The word but is one of the seven coordinating conjunctions in English (the others are and, or, so, for, nor, and yet). It’s used to connect two statements that contrast or contradict each other in some way.
For example, learning English is difficult but fun! But getting into the specifics of such commonly used words can be tricky. This article will answer some questions you may have about how to use but.
When do I use a comma?
According to standard grammar, a comma is used before a coordinating conjunction to connect two independent clauses.
An independent clause is a clause with both a subject and a verb so that it can stand on its own. If the second clause does not contain a subject, then no comma is needed.
- He liked the meal, but not the dessert. (No comma)
- He liked the meal, but didn’t like the dessert. (No comma)
- He liked the meal, but he didn’t like the dessert. (Here, the subject is listed both times, making both clauses independent. A comma is appropriate.)
However, this is a rule that not many native speakers are aware of. Most people will place commas according to where they would naturally make a small pause while speaking.
When do I use “but rather”?
While but can be used to contrast two statements, it can also be used in the construction “not this but that.” For example:
- It wasn’t a drought but more of a dry spell.
This sentence is saying that whatever happened wasn’t a drought. Instead, it was a dry spell. To convey this idea, we use the conjunction but. We could also replace this with the phrase but rather.
- It wasn’t a drought but rather more of a dry spell.
The phrase but rather could also just be a combination of but and rather in their separate usages.
- You’d think he would break up with her face-to-face. But rather than doing that, he decided to do it over the phone. (Here, but is used as a contrast to the previous sentence, not in combination with rather.)
What’s the difference between “but” or “yet”?
But and yet are conjunctions with very similar meanings, and usually, when you can use the word yet, you can replace it with but.
The difference is that yet means something more like “despite that” or “regardless of that.” Grammatically speaking, it has a concessive meaning.
- He’s given her so many red flags, yet she still wants to be with him. (In other words, He’s given her so many red flags. Despite that, she still wants to be with him.)
- I attended every lecture in the class, and yet I still don’t understand anything. (It’s possible to use yet with and, making it more of an adverb than a conjunction.)
- Apparently, she keeps a calendar, yet she always forgets about the plans she makes.
In all these examples, you could probably replace yet with but and still have it make sense.
- He’s given her so many red flags, but she still wants to be with him.
- I attended every lecture in the class, but I still don’t understand anything.
- Apparently, she keeps a calendar, but she always forgets about the plans she makes.
The difference is that but only creates a simple contrast. If you really want to say, “This is true, but none of it really matters because…”, then yet is a much better way to convey that nuance.
When can I use “but” at the beginning of a sentence?
While you may have formally been taught that a sentence can’t begin with a conjunction, the reality is that you can begin any sentence with a conjunction. The two following examples basically mean the same thing:
- I’ll come with you and keep you company if you want. But I’m not going to enjoy it.
- I’ll come with you and keep you company if you want, but I’m not going to enjoy it.
Why make a clause with a conjunction its own separate sentence? It depends on how you like to break up your sentences.
Periods usually convey more of a break between ideas than commas do. You might also want to avoid run-on sentences that use too many commas.
When do I use “but also”?
The phrase but also is similar to but rather, but instead of meaning “not this but that,” it means “not just this but also that.” It’s used to add even more additional information than might be expected.
- They not only spilled beer all over the floor but also broke one of the lamps.
- You’re not just a mother but also a friend.
When using this phrase, be sure to create parallel constructions if you want to be grammatically correct. This means linking phrases of the same kind together.
In the following sentence, the placement of the word only makes it so that it connects nouns together, therefore making it a parallel construction.
- He doesn’t know only Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
This next sentence is incorrect because it connects a verb (“to know”) with nouns (“Portuguese and Italian”).
- He not only knows Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
When I can I use “but not limited to”?
You can use the phrase including but not limited to when you want to list some items in a category, but you also want to indicate there are many more besides that.
It basically means the same thing as the word including by itself but emphasizes the high amount of things in a given category. Usually, this phrase is found in legal contexts, maybe because the wording is more precise.
- The job involves many tasks, including but not limited to serving customers, checking inventory, cleaning the workspace, and taking phone calls.
- Natural language processing has a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to chatbots, language translation, sentiment analysis, and spell check.
- The book covers many topics, including but not limited to the Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, and Jim Crow laws.
What’s the difference between “but” and “although”?
This question is tricky because although can have two different usages.
The first is to mean “despite the fact that” or “even though,” which is like saying, “What I’m about to say doesn’t really matter.” In this case, the clause that although introduces will usually come before the main clause.
- Although it was scorching outside, we still decided risk sunburns and go hiking.
- Although I had a test the next morning, I decided to go out with my friends and ended up coming home late.
Then there is the second usage of although, which is to mean the same thing as but, except it tends to indicate more of an afterthought rather than a firm contrast.
This is usually when although comes after the main clause, which is how you’ll be able to tell the difference between the two meanings.
- I really didn’t want to go to the show, although it did end up being somewhat interesting. (This can be like saying, Now that I think about it, it was sort of interesting.)
- Mark’s thinking about transferring schools, although I’m not sure why. I thought he liked it here. (Using although instead of but indicates that the main topic is about Mark, not what the speaker thinks.)
If you want to create a contrast or transition between what you were just talking about and a topic that’s just as important, it might be better to use but instead of although, such as in this sentence:
- Mental illness can be difficult or awkward to talk about, but there are many ways we can be supportive.
The main point is not that mental illness is a difficult subject. Instead, the speaker is trying to transition into a topic they want to talk about. This makes but a much more appropriate choice than although.
What’s the difference between “but” and “except”?
Except (that) is another conjunction that means something similar to but, except it indicates more of an exception than a contrast (I just used it now!).
Maybe you want to state something that’s true except for one detail. In that case, except will help you convey that better than but.
- He and I are on good terms, except he still needs to pay me the money he owes.
- We have everything we need for dinner, except that I still need to buy oil.
- A: Everything’s fine, except…
B: Except what?
