Learning how to say “but” in French can be helpful when expressing ideas clearly. Whether you want to agree, disagree, or explain something, using the right word makes your thoughts more precise. French has several ways to say “but,” depending on the situation.
In this article, you will learn how to say “but” in French, along with useful expressions like “but of course” and “but why.” We will explore common phrases, practice responses, and provide exercises to help you master them. By the end, you’ll feel more confident using these phrases in conversations.
Ways to Say “But” in French
In French, “but” can be translated in different ways depending on the context. Some expressions are formal, while others are casual. Let’s explore various ways to say “but” in French, with examples to help you understand when to use each one.
1. Mais (meh)
Meaning: “But” (general use)
In a Sentence:
- Je voulais venir, mais j’étais occupé. (I wanted to come, but I was busy.)
- C’est difficile, mais possible. (It’s difficult, but possible.)
2. Cependant (suh-pahn-dahn)
Meaning: “However” (formal)
In a Sentence:
- Il est intelligent; cependant, il manque d’expérience. (He is smart; however, he lacks experience.)
- J’aime la plage; cependant, il fait trop chaud aujourd’hui. (I like the beach; however, it’s too hot today.)
3. Pourtant (poo-rtahng)
Meaning: “Yet” or “However”
In a Sentence:
- Elle semble heureuse, pourtant elle est triste. (She seems happy, yet she is sad.)
- Il a étudié beaucoup, pourtant il a échoué à l’examen. (He studied a lot, yet he failed the exam.)
4. Néanmoins (neh-ah-mwan)
Meaning: “Nevertheless” (formal)
In a Sentence:
- Il a fait des erreurs; néanmoins, il a réussi. (He made mistakes; nevertheless, he succeeded.)
- Le voyage était long; néanmoins, il en valait la peine. (The trip was long; nevertheless, it was worth it.)
5. Or (ohr)
Meaning: “But” or “Yet” (formal)
In a Sentence:
- Il dit qu’il n’a pas faim, or il mange beaucoup. (He says he isn’t hungry, yet he eats a lot.)
- Elle est timide, or elle parle bien en public. (She’s shy, yet she speaks well in public.)
6. Toutefois (too-tfwah)
Meaning: “However” or “Though”
In a Sentence:
- J’aime ce film; toutefois, la fin est décevante. (I like this movie; however, the ending is disappointing.)
- Nous avons peu de temps; toutefois, nous pouvons essayer. (We have little time; however, we can try.)
7. Bien que (byang kuh)
Meaning: “Although” or “Though”
In a Sentence:
- Bien que fatigué, il a continué à travailler. (Although tired, he kept working.)
- Bien que ce soit cher, je vais l’acheter. (Although it’s expensive, I will buy it.)
8. Quoique (kwah-kuh)
Meaning: “Although” or “Even though”
In a Sentence:
- Quoique malade, elle est venue à l’école. (Although sick, she came to school.)
- Quoique difficile, il a réussi. (Although difficult, he succeeded.)
9. Sinon (see-non)
Meaning: “Otherwise” or “If not”
In a Sentence:
- Dépêche-toi, sinon tu vas être en retard. (Hurry up, otherwise, you’ll be late.)
- Mets un manteau, sinon tu auras froid. (Put on a coat, otherwise, you’ll be cold.)
10. Mais pourtant (meh poo-rtahng)
Meaning: “But still”
In a Sentence:
- Il pleut, mais pourtant, nous sortons. (It’s raining, but still, we are going out.)
- Elle était malade, mais pourtant, elle a travaillé. (She was sick, but still, she worked.)
11. Sauf que (sof kuh)
Meaning: “Except that”
In a Sentence:
- Je serais d’accord, sauf que c’est trop tard. (I would agree, except that it’s too late.)
- Il a tout préparé, sauf que le gâteau n’était pas prêt. (He prepared everything, except that the cake wasn’t ready.)
12. Hormis (or-mee)
Meaning: “Except for”
In a Sentence:
- Tout le monde est venu hormis Paul. (Everyone came except for Paul.)
- Hormis ce détail, le projet est parfait. (Except for this detail, the project is perfect.)
13. Malgré cela (mal-grey slah)
Meaning: “Despite that” or “Even so”
In a Sentence:
- Il a fait froid; malgré cela, nous sommes partis. (It was cold; despite that, we left.)
- Malgré cela, elle est restée optimiste. (Despite that, she stayed optimistic.)
14. Au contraire (oh kon-treh-r)
Meaning: “On the contrary”
In a Sentence:
- Tu penses que c’est facile? Au contraire, c’est compliqué. (You think it’s easy? On the contrary, it’s complicated.)
- Au contraire, je trouve cela intéressant. (On the contrary, I find it interesting.)
