кро́ме
króme
The English word "but" can be translated into Russian in several ways depending on whether you mean "except" or a conjunction used to show contrast. To express "except", the default form is кро́ме (króme). Wiktionary also lists лишь (lišʹ).
Meaning: except (conj)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| кро́ме | króme | |
| лишь | lišʹ | [lʲiʂ] (narrow) |
When you mean "except" (as in "everyone but him"), use кро́ме. If you are using "but" to mean "only" or "nothing but" (as in "nothing but a poet"), use лишь. Note that if you mean the conjunction "but" to connect contrasting ideas (as in "I wanted to go, but I stayed"), the common translations are но, однако or А.
Which one should you use?
Use кро́ме to mean "except". Use лишь when the English phrase means "only" or "nothing but". For the conjunction "but" used to show contrast, но is the most common, while однако is used in formal situations and А is common in informal speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
The preposition кро́ме requires the noun that follows it to be in the genitive case.
How do you pronounce it?
króme
Did you know?
- The word однако is a compound word that historically meant 'one and the same', evolving from a statement of equality to a word for contrast.
- The word лишь is actually a linguistic relative of the Old Russian word for 'bad' or 'evil'.
- In Russian, using а instead of но can change a sentence from a corrective statement to a simple comparison, which can make a speaker sound more polite or less confrontational.
Examples in context
- Он – всего лишь поэт.He is nothing but a poet.This sentence shows how to use лишь to mean "nothing but".Tatoeba #710659 by shanghainese, translation #293657 by Zifre
- Он всего лишь ребёнок.He is but a child.This sentence shows how to use лишь to mean "but" in the sense of "only".Tatoeba #418403 by Hellerick, translation #33043 by CM
- Это лишь чьи-то слова.It's nothing but hearsay.Tatoeba #13283835 by Ooneykcall, translation #13283828 by menaud
- Я хотел сходить в магазин, а он предложил пойти в кафе.I wanted to go to the store, but he suggested going to a cafe.
- 84 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Olga and Andrey are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- Ольга OlgaЧто ты хочешь на ужин?Chto ty khochesh na uzhin?What do you want for dinner?
- Андрей AndreyЯ ем всё, кро́ме рыбы.Ya yem vsyo, krome ryby.I eat everything except fish.
- Ольга OlgaТогда давай закажем пиццу.Togda davay zakazhem pitstsu.Then let's order pizza.
- Андрей AndreyОтличная идея, Ольга!Otlichnaya ideya, Ol'ga!Great idea, Olga!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “but” translations and entries лишь, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries лишь, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