Don’t confuse this with the phrase except for, which is used as a preposition, not a conjunction. You can only follow it with noun phrases.
- Everyone submitted their entries on time except for him.
- He and I are on good terms, except for the fact that he still needs to pay me the money he owes.
Practice
Time for some practice! The following sentences each have an error in them. Try to spot them and see if you can correct them.
- It’s not the concerts themselves rather the social experience that I enjoy.
- I can teach you how to play many genres, including and not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues.
- He drives not only poorly but also can’t park properly.
- A lot of times, we follow rules, but don’t really understand why.
- He spent hours and hours more on the painting, but it still looks bad. (What could you replace but with to show that his work was useless?)
- Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an exception?)
- Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an afterthought?)
Answers:
- It’s not the concerts themselves but rather the social experience that I enjoy. (You need the whole phrase but rather, not just rather.)
- I can teach you how to play many genres, including but not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues. (“Including and not limited to” is not a standard expression.)
- He not only drives poorly but also can’t park properly. OR Not only does he drive poorly, but he also can’t park properly. (Either of these makes the sentence a parallel construction.)
- A lot of times, we follow the rules but don’t really understand why. (The second clause is not an independent clause, so you don’t need to use a comma.)
- He spent hours and hours more on the painting, yet it still looks bad. (Now, you can tell more how useless his effort was.)
- Overall, the movie was great, except the ending could have been better. (Now, it’s specified that the ending was really the one thing wrong with the movie.)
- Overall, the movie was great, although the ending could have been better. (Now, it sounds more like the speaker doesn’t care as much about the ending.)
но, а, однако, зато, кроме, только, кроме, возражение, кто бы не
союз ↓
- вводит противоречащие или ограничивающие друг друга слова и предложения но, а, тем не менее, однако
they returned tired, but happy — они вернулись усталые, но счастливые
not he, but his brother — не он, а его брат
that is the rule, but there are many exceptions — это правило, но есть много исключений
I am old, but you are young — я стар, но /зато/ вы молоды
I agree with you, but yet we cannot accept your plan — я согласен с вами, но всё же мы не можем принять ваш план
- в начале предложения часто указывает на переход к новой теме:
but who comes here? — но кто это идёт сюда?
- указывает на исключение или ограничение кроме, за исключением:
we had no choice but to obey — нам не оставалось ничего другого, как подчиниться
there was nothing else to do but (to) go — не оставалось ничего другого, как пойти
what is all that but a warning? — что всё это, если не предупреждение?
- книжн. (часто but that; после отрицания)
- чтобы не; без того, чтобы не
he is not so sick but he can eat — он не настолько болен, чтобы не есть
not but that I pity you — не то чтобы я не жалел вас
I never think of summer but I think of childhood — думая о лете, я всегда вспоминаю детство
I never pass there but I think of you — всякий раз, когда я прохожу там, я вспоминаю вас
- что
I do not doubt but (that) he will come — я не сомневаюсь, что он придёт
I don’t doubt but that you are surprised — не сомневаюсь, что вы удивлены
I cannot deny but (that) /разг. what/ you are right — не могу отрицать, что вы правы
ten to one but it was you — разг. почти уверен, что это были вы
how can I tell but you will do the same? — как я могу сказать, что вы не сделаете того же самого
- (but that) если бы не
he would not have believed it, but that he saw it himself — он не поверил бы этому, если бы не увидел сам
I’d come with you but that I am so busy — я бы пошёл с вами, если бы не был так занят
- в различных сочетаниях:
наречие ↓
- только, лишь
- шутл. снаружи; наружу
go but and wait — выйди (на улицу) и подожди
предлог ↓
- за исключением, кроме
who will do it but me? — кто, кроме меня, сделает это?
all but he were present — все, кроме него, присутствовали
no one saw him, but I — никто, кроме меня, не видел его
he works all days but Sunday — он работает каждый день, кроме воскресенья
существительное ↓
- возражение
your ifs and buts make me tired — мне надоели ваши «если» и «но» /ваши сомнения и возражения/
but me no buts — никаких «но», без возражений
- шотл. комната, выходящая на улицу, в двухкомнатном доме
местоимение ↓
- кто бы не, что бы не
there is no one but has heard it — нет такого человека, который бы не слыхал об этом
прилагательное ↓
- шотл. наружный
the but end of the house — часть дома, выходящая на улицу
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
hopes that last but a moment — надежды, которые длятся лишь мгновение
no one there but me — никто, кроме меня
the last but one — предпоследний
the wine, sweet but headachy — вино, приятное, но от него болит голова
to be but a few steps — быть рядом, в двух шагах
but this is well-known — но ведь это всем известно
beauty is but skin deep — внешность обманчива
he used to smoke this brand of cigarettes, but he switched — раньше он обычно курил эту марку сигарет, но теперь он перешел на другую
but yesterday — но вчера
nothing but — ничего кроме; только; исключительно
but then (again) — разг. но в то же время
Примеры с переводом
He is but a child.
Он всего лишь ребёнок.
There’s no one here but me.
Здесь никого нет, кроме меня.
We had no choice but to leave.
Нам оставалось только уйти.
But now to the main question.
А сейчас обсудим главный вопрос.
I’d like to go but I’m too busy.
Мне бы очень хотелось поехать, но я слишком занят.
I was not there but my brother was.
Меня там не было, а вот мой брат был.
There was no one there but him.
Там никого не было, кроме него.
ещё 23 примера свернуть
Возможные однокоренные слова
butter — масло, сливочное масло, грубая лесть, намазывать маслом, грубо льстить
butting — предел, граница
butty — бутерброд, компаньон, товарищ, пайщик по подрядной работе
rebut — опровергать, отвергать, давать отпор, отражать
You’ll use some terms frequently in your written work. “But” is one of these words: the twenty-second most common word in English, in fact! Consequently, you shouldn’t worry too much about the repetition of “but” in your writing. But if you find yourself using it in every other sentence, you might want to try a few alternatives. How about the following?