15. Par contre (par kon-truh)
Meaning: “On the other hand”
In a Sentence:
- Le temps est mauvais aujourd’hui; par contre, il fera beau demain. (The weather is bad today; on the other hand, it will be nice tomorrow.)
- Je n’aime pas la natation; par contre, j’adore le football. (I don’t like swimming; on the other hand, I love soccer.)
16. Malgré que (mal-grey kuh)
Meaning: “Even though” or “Although”
In a Sentence:
- Malgré que tu sois en retard, tu peux encore participer. (Even though you are late, you can still participate.)
- Malgré que ce soit difficile, il a réussi. (Although it’s difficult, he succeeded.)
17. Bien au contraire (byang oh kon-treh-r)
Meaning: “Quite the opposite”
In a Sentence:
- Je pensais qu’il serait en colère; bien au contraire, il était content. (I thought he would be angry; quite the opposite, he was happy.)
- Bien au contraire, elle a apprécié la surprise. (Quite the opposite, she enjoyed the surprise.)
18. Pourtant que (poo-rtahng kuh)
Meaning: “Though” or “Even though”
In a Sentence:
- Pourtant que fatigué, il a continué à marcher. (Though tired, he kept walking.)
- Pourtant que difficile, elle a réussi l’examen. (Even though it was difficult, she passed the exam.)
19. Alors que (ah-lohr kuh)
Meaning: “While” or “Even though”
In a Sentence:
- Alors que je l’attendais, il est parti. (While I was waiting for him, he left.)
- Alors que tout semblait perdu, il a trouvé une solution. (Even though all seemed lost, he found a solution.)
20. Si ce n’est que (see suh neh kuh)
Meaning: “Except that” or “Unless”
In a Sentence:
- Tout est parfait, si ce n’est que la décoration est simple. (Everything is perfect, except that the decoration is simple.)
- Si ce n’est que je suis fatigué, je vais bien. (Except that I’m tired, I’m fine.)
21. Au lieu de (oh lyuh duh)
Meaning: “Instead of”
In a Sentence:
- Il est allé au cinéma au lieu de faire ses devoirs. (He went to the movies instead of doing his homework.)
- Mange des fruits au lieu de bonbons. (Eat fruit instead of candy.)
22. Sauf si (sof see)
Meaning: “Unless”
In a Sentence:
- Je viendrai sauf si il pleut. (I will come unless it rains.)
- Nous partirons à midi sauf si tu as besoin de plus de temps. (We’ll leave at noon unless you need more time.)
23. Même si (mem see)
Meaning: “Even if” or “Although”
In a Sentence:
- Même si je suis fatigué, je vais terminer le travail. (Even if I’m tired, I’ll finish the work.)
- Je viendrai à ta fête même si je suis occupé. (I’ll come to your party even if I’m busy.)
24. Quoi qu’il en soit (kwah keel ahn swah)
Meaning: “Be that as it may” or “Anyway”
In a Sentence:
- Quoi qu’il en soit, nous devons partir maintenant. (Be that as it may, we must leave now.)
- Quoi qu’il en soit, il est toujours en retard. (Anyway, he’s always late.)
25. Mis à part (mee zah par)
Meaning: “Apart from” or “Besides”
In a Sentence:
- Mis à part quelques erreurs, le projet est excellent. (Apart from a few mistakes, the project is excellent.)
- Mis à part son accent, il parle très bien français. (Besides his accent, he speaks French very well.)
Other Ways to Say “But” in French
Here are more ways to say “but” in French. These expressions will help you sound more natural in different situations.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Si bien que | see byang kuh | So much so that | Il a bien travaillé, si bien que il a réussi. (He worked hard, so much so that he succeeded.) |
| Quoique | kwah-kuh | Although/Even though | Quoique fatigué, il est venu. (Although tired, he came.) |
| Même si | mem see | Even if | Même si tu es occupé, viens! (Even if you are busy, come!) |
| Sauf que | sof kuh | Except that | Je suis prêt, sauf que je n’ai pas mes clés. (I’m ready, except that I don’t have my keys.) |
| Mis à part | mee zah par | Apart from/Besides | Mis à part le dessert, tout était délicieux. (Apart from the dessert, everything was delicious.) |
| Si ce n’est que | see suh neh kuh | Unless/Except that | Tout est bien, si ce n’est que le temps est mauvais. (Everything is fine, except that the weather is bad.) |
| Tandis que | tahn-dee kuh | Whereas/While | Il étudiait, tandis que ses amis jouaient. (He was studying while his friends were playing.) |
| Pourtant que | poo-rtahng kuh | Even though | Il a échoué, pourtant que ses efforts étaient énormes. (He failed, even though he made huge efforts.) |
| Néanmoins que | neh-ah-mwan kuh | Nevertheless | C’était difficile, néanmoins que nous avons réussi. (It was difficult, nevertheless, we succeeded.) |
| Par ailleurs | par ah-yuh-r | Besides/Moreover | Par ailleurs, il est toujours en retard. (Besides, he’s always late.) |
Responses to “But” in French
When someone uses “but” in a conversation, you may need to respond appropriately. Here are common responses you can use in French, depending on the context.
