Translation
but
Examples
, .
Not I, but you.
, .
It is a small city, but a beautiful one.
, .
He wanted to come, but he could not.
, .
He not only listened but also replied.
dicam.
But now I shall speak about another matter.
The straightforward "but", and unlike most Latin connectives it stands FIRST in its clause, exactly where an English speaker expects it. Compare "autem", "vero", "enim" and "igitur", all of which are postpositive and slide into second place.
Its favourite home is after a negative, in the pattern "non ... sed ...", meaning "not X but Y". Stretch that into "non solum ... sed etiam ..." and you have "not only ... but also ...", one of the most common sentence shapes in Roman prose.
Where this fits
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sed: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "sed" (but): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 1.