Other Conjunctions
“But” is a conjunction (i.e., a linking word) used to introduce a contrast. For example, we could use it in a sentence expressing contrasting opinions about Queen guitarist Brian May and his hairdo:
I like Brian May, but I find his hair ridiculous.
One option to reduce repetition of “but” in writing is to use the word “yet:”
I like Brian May, yet I find his hair ridiculous.
“Yet” can often replace “but” in a sentence without changing anything else, as both are coordinating conjunctions that can introduce a contrast.
Alternatively, you could use one of these subordinating conjunctions:
- Although (e.g., I like Brian May, although I find his hair ridiculous.)
- Though (e.g., I like Brian May, though I find his hair ridiculous.)
- Even though (e.g., I like Brian May, even though I find his hair ridiculous.)
As subordinating conjunctions, these terms can also be used at the start of a sentence. This isn’t the case with “but,” though:
Though I like Brian May, I find his hair ridiculous. – Correct
But I like Brian May, I find his hair ridiculous. – Incorrect
Other subordinating conjunctions used to introduce a contrast include “despite” and “whereas.” If you’re going to use “despite” in place of “but,” you may need to rephrase the sentence slightly. For instance:
Despite liking Brian May, I find his hair ridiculous.
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I like Brian May’s guitar solos, whereas I find his hair ridiculous.
How to Use “However”
One common replacement for “but” in academic writing is “however.” But we use this adverb to show a sentence contrasts with something previously said. As such, rather than connecting two parts of a sentence, it should only be used after a semicolon or in a new sentence:
I like Brian May’s guitar solos. However, I find his hair ridiculous.
I like Brian May’s guitar solos; however, I find his hair ridiculous.
“However” can be used mid-sentence, separated by commas. Even then, though, you should separate the sentence in which it appears from the one with which it is being contrasted. For instance:
I like Brian May’s guitar solos. I do, however, find his hair ridiculous.
Here, again, the “however” sentence contrasts with the preceding one.
Other Adverbial Alternatives to “But”
Other contrasting adverbs and adverbial phrases can be used in similar ways to “however” above. Alternatives include:
- Conversely (I like Brian May’s guitar solos. Conversely, I find his hair ridiculous.)
- Nevertheless (I like Brian May; nevertheless, I find his hair ridiculous.)
- In contrast (I like Brian May’s guitar solos. In contrast, I find his hair ridiculous.)
One popular phrase for introducing a contrast is “on the other hand.” In formal writing, though, this should always follow from “on the one hand:”
On the one hand, I like Brian May’s music, so I do admire him. On the other hand, his hairstyle is terrifying, so I do worry about him.
Finally, if you’re ever unsure which terms to use as alternatives to “but” in writing, having your document proofread by the experts can help.
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English but, buten, boute, bouten, from Old English būtan (“without, outside of, except, only”), from Proto-West Germanic *biūtan, *biūtini, equivalent to be- + out. Cognate with Scots but, bot (“outside, without, but”), Saterland Frisian buute (“without”), West Frisian bûten (“outside of, apart from, other than, except, but”), Dutch buiten (“outside”), Dutch Low Saxon buten (“outside”), German Low German buuten, buute (“outside”), obsolete German baußen (“outside”), Luxembourgish baussen. Compare bin, about.
Eclipsed non-native Middle English mes (“but”) borrowed from Old French mes, mais (> French mais (“but”)).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (stressed, UK) IPA(key): /bʌt/, [bɐt], enPR: bŭt
- (stressed, US) IPA(key): /bʌt/, enPR: bŭt
- (stressed, Scotland, Ireland) IPA(key): /bʊt/
- (stressed, Northern England) IPA(key): /bʊt/
- (Ireland) IPA(key): [bɞθ̠]
- (unstressed) IPA(key): /bət/, enPR: bət
- Rhymes: -ʌt
- Homophone: butt
Preposition[edit]
but
- Apart from, except (for), excluding.
- Synonyms: barring, except for, save for; see also Thesaurus:except
-
Everyone but Father left early.
-
I like everything but that.
-
Nobody answered the door when I knocked, so I had no choice but to leave.
-
2011 October 23, Becky Ashton, “QPR 1-0 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport:
-
Luiz struggled with the movement of Helguson in the box, as he collected a long ball and the Spaniard barged him over, leaving referee Chris Foy little option but to point to the spot.
-
- (obsolete outside Scotland) Outside of.
-
Away but the hoose and tell me whae’s there.
-
Adverb[edit]
but (not comparable)
- (chiefly literary or poetic) Merely, only, just, no more than
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:merely
-
Christmas comes but once a year.
- 1791, Robert Burns, «Ae Fond Kiss»:
- For to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love for ever.
- For to see her was to love her,
-
1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:
-
In those days, when my hands were much employed, I read but little, but the least scraps of paper which lay on the ground, my holder, or tablecloth, afforded me as much entertainment, in fact answered the same purpose as the Iliad.
-
- 1975, Monty Python, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Black Knight: «‘Tis but a scratch.» King Arthur: «A scratch? Your arm’s off!»
- 1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace, New York Review Books, 2006, p.49:
- The stony outcrops are often covered but thinly with arable soil; winters are bitingly cold, and rainfall scanty and unpredictable.
- 1990, Claude de Bèze, 1688 revolution in Siam: the memoir of Father de Bèze, s.j, translated by E. W. Hutchinson, University Press, page 153:
- May the Protector of the Buddhist Faith grant me but seven more days grace of life to be quit of this disloyal couple, father and son.
- (Australia, Tyneside, conjunctive) Though, however.
- Synonyms: even so, nevertheless, notwithstanding, yet; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless
-
1906, «Steele Rudd», Back At Our Selection, page 161:
-
«Supposin’ the chap ain’t dead, but?» Regan persisted.
-
-
I’ll have to go home early but.
