senón
But Rather: Senón
Senón corrects a negative statement: Non é azul senón verde (It is not blue but green). With non só it adds a second point: Non só fala galego, senón tamén portugués.
How It Works
Correcting: non ... senón
- Non é azul senón verde. (It is not blue but green.)
- Non vou o luns senón o martes. (I am not going on Monday but on Tuesday.)
- Before a conjugated verb, add que: Non o comprou, senón que llo regalaron. (He did not buy it; they gave it to him as a present.)
Adding: non só ... senón tamén
Non só fala galego, senón tamén portugués. (She speaks not only Galician but also Portuguese.)
Pero or senón?
Compare Non é caro, pero é bo (It is not expensive, but it is good: both parts are true) with Non é caro senón barato (It is not expensive but cheap: the second word replaces the first). See pero.
Two more uses
- non ... senón can mean only: Non fai senón queixarse (He does nothing but complain).
- As a preposition, senón means except: Sabíano todos senón eu (Everyone knew it except me).
Senón or se non?
Se non is the conjunction se plus non: Se non vés, marcho (If you do not come, I will leave), Apura, se non, perdes o tren (Hurry, otherwise you will miss the train). A quick test: if you can put a subject between the two words (se ti non vés), write them apart.
Examples (6)
- Non é azul senón verde.
It is not blue but green.
Senón replaces the denied colour with the right one.
- Non vou o luns senón o martes.
I'm not going on Monday but on Tuesday.
- Non só fala galego, senón tamén portugués.
She speaks not only Galician but also Portuguese.
- Non o comprou, senón que llo regalaron.
He did not buy it; they gave it to him as a present.
Senón que introduces a conjugated verb.
- Non fai senón queixarse.
He does nothing but complain.
Non ... senón here means only.
- Sabíano todos senón eu.
Everyone knew it except me.
As a preposition, senón means except.
Common Mistakes
Using pero to correct a negative.
Non é azul, pero verde.Non é azul senón verde.When the second part replaces what was denied, use senón. Pero only adds a contrast to something that stays true.
Writing senón when you mean if not.
Senón vés, marcho.Se non vés, marcho.This sentence states a condition, so it needs se followed by non, written as two words.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Senón replaces a rejected alternative, unlike pero adding a contrast.
Related Patterns
- maisMais as but
A more formal word for but, used like pero rather than like senón.
Level 4 - se + PresentReal Conditions with Se
The conditional se that forms se non (if not, otherwise).
Level 2 - nin ... ninNeither ... nor
Another connector that works inside negative sentences.
Level 3 - no canto de / en vez deInstead of: No Canto De
Another way to swap one option for another: instead of.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice senón in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Galician lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
