How to Use “And,” “Or,” and “But” in Spanish (A Complete Grammar & Usage Guide)


Introduction: Why These Tiny Words Matter in Spanish

If you’re learning Spanish, you’ve probably noticed how often we use short connecting words like and, or, and but in daily conversations. These tiny words — called conjunctions — help link ideas smoothly and make your sentences sound more natural and fluent.

Mastering them is one of the easiest ways to take your Spanish from “textbook” to “native-like.”

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to use “and,” “or,” and “but” in Spanish, including pronunciation, grammar rules, special spelling changes, and natural examples used by native speakers.

1. “And” in Spanish — The Word Y

The Spanish word for “and” is y (pronounced like the English letter ee).

It’s used exactly like and in English — to connect two or more words, phrases, or clauses.

Examples:

  • María y Juan son amigos.
    → María and Juan are friends.

  • Tengo pan y leche.
    → I have bread and milk.

  • Estudio español y francés.
    → I study Spanish and French.

Pretty simple, right? But here’s a small twist that every Spanish learner should know.

1.1 The “Y” Changes to “E” Before Words Starting with “I” or “Hi”

In Spanish, y becomes e (pronounced “eh”) when the next word starts with the sound “i” or “hi”.

Why? Because saying “y Italia” sounds awkward and repetitive (“ee Italia”). The Spanish language loves smooth sound transitions.

✅ Rule:

Use e instead of y before words beginning with the “i” or “hi” sound (except “hie-” words).

Examples:

  • Padre e hijo → Father and son

  • Agua e hielo → Water and ice

  • España e Italia → Spain and Italy

  • Estudio e investigación → Study and research

❌ But not: “hielo” — because hie sounds like ye.
So: “pan y hielo” (not “pan e hielo”).

👉 Tip for learners: If the “i” in the next word sounds like “ee,” change y to e. Otherwise, keep y.

2. “Or” in Spanish — The Word O

The Spanish word for “or” is o (pronounced like “oh”).
It connects alternatives or choices — just like in English.

Examples:

  • ¿Quieres café o té?
    → Do you want coffee or tea?

  • Lunes o martes está bien.
    → Monday or Tuesday is fine.

  • ¿Vas a estudiar o trabajar?
    → Are you going to study or work?

2.1 The “O” Changes to “U” Before Words Starting with “O” or “Ho”

Similar to y/e, Spanish avoids repeating the same vowel sound.
So when the next word starts with o or ho (pronounced “o”), o changes to u.

✅ Rule:

Use u instead of o before words beginning with “o” or “ho”.

Examples:

  • Siete u ocho → Seven or eight

  • Este u otro → This one or another

  • Hombres u ovejas → Men or sheep

  • Café u olla de chocolate → Coffee or pot of chocolate

❌ “o ocho” sounds clunky — “oh-oh-cho.” Spanish speakers prefer the smoother “u ocho.”

👉 Quick reminder: The u change only happens when the next word starts with the o/ho sound, not silent h plus another vowel.

3. “But” in Spanish — The Words Pero and Sino

Now for “but” — one of the trickier connectors for English speakers.
In Spanish, there are two main words for “but”: pero and sino.
Choosing the right one depends on the meaning of your sentence.

3.1 Pero = “But” (Contrast or Opposition)

Use pero when you want to contrast two ideas or express an exception.

Examples:

  • Quiero ir, pero estoy cansado.
    → I want to go, but I’m tired.

  • Es caro, pero bonito.
    → It’s expensive, but beautiful.

  • Estudio mucho, pero no apruebo.
    → I study a lot, but I don’t pass.

Think of pero as the default “but” — you can use it in almost every situation unless you’re directly negating a statement (see below).

3.2 Sino = “But Rather” / “But Instead”

Use sino when the first part of the sentence is negative and you’re correcting or replacing it with another idea.

✅ Rule:

Sino follows a negative clause and introduces a contrastive correction.

Examples:

  • No estudio inglés, sino español.
    → I don’t study English, but (rather) Spanish.

  • No quiero café, sino té.
    → I don’t want coffee, but instead tea.

  • No es grande, sino pequeño.
    → It’s not big, but small.

💡 Grammar note:
If the second clause has its own verb, use “sino que” instead of sino.

  • No fue Pedro, sino que fue Juan.
    → It wasn’t Pedro, but rather Juan.

3.3 Sin embargo = “However” / “Nevertheless”

Another way to say “but” in Spanish is sin embargo — a more formal connector used in writing, essays, or polite speech.

Examples:

  • Quería ayudar, sin embargo, no pude.
    → I wanted to help; however, I couldn’t.

  • El clima fue malo, sin embargo, disfrutamos el viaje.
    → The weather was bad, but still, we enjoyed the trip.

👉 Use pero for everyday speech and sin embargo for essays, reports, or business communication.

4. Summary Table: Spanish Conjunctions at a Glance

English Spanish Use Case Example
and y / e Add words or ideas Padre e hijo
or o / u Offer choices Siete u ocho
but pero Contrast ideas Es caro, pero bonito
but rather sino / sino que Correct a negative statement No vino María, sino Ana
however sin embargo Formal contrast Sin embargo, me gusta

5. Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Mistake Explanation Correction
Y Italia Should be e Italia before “i/hi” sounds España e Italia
O ocho Awkward repetition of “o” sound U ocho
No quiero té, pero café Should use sino because of negation No quiero té, sino café
Overusing sin embargo in speech Too formal for casual use Use pero in conversations

Learning these small differences helps you sound much more natural and confident.

6. Practice: Mini Exercises

Try completing the following sentences with the correct conjunction (y/e, o/u, pero/sino).

  1. Tengo hambre, ____ no hay comida.

  2. Quiero comprar pan ____ leche.

  3. No es verde, ____ azul.

  4. Estudio francés ____ italiano.

  5. ¿Quieres té ____ café?

✅ Answers:

  1. pero

  2. y

  3. sino

  4. e

  5. o

7. Tips for Sounding Like a Native Speaker

  • 🔸 Listen to Spanish podcasts or YouTube videos. Pay attention to how y, o, and pero sound in fast speech.

  • 🔸 Practice combining short sentences using conjunctions — it builds fluency naturally.

  • 🔸 Think in pairs: “coffee or tea,” “day and night,” “big but expensive” — then translate them mentally to Spanish.

  • 🔸 Watch out for vowel changes (y → e, o → u) — they’re subtle but show mastery.

8. Fun Facts About Spanish Conjunctions

  • In casual Latin American Spanish, pero is often stretched for emphasis: “¡Sí, pero no sé!”

  • In Spain, people sometimes say “sin embargo” in jokes to sound mock-serious.

  • The conjunctions y, o, and pero are among the top 50 most used Spanish words — so mastering them gives you an instant fluency boost.

Conclusion: Small Words, Big Difference

Now you know exactly how to use and, or, and but in Spanish like a pro!
These small connectors are the backbone of natural speech and essential for writing clearly and confidently.

Remember:

  • y → e before “i” or “hi” sounds

  • o → u before “o” or “ho” sounds

  • pero for contrast, sino for correction

Keep practicing, listen to native speakers, and soon you’ll link ideas effortlessly — sounding fluent and confident in any Spanish conversation.


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