Conjunction[edit]
but
- However, although, nevertheless, on the other hand (introducing a clause contrary to prior belief or in contrast with the preceding clause or sentence).
-
She is very old but still attractive.
-
You told me I could do that, but she said that I could not.
-
- On the contrary, rather (as a regular adversative conjunction, introducing a word or clause in contrast or contradiction with the preceding negative clause or sentence).
-
I am not rich but [I am] poor. Not John but Peter went there.
-
- (colloquial) Used at the beginning of a sentence to express opposition to a remark.
-
But I never said you could do that!
-
1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book X:
-
In reality, I apprehend every amorous widow on the stage would run the hazard of being condemned as a servile imitation of Dido, but that happily very few of our play-house critics understand enough of Latin to read Virgil.
-
-
2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children’s brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
-
Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.
Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.
-
-
2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:
-
Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
-
-
- Except that (introducing a subordinate clause which qualifies a negative statement); also, with omission of the subject of the subordinate clause, acting as a negative relative, «except one that», «except such that».
-
I cannot but feel offended.
-
1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
-
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be rememberèd—
-
-
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:
-
And but my noble Moor is true of mind
[…] it were enough to put him to ill thinking.
-
-
1819, John Keats, “Lamia”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, →OCLC, part II, page 43:
-
A deadly silence step by step increased,
Until it seem’d a horrid presence there,
And not a man but felt the terror in his hair.
-
-
1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:
-
In those days, when my hands were much employed, I read but little, but the least scraps of paper which lay on the ground, my holder, or tablecloth, afforded me as much entertainment, in fact answered the same purpose as the Iliad.
-
-
- (colloquial) Used to link an interjection to the following remark as an intensifier.
-
Wow! But that’s amazing!
- 2013 Nora Roberts, Irish Thoroughbred p. 25 (Little, Brown) →ISBN
- «Jakers, but we worked.» With a long breath she shut her eyes. «But it was too much for one woman and a half-grown girl […] «
-
- (archaic) Without it also being the case that; unless that (introducing a necessary concomitant).
-
It never rains but it pours.
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c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
-
For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so
-
-
- (obsolete) Except with; unless with; without.
-
1639, Thomas Fuller, “Unseasonable Discords betwixt King Baldwine and His Mother; Her Strength in Yeelding to Her Sonne”, in The Historie of the Holy Warre, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck, one of the printers to the Universitie of Cambridge [and sold by John Williams, London], →OCLC, book II, page 84:
-
This man unable to manage his own happineſſe, grew ſo inſolent that he could not go, but either ſpurning his equals, or trampling on his inferiours.
-
-
- (obsolete) Only; solely; merely.
- (obsolete) Until.
-
c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
-
‘Tshall not be long but I’ll be here again.
-
-
- (obsolete, following a negated expression of improbability) That. [16th–19th c.]
- 1784, Joshua Reynolds, in John Ingamells, John Edgcumbe (eds.), The Letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Yale 2000, p. 131:
- It is not impossible but next year I may have the honour of waiting on your Lordship at St. Asaph, If I go to Ireland I certainly will go that way.
- 1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt 2008, p. 132:
- “I am convinced, if you were to press this matter earnestly upon her, she would consent.”
“It is not impossible but she might,” said Madame de Seidlits […] .
- “I am convinced, if you were to press this matter earnestly upon her, she would consent.”
- 1813, Journal of Natural Philosophy, July:
- It is not improbable but future observations will add Pliny’s Well to the class of irregular reciprocators.
- 1784, Joshua Reynolds, in John Ingamells, John Edgcumbe (eds.), The Letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Yale 2000, p. 131:
Usage notes[edit]
- It is generally considered colloquial to use but at the beginning of a sentence, with other conjunctions such as however or although being preferred in formal writing.
-
But this tool has its uses.
-
However, this tool has its uses.
-
Although this tool does have its uses.
-
Synonyms[edit]
- abbur (Chester)
- (except): bar, unless, excepting, excluding, with the exception of, without
- (however): yet, although, ac
Translations[edit]
although
- Adyghe: ау (aawu)
- Afrikaans: maar (af)
- Aleut: -iiĝali-, -ĝdagali-, -tagali-
- Arabic: لٰكِن (ar) (lākin), لٰكِنَّ (ar) (lākinna), وَلٰكِن (wa-lākin), وَلٰكِنَّ (wa-lākinna), بَلْ (ar) (bal)
- Egyptian Arabic: لكن (laken)
- South Levantine Arabic: لكن (lāken), بسّ (bass)
- Armenian: թեեւ (tʿeew), բայց (hy) (baycʿ)
- Assamese: পিচে (pise), পাচে (pase), কিন্তু (kintu)
- Asturian: pero (ast)
- Azerbaijani: amma (az), lakin (az), ancaq (az), fəqət (az)
- Basque: baina (eu), nahiz eta
- Belarusian: але́ (be) (aljé)
- Bengali: কিন্তু (bn) (kintu)
- Breton: met (br)
- Bulgarian: но (bg) (no), оба́че (bg) (obáče), а́ма (bg) (áma)
- Burmese: ဒါပေမဲ့ (my) (dapemai.)
- Car Nicobarese: höng, lā, vaich-tö
- Catalan: mes (ca), però (ca), mas (ca) (old), emperò
- Central Mnong: តីស (tĭh), តីសមា (tĭh ma), ប្យាៈលាស (ɓjăʔ lăh), មពោៈ (mpŏʔ)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 但係/但系 (daan6 hai6), 不過/不过 (bat1 gwo3)
- Hakka: 但係/但系 (than-he), 毋過/毋过 (m̀-ko)
- Mandarin: 可是 (zh) (kěshì), 但是 (zh) (dànshì), 不過/不过 (zh) (bùguò)
- Min Nan: 但是 (zh-min-nan) (tān-sī), 不而過/不而过 (zh-min-nan) (put-jî-kò, put-lî-kò), 毋過/毋过 (zh-min-nan) (m̄-koh, m̄-kò, m̄-kù), 無過/无过 (bû-kò), 不過/不过 (zh-min-nan) (put-kò), 總是/总是 (zh-min-nan) (chóng-sī)
- Chong: pəntɛː
- Czech: ale (cs)
- Dalmatian: mui
- Danish: men (da)
- Dutch: maar (nl)
- East Central German: abr
- Estonian: kuid (et), aga (et), a (et) (colloquial)
- Faroese: men (fo)
- Finnish: mutta (fi)
- French: mais (fr), cependant (fr)
- Galician: porén (gl), macar (gl), maxer, magar, inanque, inda que, malia que
- Georgian: მაგრამ (magram)
- German: aber (de), aber trotzdem (de)
- Greek: μολονότι (el) (molonóti), παρόλο (el) (parólo), καίτοι (el) (kaítoi), αν και (el) (an kai)
- Greenlandic: -galuar, -kaluar, -raluar
- Gujarati: પણ (paṇ)
- Hawaiian: akā
- Hebrew: אֲבָל (he) (avál)
- Hindi: लेकिन (hi) (lekin), पर (hi) (par)
- Hungarian: de (hu), viszont (hu)
- Icelandic: en (is)
- Ido: ma (io)
- Indonesian: kecuali (id), tetapi (id), tapi (id)
- Inuktitut: -galuaq-, -kaluaq-, -raluaq-
- Irish: ach
- Italian: ma (it), però (it), tuttavia (it)
- Japanese: が (ja) (ga), けれど (keredo), けれども (ja) (keredomo), けど (ja) (kedo), しかし (ja) (shikashi), でも (ja) (demo)
- Kabardian: ауэ (aawe)
- Kannada: ಆದರೆ (kn) (ādare)
- Khasi: hynrei
- Khmer: តែ (km) (tae), ប៉ុន្តែ (km) (pontae), ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ (km) (kɑɑ pontae)
- Korean: 그러나 (ko) (geureona), 하지만 (ko) (hajiman), 지만 (ko) (-jiman)
- Kuy: paj
- Lao: ແຕ່ (tǣ)
- Latin: quamvis (la), licet, ut (la), sed (la)
- Latvian: bet (lv), taču
- Ligurian: ma
- Lithuanian: bet (lt), tačiau (lt), nors (lt)
- Lü: please add this translation if you can
- Macedonian: но (no), а́ма (áma)
- Malay: tetapi
- Malayalam: പക്ഷേ (ml) (pakṣē)
- Maltese: iżda
- Maore Comorian: ɓadi
- Marshallese: ma
- Mbyá Guaraní: ha’e rã
- Mongolian:
- Cyrillic: гэхдээ (gexdee)
- Mwali Comorian: walakini
- Navajo: ndi
- Ngazidja Comorian: sha, lakini, amma
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: men (no)
- Occitan: mas (oc)
- Old English: ac, ah (Anglian)
- Pacoh: kếh ma, ma, icốh ma, ncốh ma, nki ma
- Pashto: لېکن (léken), اما (ps) (amã), مګر (magár), منګر (mangár), وليکن (walikén), ولې (wále)
- Persian: گرچه (fa) (garče), ولی (fa) (vali), اگرچه (fa) (agarče), لیکن (fa) (liken)
- Polish: ale (pl), chociaż (pl)
- Portuguese: embora (pt), mas (pt)
- Rapa Nui: pero
- Romani: tha’
- Romansch: cumbain che
- Russian: но (ru) (no), то́лько (ru) (tólʹko), хотя́ (ru) (xotjá), хоть (ru) (xotʹ)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: а̏ли, а̏ма
- Roman: ȁli (sh), ȁma (sh)
- Shan: သီႈတႄႉ (shn) (sīi tâ̰ae), သီႈလၵ်း (shn) (sīi lák), သေတႄႉ (sěe tâ̰ae), သေလၵ်း (sěe lák), ၵူၺ်းၵႃႈ (shn) (kói kāa), ၵွႆးၵႃႈ (káui kāa), ပွႆးၸိုင် (shn) (páui tsǔeng), ပွႆးလၵ်း (páui lák)
- Tamil: ஆனால் (ta) (āṉāl)
- Tashelhit: macc (mish)
- Slovak: ale
- Slovene: čepràv (sl), tóda (sl)
- Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian: ale
- Upper Sorbian: ale (hsb)
- Sotho: empa
- Spanish: aunque (es), pero (es), mas (es)
- Swahili: lakini
- Swedish: men (sv), fast (sv)
- Tajik: лекин (lekin), аммо (tg) (ammo), вале (vale), агарчи (agarči), гарчи (garči)
- Thai: แต่ (th) (dtɛ̀ɛ), แต่ว่า (th) (dtɛ̀ɛ-wâa)
- Tibetan: ཡིན་ན་ཡང (yin na yang)
- Turkish: ama (tr), ancak (tr), fakat (tr), lakin (tr)
- Ukrainian: але́ (uk) (alé)
- Urdu: لیکن (lekin), اگرچہ
- Vietnamese: nhưng (vi), nhưng mà (vi), mà (vi)
- Volapük: ab (vo)
- Welsh: er
- Yiddish: אָבער (yi) (ober)
- Zazaki: nara
- Zhuang: please add this translation if you can
- ǃXóõ: xàbēkà, gúʻni tshòo
rather
- Afrikaans: maar (af)
- Albanian: por (sq)
- Aleut: al, alix̂, taĝa, tax̂
- Arabic: لٰكِن (ar) (lākin), وَلٰكِنْ (wa-lākin), بَلْ (ar) (bal)
- Egyptian Arabic: بس (bas)
- Moroccan Arabic: ولكن (wa-lakin), أما (ʾamma)
- South Levantine Arabic: لكن (lāken), بسّ (bass)
- Armenian: այլ (hy) (ayl)
- Assamese: পিচে (pise), পাচে (pase), কিন্তু (kintu)
- Asturian: pero (ast)
- Azerbaijani: amma (az), lakin (az), fəqət (az)
- Basque: baina (eu)
- Belarusian: але́ (be) (aljé), а (be) (a)
- Bengali: কিন্তু (bn) (kintu)
- Breton: met (br)
- Bulgarian: но (bg) (no), ала́ (bg) (alá) (often literary)
- Burmese: သို့ရာတွင် (my) (sui.ra-twang), သို့ပေမဲ့ (my) (sui.pemai.)
