means "or" and presents alternatives. When the next word starts with o- or ho-, change o to u to avoid confusion.

Regular Use: O

café o té

coffee or tea

blanco o negro

white or black

sí o no

yes or no

grande o pequeño

big or small

ahora o nunca

now or never

vino o cerveza

wine or beer

⚠️ Change O → U before O- or HO- sounds

When the following word starts with o- or ho-, use u instead:

siete u ocho

seven or eight

(ocho starts with o-)

mujeres u hombres

women or men

(hombres starts with ho-)

plata u oro

silver or gold

(oro starts with o-)

minutos u horas

minutes or hours

(horas starts with ho-)

ayer u hoy

yesterday or today

(hoy starts with ho-)

contenido u objetivo

content or objective

(objetivo starts with o-)

🔴 Part 3: PERO vs SINO (But)

Both pero and sino mean "but," but they're used in very different ways. This is one of the trickiest distinctions for English speakers!

✅ PERO (but / however)

Use pero when you're adding contrasting information. The first part can be positive or negative. Think of it as "however" or "yet."

Pattern: [Statement 1] + pero + [Contrasting Statement 2]

Es rico, pero no es feliz

He's rich, but he's not happy

Both statements stand independently

Quiero ir, pero no puedo

I want to go, but I cannot

Contrasting desires and abilities

Es pequeño, pero es fuerte

It's small, but it's strong

Positive contrast

No es perfecto, pero es bueno

It's not perfect, but it's good

First part negative, still contrasting

Estudia mucho, pero no aprueba

He studies a lot, but he doesn't pass

Effort vs result

⚡ SINO (but rather / but instead)

Use sino when you're correcting or replacing a negative statement with the true alternative. The first clause MUST be negative, and sino introduces what is true instead.

Pattern: [Negative Statement] + sino + [Correction/Replacement]

No es rico, sino pobre

He's not rich, but (rather) poor

Correcting: he IS poor

No es médico, sino abogado

He's not a doctor, but (rather) a lawyer

Replacing profession

No tengo dos hermanos, sino tres

I don't have two brothers, but (rather) three

Correcting the number

No estudia francés, sino español

She doesn't study French, but (rather) Spanish

Correcting which language

No vivo en Madrid, sino en Barcelona

I don't live in Madrid, but (rather) in Barcelona

Correcting location

SINO QUE:

When the correction includes a conjugated verb, use sino que instead:
No estudia, sino que trabajaHe doesn't study, but rather he works

🎯 Quick Decision Guide: PERO or SINO?

Use PERO when:

Adding contrasting info
First clause can be positive or negative
Means "however" or "yet"
Both parts can be true

Use SINO when:

Correcting/replacing info
First clause MUST be negative
Means "but rather" or "but instead"
Only the second part is true

🟣 Part 4: NI...NI (Neither...Nor)

The construction ni...ni expresses "neither...nor" and emphasizes the negation of both options. This creates a strong negative statement.

Basic Pattern: ni A ni B

Ni café ni té

Neither coffee nor tea

Ni tú ni yo

Neither you nor I

Ni grande ni pequeño

Neither big nor small

Ni rico ni pobre

Neither rich nor poor

Ni hoy ni mañana

Neither today nor tomorrow

In Complete Sentences

When using ni...ni in a sentence, remember that Spanish uses double negation. If the verb comes before ni...ni, you need no before the verb:

No quiero ni café ni té

I don't want coffee or tea (I want neither coffee nor tea)

"No" before verb + ni...ni

No tengo ni tiempo ni dinero

I have neither time nor money

Double negative construction

No es ni bueno ni malo

It's neither good nor bad

Rejecting both options

No habla ni inglés ni francés

He speaks neither English nor French

Negating both languages

Alternative: Ni at the start

If ni...ni comes before the verb, you don't need "no":
Ni María ni Juan vinieronNeither María nor Juan came

Examples

💬 Real-Life Conversation Examples

Using Y/E

Compré pan, queso y vino

I bought bread, cheese, and wine

Madre e hija fueron de compras

Mother and daughter went shopping

Es inteligente y trabajador

He is intelligent and hardworking

Ciencia e historia son mis clases favoritas

Science and history are my favorite classes

Using O/U

¿Prefieres té o café?

Do you prefer tea or coffee?

¿Vienes hoy u hoy?

Are you coming today or tomorrow?

Puedes pagar con tarjeta o efectivo

You can pay with card or cash

¿Son siete u ocho personas?

Is it seven or eight people?

Using PERO

Me gusta, pero es muy caro

I like it, but it's very expensive

Es tarde, pero todavía puedo ir

It's late, but I can still go

No es perfecto, pero funciona

It's not perfect, but it works

Hace frío, pero no llueve

It's cold, but it's not raining

Using SINO

No es azul, sino verde

It's not blue, but (rather) green

No voy a Paris, sino a Londres

I'm not going to Paris, but (rather) to London

No cuesta €10, sino €15

It doesn't cost €10, but (rather) €15

No llegó ayer, sino hoy

He didn't arrive yesterday, but (rather) today

Using NI...NI

No bebo ni café ni té

I drink neither coffee nor tea

No tengo ni hambre ni sed

I'm neither hungry nor thirsty

Ni tú ni yo sabemos la respuesta

Neither you nor I know the answer

No hace ni frío ni calor

It's neither cold nor hot

📖 Building Complex Sentences

Conjunctions help you express more sophisticated ideas by combining simple statements:

Quiero viajar a España u Holanda, pero no tengo ni tiempo ni dinero

I want to travel to Spain or Holland, but I have neither time nor money

Conjunctions used: u, pero, ni...ni

No es médico sino enfermero, pero trabaja en el mismo hospital

He's not a doctor but (rather) a nurse, but he works at the same hospital

Conjunctions used: sino, pero

María e Isabel estudian francés e inglés, pero ni María ni Isabel hablan alemán

María and Isabel study French and English, but neither María nor Isabel speak German

Conjunctions used: e, e, pero, ni...ni

Gotchas / Common Mistakes

🎵 Sound-Based Changes!

Remember: y→e and o→u changes are based on sound, not spelling:

padre e hijo

(h is silent, so "hijo" sounds like "ijo")

siete u ocho

(avoid "o ocho" - sounds awkward)

❌ SINO Needs Negative!

SINO can ONLY be used after a negative statement:

✗ Wrong:

Es rico sino feliz

✓ Correct:

No es rico sino pobre

He's not rich but poor

💡 SINO QUE with Verbs!

When correcting with a conjugated verb, add "que":

Without verb (just sino):

No es doctor sino abogado

He's not a doctor but a lawyer

With verb (sino que):

No estudia sino que trabaja

He doesn't study but rather works

🔄 Double Negative with NI...NI!

Spanish uses double negation - don't forget "no" before the verb:

✗ Wrong:

Quiero ni café ni té

✓ Correct:

No quiero ni café ni té

I don't want coffee or tea

📝 PERO vs SINO Quick Test!

Ask yourself: "Am I correcting/replacing?"

✓ NO = Use PERO:

Es pequeño, pero es cómodo

It's small, but it's comfortable

✓ YES = Use SINO:

No es pequeño, sino grande

It's not small, but (rather) big

⚡ Watch the "HI-" Words!

Remember that H is silent in Spanish: