aga / kuid / vaid
But (Aga, Kuid, Vaid)
Ilm on külm, aga päikeseline. (The weather is cold but sunny.) Ma ei ole soomlane, vaid eestlane. (I'm not Finnish but Estonian.)
How It Works
1. aga: everyday but
- Ilm on külm, aga päikeseline. (The weather is cold but sunny.)
- Ma tahan tulla, aga mul pole aega. (I want to come, but I don't have time.)
aga is also the but in ja, aga, või. In speech it often starts a sentence: Aga miks? (But why?)
2. kuid: formal but
Hind oli kõrge, kuid kvaliteet oli hea. (The price was high, but the quality was good.) You can use aga here too; kuid just sounds more written.
3. vaid: not this, but that
After a negative, when the second part replaces the first, use vaid. The first part often has mitte:
- Ma ei ole soomlane, vaid eestlane. (I'm not Finnish but Estonian.)
- Ta ei elanud mitte Tartus, vaid Pärnus. (She lived not in Tartu but in Pärnu.)
- Me ei läinud kinno, vaid jäime koju. (We didn't go to the cinema; we stayed home instead.)
aga or vaid after a negative?
Use vaid when the second part takes the place of what you denied. Use aga when both parts are true side by side: Ma ei ole soomlane, aga ma räägin soome keelt. (I'm not Finnish, but I speak Finnish.)
4. Particle uses without a comma
aga after a word can mean however or as for: Meie aga läksime edasi. (We, however, went on.) vaid can also mean only: Lossist on vaid varemed järel. (Only ruins are left of the castle.) These uses take no comma.
Examples (6)
- Ilm on külm, aga päikeseline.
The weather is cold but sunny.
Word by Word: weather is cold, but sunny
- Ma tahan tulla, aga mul pole aega.
I want to come, but I don't have time.
Word by Word: I want come, but me-at isn't time(PART)
- Hind oli kõrge, kuid kvaliteet oli hea.
The price was high, but the quality was good.
Word by Word: price was high, but quality was good
kuid sounds more formal than aga.
- Ma ei ole soomlane, vaid eestlane.
I'm not Finnish but Estonian.
Word by Word: I not am Finn, but Estonian
- Ta ei elanud mitte Tartus, vaid Pärnus.
She lived not in Tartu but in Pärnu.
Word by Word: she not lived not Tartu-in, but Pärnu-in
- Me ei läinud kinno, vaid jäime koju.
We didn't go to the cinema; we stayed home instead.
Word by Word: we not went cinema-into, but stayed home
Common Mistakes
Using aga to correct a negative.
Ma ei ole soomlane, aga eestlane.Ma ei ole soomlane, vaid eestlane.When the second part replaces what was denied, the word is vaid.
Using vaid without a negative.
Ilm on külm, vaid päikeseline.Ilm on külm, aga päikeseline.vaid as but only follows a negative. For a simple contrast, use aga or kuid.
Forgetting the comma before aga.
Oled väike aga tubli.Oled väike, aga tubli.When aga joins two parts as but, a comma goes before it.
How It Connects
Learn This First
kuid and vaid extend the everyday aga.
Related Patterns
- mitteNegating a Word (Mitte)
mitte often marks the part that vaid replaces.
Level 3 - mitte ainult ... vaid kaNot Only ... but Also
vaid also appears in not only ... but also.
Level 4 - küll ... agaAdmittedly ... but
aga pairs with küll for admittedly ... but.
Level 4 - Negation with ei
vaid follows a negative sentence.
Level 1 - ent / sestap / nõndaLiterary Linking Words
ent is a literary word for but.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice aga / kuid / vaid in Bubblegum
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