- Catalan: mes (ca), però (ca), mas (ca) (old), emperò
- Chichewa: koma
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 而 (yue) (ji4), 但係/但系 (daan6 hai6), 不過/不过 (bat1 gwo3)
- Mandarin: 可是 (zh) (kěshì), 但是 (zh) (dànshì), 不過/不过 (zh) (bùguò), 而 (zh) (ér)
- Coptic: ⲁⲗⲗⲁ (alla)
- Czech: ale (cs), jenže (cs)
- Dalmatian: mui
- Danish: men (da)
- Dutch: maar (nl), echter (nl)
- Esperanto: sed (eo), tamen (eo)
- Estonian: ent (et)
- Faroese: men (fo)
- Finnish: mutta (fi), vaan (fi)
- French: mais (fr)
- Galician: mais (gl), pero (gl)
- Georgian: არამედ (aramed)
- German: sondern (de), aber (de)
- Greek: αλλά (el) (allá), μα (el) (ma)
- Ancient: ἀλλά (allá), δέ (dé) (postposition)
- Greenlandic: kisianni, -li (enclitic only)
- Hawaiian: akā
- Hebrew: אֲבָל (he) (avál), אוּלָם (he) (ulám), אַךְ (akh), בְּרַם (he) (b’ram)
- Hindi: लेकिन (hi) (lekin), मगर (hi) (magar), परंतु (hi) (parantu)
- Hungarian: de (hu), viszont (hu), hanem (hu), azonban (hu)
- Icelandic: heldur (is)
- Ido: ma (io)
- Indonesian: namun (id), tetapi (id)
- Inuktitut: kisiani, (enclitic only) -li
- Inupiaq: aglaan, -li (enclitic only)
- Irish: ach
- Italian: ma (it), però (it), tuttavia (it)
- Japanese: ではなく (de wa naku), じゃなく (ja naku)
- Kaingang: hã ra
- Kazakh: бірақ (kk) (bıraq)
- Khmer: ដែរ (km) (dae)
- Korean: 그러나 (ko) (geureona)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: بەڵام (ckb) (bellam)
- Northern Kurdish: lê (ku)
- Kyrgyz: бирок (ky) (birok)
- Lao: ແຕ່ (tǣ)
- Latgalian: a
- Latin: sed (la)
- Latvian: bet (lv), taču
- Lithuanian: bet (lt), tačiau (lt), nors (lt)
- Macedonian: но (no), туку (tuku)
- Malay: tetapi
- Maltese: iżda, imma (mt)
- Mongolian:
- Cyrillic: харин (mn) (xarin), биш, харин (biš, xarin)
- Mwali Comorian: ɓe
- Navajo: ndi
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: men (no)
- Occitan: mas (oc)
- Old Church Slavonic:
- Cyrillic: нъ (nŭ)
- Old East Slavic: нъ (nŭ), але (ale)
- Old English: ac, ah (Anglian)
- Persian: اما (fa) (ammâ), با این حال (ba in hâl), ولی (fa) (vali), مگر (fa) (magar), لیکن (fa) (liken)
- Polish: ale (pl)
- Pontic Greek: άμα (áma), νέμα (néma), κι̮άρ’ (ki̮ár’)
- Portuguese: mas (pt), porém (pt)
- Rapa Nui: pero
- Romanian: dar (ro)
- Romansch: ma, però
- Russian: но (ru) (no), а (ru) (a)
- Sanskrit: परन्तु (parantu)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: него, већ
- Roman: nego, već
- Slovak: ale
- Slovene: a (sl), àmpak (sl)
- Spanish: sino (es)
- Swahili: bali, lakini, walakini (sw)
- Swedish: utan (sv)
- Tajik: аммо (tg) (ammo), вале (vale), лекин (lekin)
- Talysh:
- Asalemi: ولی (vali)
- Tatar: ә (ä), әмма (ämma)
- Thai: แต่ (th) (dtɛ̀ɛ)
- Tibetan: ཡིན་ན་ཡང (yin na yang)
- Turkish: ama (tr), fakat (tr)
- Turkmen: emma
- Ukrainian: але́ (uk) (alé), а (uk) (a)
- Urdu: لیکن (lekin), مگر (magar), پرنتہ (parantu)
- Uzbek: ammo (uz), lekin (uz), biroq (uz)
- Vietnamese: nhưng (vi)
- Welsh: heblaw am
- West Frisian: mar (fy)
- Yiddish: אָבער (yi) (ober)
- Yup’ik: taugaam (sometimes enclitic only)
- Zazaki: labelê, nara
- Zulu: kodwa, kodwa
except
- Afrikaans: behalwe (af)
- Arabic: إِلَّا (ar) (ʔillā), سِوًى (siwan)
- Hijazi Arabic: إلا (illa), مَا عَدَا (mā ʕadā)
- Armenian: բացի (hy) (bacʿi)
- Azerbaijani: çıxmaqla, başqa (az), savayı
- Basque: izan ezik, salbu
- Belarusian: акрамя́ (akramjá)
- Catalan: llevat de (ca), tret de, excepte (ca)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 除咗……以外 (ceoi4 zo2 … ji5 ngoi6)
- Mandarin: 除了……以外 (chúle … yǐwài)
- Min Nan: 除了……以外 (tî-liáu … í-gōa / tû-liáu … í-gōa)
- Czech: kromě (cs), vyjma
- Danish: undtagen, uden (da)
- Dutch: behalve (nl)
- Esperanto: krom (eo), escepte de
- Estonian: peale (et)
- Faroese: uttan
- Finnish: paitsi (fi)
- French: sauf (fr), en dehors de (fr)
- Galician: agás (gl), eigo
- Georgian: გარდა (garda)
- German: außer (de), aber (de) nicht (de), als (de) (only after negative sentences)
- Greek: εκτός (el) (ektós), πλην (el) (plin), με εξαίρεση (me exaíresi), αλλά (el) (allá)
- Greenlandic: -li
- Hebrew: פרט ל (prat’ le-), למעט (lema‘et’)
- Hungarian: csak (hu)
- Indonesian: tetapi (id), tapi (id)
- Irish: ach
- Italian: eccetto (it), salvo (it), a parte, tranne (it)
- Japanese: 以外 (ja) (いがい, igai)
- Khmer: ចៀសតែ (ciəh tae)
- Korean: 외에 (ko) (-oee)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: بەڵام (ckb) (bellam), جگھ (cigh)
- Northern Kurdish: lê (ku), ema (ku), feqet (ku), meger (ku)
- Macedonian: освен (osven)
- Malay: kecuali (ms)
- Maltese: minbarra, mingħajr
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: enn (no), bortsett fra, unntatt, foruten
- Occitan: levat (oc), exceptat, fòra (oc), franc (oc), manca (oc)
- Old English: būtan
- Persian: بجز (fa) (bejoz), مگر (fa) (magar)
- Polish: oprócz (pl), z wyjątkiem (pl)
- Portuguese: exceto (pt), salvo (pt)
- Romanian: dar (ro), însă (ro)
- Russian: кро́ме (ru) (króme), лишь (ru) (lišʹ)
- Scottish Gaelic: ach
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: сем, осим