1. C’est vrai (say vreh)
Meaning: “That’s true”
In a Sentence: Oui, c’est vrai, il a beaucoup travaillé. (Yes, that’s true, he worked a lot.)
2. Pas du tout (pah dew too)
Meaning: “Not at all”
In a Sentence: Tu penses que je suis en colère? Pas du tout! (You think I’m mad? Not at all!)
3. Bien sûr (byang sewr)
Meaning: “Of course”
In a Sentence: Tu viens avec nous? Bien sûr! (Are you coming with us? Of course!)
4. Peut-être (puh-teh-truh)
Meaning: “Maybe”
In a Sentence: Il viendra demain? Peut-être. (Will he come tomorrow? Maybe.)
5. Je comprends (juh kom-prahn)
Meaning: “I understand”
In a Sentence: Tu es fatigué? Je comprends. (You’re tired? I understand.)
6. Quand même (kahn mem)
Meaning: “Still/Anyway”
In a Sentence: Il pleut, quand même, on sort. (It’s raining, but still, we are going out.)
7. D’accord (dah-kohr)
Meaning: “Okay”
In a Sentence: Tu veux partir maintenant? D’accord. (You want to leave now? Okay.)
8. Ça dépend (sah day-pahn)
Meaning: “It depends”
In a Sentence: Tu veux y aller? Ça dépend de l’heure. (Do you want to go there? It depends on the time.)
9. Mais non (meh non)
Meaning: “Of course not”
In a Sentence: Tu crois que je suis fâché? Mais non! (Do you think I’m angry? Of course not!)
10. Exactement (eg-zak-tuh-mahn)
Meaning: “Exactly”
In a Sentence: Tu veux dire qu’il est parti tôt? Exactement. (You mean he left early? Exactly.)
Exercise to Practice Saying “But” in French
Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with the correct French word or phrase for “but.” Use the meanings and examples provided earlier.
Fill-in-the-Blanks:
- Je voulais venir, ______ j’étais trop fatigué.
- Il est intelligent, ______ il manque de patience.
- Nous aimons la plage, ______ il fait trop chaud aujourd’hui.
- Dépêche-toi, ______ tu vas rater le bus!
- Tout allait bien, ______ il a oublié ses clés.
- J’ai essayé, ______ ce n’était pas possible.
- Il pleut, ______ on va sortir quand même.
- Elle est timide, ______ elle parle bien en public.
- Il voulait venir, ______ il avait déjà un rendez-vous.
- Le film était intéressant, ______ la fin était décevante.
- J’ai fini mes devoirs, ______ j’ai oublié de les apporter.
- Tout est prêt, ______ il manque encore les invitations.
Correct Answers:
- Je voulais venir, mais j’étais trop fatigué. (I wanted to come, but I was too tired.)
- Il est intelligent, cependant il manque de patience. (He is smart, however, he lacks patience.)
- Nous aimons la plage, mais il fait trop chaud aujourd’hui. (We like the beach, but it’s too hot today.)
- Dépêche-toi, sinon tu vas rater le bus! (Hurry up, or you’ll miss the bus!)
- Tout allait bien, sauf que il a oublié ses clés. (Everything was fine, except that he forgot his keys.)
- J’ai essayé, mais ce n’était pas possible. (I tried, but it wasn’t possible.)
- Il pleut, mais pourtant on va sortir quand même. (It’s raining, but still, we’re going out.)
- Elle est timide, or elle parle bien en public. (She’s shy, yet she speaks well in public.)
- Il voulait venir, mais il avait déjà un rendez-vous. (He wanted to come, but he already had an appointment.)
- Le film était intéressant, toutefois la fin était décevante. (The movie was interesting, however, the ending was disappointing.)
- J’ai fini mes devoirs, mais j’ai oublié de les apporter. (I finished my homework, but I forgot to bring it.)
- Tout est prêt, sauf que il manque encore les invitations. (Everything is ready, except that the invitations are still missing.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “but” in French helps you express contrasting ideas and clarify your thoughts. Whether you are having a casual chat or writing formally, using the right phrase makes your communication clearer and more precise.
By practicing common expressions like mais, cependant, and sinon, you can easily respond to different situations in French conversations. Keep practicing the examples and exercises, and soon using “but” in French will feel natural and effortless.