e / ou / pero
And, Or and but
e = and, ou = or, pero = but: pan e queixo, té ou café?, É pequeno, pero bonito.
How It Works
e (and) joins words and sentences: pan e queixo (bread and cheese), Canto e bailo (I sing and dance). It is always e, even before a word starting with i: Xoán e Iria.
e or é? Without an accent, e means and. With an accent, é means is: Ela é alta e simpática (She is tall and nice). See the diacritic accent.
ou (or) offers a choice: Queres té ou café? It is always ou, even before a word starting with o: sete ou oito.
pero (but) adds a contrast: O piso é pequeno, pero bonito. A comma usually comes before it when it joins two ideas.
Other words you will meet. In formal writing, mais (with no accent) also means but; máis with an accent means more (see mais as but). In a negative sentence, use nin instead of e: Non quero té nin café (see neither ... nor). After a negative, senón gives the right option: Non é azul, senón verde (see senón).
Examples (6)
- Quero pan e queixo.
I want bread and cheese.
- Queres té ou café?
Do you want tea or coffee?
- O piso é pequeno, pero bonito.
The flat is small but pretty.
- Xoán e Iria viven en Ourense.
Xoán and Iria live in Ourense.
E stays the same before the i of Iria.
- Hai sete ou oito persoas.
There are seven or eight people.
Ou stays the same before the o of oito.
- Gústame o mar, pero non sei nadar.
I like the sea, but I can't swim.
Common Mistakes
Writing e (and) where you mean é (is).
Ela e de Vigo.Ela é de Vigo.The verb is always written with an accent: é. Without the accent, e means and.
Changing ou to u before an o sound.
Hai sete u oito persoas.Hai sete ou oito persoas.Spanish changes o to u before an o sound, but Galician ou never changes.
Writing máis (more) when you mean but.
Quero ir, máis non podo.Quero ir, pero non podo.Máis with an accent means more. For but, use pero, or mais without an accent in formal writing.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- maisMais as but
Mais without an accent is a formal word for but.
Level 4 - e maisAnd Also: E Mais
E mais is another way to join two people or things.
Level 4 - nin ... ninNeither ... nor
In negative sentences, nin replaces e.
Level 3 - senónBut Rather: Senón
After a negative, senón introduces the right alternative.
Level 3 - Diacritic Accent
The accent is what separates e (and) from é (is).
Level 1 - ademais / en cambio / pola contraEveryday Connectors
More connectors for organising ideas.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice e / ou / pero in Bubblegum
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