- Roman: sem (sh), osim (sh)
- Slovak: okrem, len
- Slovene: rázen (sl)
- Sotho: ha e se
- Spanish: excepto (es), salvo (es), sino (es), mas (es)
- Swedish: förutom (sv), utom (sv)
- Turkish: hariç (tr), başka (tr)
- Ukrainian: крім (krim)
- Welsh: ac eithrio
- West Frisian: mar (fy)
- Zazaki: la (diq), nara
solely, only, merely (obsolete)
- Azerbaijani: ancaq (az), təkcə
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 只 (zh) (zhǐ)
- French: que (fr), seulement (fr)
- Galician: somente, namais, xiquera
- German: nur (de)
- Hungarian: csak (hu), csupán (hu), mindössze (hu), pusztán
- Japanese: だけ (ja) (dake), しか (ja) (shika)
- Lithuanian tik (lt), vos (lt)
- Old English: būtan
- Russian: то́лько (ru) (tólʹko), лишь (ru) (lišʹ)
- Slovak: len
- Spanish: sólo (es), solamente (es)
- Zazaki: teyna
Translations to be checked
- Greek:
- Ancient Greek: (please verify) ἀλλά (allá)
- Arabic: (please verify) بَل (ar) (bal)
- Hungarian: (please verify) kivéve -t, csak (after a negative sentence), (please verify) csak nem (after a positive sentence)
- Indonesian: (please verify) tapi (id), (please verify) tetapi (id)
- Kurdish:
- Northern Kurdish: (please verify) lê (ku) (Kurmanji)
- Old Prussian: (please verify) aber
- Persian: (please verify) ولی (fa) (vali)
- Romanian: (please verify) dar (ro)
- Tamil: (please verify) ஆனால் (ta) (āṉāl)
- Telugu: (please verify) కానీ (te) (kānī)
- Volapük: (please verify) ab (vo), (please verify) efe (vo), (please verify) sod (vo) (archaic)
Noun[edit]
but (plural buts)
- An instance or example of using the word «but».
-
It has to be done – no ifs or buts.
-
- (Scotland) The outer room of a small two-room cottage.
- A limit; a boundary.
- The end; especially the larger or thicker end, or the blunt, in distinction from the sharp, end; the butt.
Derived terms[edit]
- top and but
Verb[edit]
but (third-person singular simple present buts, present participle butting, simple past and past participle butted)
- (archaic) Use the word «but».
-
But me no buts.
-
Derived terms[edit]
- all but
- all-but
- anything but
- but and ben
- but for
- but for the grace of God
- but good
- but hey
- but if
- but me no buts
- but seriously folks
- but then
- but then again
- but who’s counting
- cannot but
- cannot help but
- gurry-but
- ifs, ands, or buts
- not but
- not only … but also
- nothing but
- though but
References[edit]
- but at OneLook Dictionary Search
- “but”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Anagrams[edit]
- BTU, TBU, tub
Danish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle Low German butt.
Adjective[edit]
but
- (rare) blunt
Inflection[edit]
Inflection of but | |||
---|---|---|---|
Positive | Comparative | Superlative | |
Common singular | but | — | —2 |
Neuter singular | but | — | —2 |
Plural | butte | — | —2 |
Definite attributive1 | butte | — | — |
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding «indefinite» form is used. 2) The «indefinite» superlatives may not be used attributively. |
Synonyms[edit]
- stump
Antonyms[edit]
- spids
French[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle French but (“mark, goal”), from Old French but (“aim, goal, end, target”), from Old French butte (“mound, knoll, target”), from Frankish *but (“stump, log”), or from Old Norse bútr (“log, stump, butt”); both from Proto-Germanic *buttaz (“end, piece”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewd- (“to beat, push”). Cognate with Old English butt (“tree stump”); see butt. The semantic development from «mound» to «target» is likely from martial training practice. The final /t/ is from the old pausal and liaison pronunciation; its (partial) restoration as the basic form may have been reinforced by related butte.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /by/
- Homophones: bu, bue, bues, bus, bût, buts
- (outside Canada now more often) IPA(key): /byt/
- Homophones: bute, butent, butes, bûtes, buts, butte, buttent, buttes
Noun[edit]
but m (plural buts)
- aim
- goal (result one is attempting to achieve)
- (sports) goal (in the place, act, or point sense)
Synonyms[edit]
- fin
- objectif
- dessein
- point
Derived terms[edit]
- but cadré
- but contre son camp
- but en argent
- but en or
- buter
- buteur
- buteuse
- coup de pied de but
- de but en blanc
- deuxième but
- droit au but
- gardien de but
- gardienne de but
- premier but
- tirs au but
- troisième but
Etymology 2[edit]
From boire.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /by/
- Homophones: bu, bue, bues, bus, bût, buts
Verb[edit]
but
- third-person singular past historic of boire
Further reading[edit]
- “but”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Indonesian[edit]
Noun[edit]
but (first-person possessive butku, second-person possessive butmu, third-person possessive butnya)
- (computing) bootstrap (process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory)
References[edit]
- “but” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.
