ами

Well and but Rather

Level 4Sounds Like ami

Ами has two jobs: "but rather" after a negative, and "well" at the start of a casual reply: Не е тоа, ами ова. Ами, не знам.

How It Works

1. "Not this, but that." The first part is negative, and ами gives the correct version:

  • Не е тоа, ами ова. It's not that one, but this one.
  • Не одиме во кино, ами во театар. We're not going to the cinema, but to the theatre.
  • Не сум лута, ами уморна. I'm not angry, just tired.

Here ами and туку mean the same. Do not use но for this correction: но adds something unexpected, while ами and туку replace the wrong idea. Ами also works in не само ... ами и (not only ... but also): Таа не само што готви ами и пече леб. See не само ... туку и.

2. Starting a reply. In everyday conversation, ами at the very start is like "well":

  • — