52 Expressing contrast or opposition
This chapter deals with the concept of contrast and the words and expressions
associated with this. Contrast between different ideas is expressed in English through
the use of words like ‘but’, ‘though’, ‘although’, for example ‘He doesn’t speak the
language but he gets along all right’, ‘Though/although they don’t earn much, they
manage quite well’.52.1 Common expressions of contrast or opposition
Below you will find a list of the most common expressions used in Spanish for linking
two contrasting ideas, together with an explanation of their use.52.1.1 Pero...
Pero, ‘but’, is the word most commonly used for expressing contrast or opposition. The
contrast, in this case, is between a new idea or information, introduced by pero, with
previous information. Like the English word ‘but’, pero goes between the two
contrasting ideas and it is normally preceded by a comma.
Viven lejos, pero vienen a visitarnos a menudo.
They live far away, but they come and visit us often.
Es un vago, pero es muy simpático.
He’s lazy but he’s very nice.52.1.2 Sin embargo, pero sin embargo
Sin embargo functions in a similar way as pero, but is used in more formal contexts,
especially in writing.
La inflación ha bajado, sin embargo el desempleo continúa
aumentando.
Inflation has come down, however unemployment is still on the
increase.
Vive en Chile desde hace cinco años, sin embargo todavía no habla
español.
He/she has been living in Chile for five years, however he/she still
doesn’t speak Spanish.