Maltese[edit]
Root |
---|
b-w-t |
3 terms |
Etymology[edit]
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /buːt/
- Rhymes: -uːt
Noun[edit]
but m (plural bwiet, diminutive bwejjet or buta or bwejta)
- (figuratively) money
Middle English[edit]
Noun[edit]
but
- (Northern) Alternative form of bote (“boot”)
Polish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Old Czech bot, from Old French bot.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /but/
- Rhymes: -ut
- Syllabification: but
Noun[edit]
but m inan (diminutive bucik or butek, augmentative bucior or bucisko)
- shoe
- boot
Declension[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
- bucior
- bucisko
Further reading[edit]
- but in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- but in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Romani[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀩𑀳𑀼𑀢𑁆𑀢 (bahutta),[1] from Sanskrit बहुत्व (bahutva, “much, many, very”).[1][2] Cognate with Hindi बहुत (bahut).
Adjective[edit]
but (oblique bute)
- much[1][2][3][4]
- many[1][2][3]
-
But rroma mekhle i India thaj gele p-e aver phuva.
- Many Roma left India and went towards other lands.
-
Descendants[edit]
- Kalo Finnish Romani: buut
Adverb[edit]
but
- very[1][4][5]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Boretzky, Norbert; Igla, Birgit (1994), “but”, in Wörterbuch Romani-Deutsch-Englisch für den südosteuropäischen Raum : mit einer Grammatik der Dialektvarianten [Romani-German-English dictionary for the Southern European region] (in German), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, →ISBN, page 39b
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “bahutva”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 519
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Marcel Courthiade (2009), “but B-ćham: -e I”, in Melinda Rézműves, editor, Morri angluni rromane ćhibǎqi evroputni lavustik = Első rromani nyelvű európai szótáram : cigány, magyar, angol, francia, spanyol, német, ukrán, román, horvát, szlovák, görög [My First European-Romani Dictionary: Romani, Hungarian, English, French, Spanish, German, Ukrainian, Romanian, Croatian, Slovak, Greek] (in Hungarian; English), Budapest: Fővárosi Onkormányzat Cigány Ház—Romano Kher, →ISBN, page 97a
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Yūsuke Sumi (2018), “but”, in ニューエクスプレスプラス ロマ(ジプシー)語 [New Express Plus Romani (Gypsy)] (in Japanese), Tokyo: Hakusuisha, published 2021, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 147
- ^ Marcel Courthiade (2009), “but II”, in Melinda Rézműves, editor, Morri angluni rromane ćhibǎqi evroputni lavustik = Első rromani nyelvű európai szótáram : cigány, magyar, angol, francia, spanyol, német, ukrán, román, horvát, szlovák, görög [My First European-Romani Dictionary: Romani, Hungarian, English, French, Spanish, German, Ukrainian, Romanian, Croatian, Slovak, Greek] (in Hungarian; English), Budapest: Fővárosi Onkormányzat Cigány Ház—Romano Kher, →ISBN, page 97a
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Ottoman Turkish بوت (but).
Noun[edit]
but n (plural buturi)
- thigh of an animal
Declension[edit]
Scots[edit]
Noun[edit]
but (plural buts)
- The outer room of a small two-room cottage.
Preposition[edit]
but
- Outside of, without.
Serbo-Croatian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بوت (but).
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /bût/
Noun[edit]
bȕt m (Cyrillic spelling бу̏т)
- thigh
- ham
Declension[edit]
References[edit]
- “but” in Hrvatski jezični portal
Turkish[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- bud (dialectal)
Etymology[edit]
From Ottoman Turkish بود (bud), بوت (but), from Proto-Turkic *būt. Compare Old Turkic [script needed] (būt).
Noun[edit]
but (definite accusative butu, plural butlar)
- thigh
Synonyms[edit]
- uyluk
Volapük[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /but/
Noun[edit]
but (nominative plural buts)
- boot
Declension[edit]
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WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023 but1 /bʌt; unstressed bət/USA pronunciation
adv.
n.
Idioms
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023 but1
prep.
adv.
n.
2, 11. When but is understood as a conjunction and the pronoun following it is understood as the subject of an incompletely expressed clause, the pronoun is in the subjective case:Everyone lost faith in the plan but she(did not lose faith). In virtually identical contexts, when but is understood as a preposition, the pronoun following it is in the objective case:Everyone lost faith but her.The prepositional use is more common. However, when prepositional but and its following pronoun occur near the beginning of a sentence, the subjective case often appears:Everyone but she lost faith in the plan.See also doubt, than.
but3
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: but /bʌt; (unstressed) bət/ conj (coordinating)
conj (subordinating)
sentence connector
prep
adv
n
Etymology: Old English būtan without, outside, except, from be by + ūtan out; related to Old Saxon biūtan, Old High German biūzan but /bʌt/ Scot n
prep , adv
Etymology: 18th Century: from but (adv) outside, hence, outer room; see but1 ‘but‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): < But / Instead > in real life, it’s impossible to Look up «but» at Merriam-Webster In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic |
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