- 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
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PrepositionsIntermediate
Conjunctions: Y, O, Pero, Sino, Ni...Ni
Connect words and sentences with y, o, pero, sino, ni
What You'll Learn
Overview
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
or
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
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:
aguja e hilo
needle and thread (hilo sounds like "ilo")
mujeres u hombres
women or men (hombres sounds like "ombres")
Quick Test
Test your knowledge of Spanish coordinating conjunctions!
1. Complete: pan ___ mantequilla (bread and butter)
2. Complete: madre ___ hija (mother and daughter)
3. Complete: café ___ té (coffee or tea)
4. Complete: siete ___ ocho (seven or eight)
5. Complete: Es caro, ___ me gusta (It's expensive, but I like it)
6. Complete: No es rojo, ___ azul (It's not red, but blue)
7. Complete: No estudia, ___ trabaja (He doesn't study, but rather works)
8. Complete: ___ tengo hambre ___ sed (I'm neither hungry nor thirsty)