pero que
/peɾo ke/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "but that" is pero que.
This specific construction is most commonly used when reporting speech (indirect speech) or thoughts to clarify a contrast between two pieces of information being conveyed.
Which one should you use?
In English, the second "that" in "he said that… but that…" is often optional, whereas in Spanish, including que after pero is necessary to maintain the grammatical structure of the subordinate clause.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾo ke/
Did you know?
- In colloquial Spanish, pero que is often used as an intensifier in exclamations like ¡pero qué dices!, meaning 'what on earth are you saying!'
- The word pero evolved from the Late Latin phrase per hoc, which literally meant 'through this'.
- While pero expresses a contrast, using sino que instead of pero que is required when the first part of the sentence is negative and the second part contradicts it.
Examples in context
- Me dijo que me odiaba pero que necesitaba mi ayuda.He said that he hated me, but that he needed my help.Tatoeba #1020935 by Shishir, translation #9819360 by DJ_Saidez
- Tom soñó que había ganado el concurso, pero que su premio había sido robado.Tom dreamed that he had won the contest, but that his prize had been stolen.Tatoeba #4956006 by DarkHollow, translation #2811452 by Hybrid
- Dijo que tenía que ir a una junta ahora, pero que después vendría para discutir el problema.He said he had to go to a meeting now, but that afterwards he'd come and discuss the problem.Tatoeba #8978647 by ecorralest101, translation #8978646 by DJ_Saidez
- Yo prefiero el fútbol, en cambio, a mi hermano le gusta más el baloncestoI prefer soccer, but my brother likes basketball more
- Está oscuro, a pesar de eso, saldremos a caminarIt's dark, but still, we will go for a walk
- No es difícil, sino diferenteIt's not difficult, but rather different
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are discussing a message from their boss.
- DanielEl jefe dice que el proyecto es bueno, pero que falta tiempo.The boss says the project is good, but that time is lacking.
- Sofía¿De verdad dijo eso?Did he really say that?
- DanielSí, pero que debemos terminarlo mañana.Yes, but that we must finish it tomorrow.
- SofíaEntonces tenemos que trabajar más rápido.Then we have to work faster.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pero, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
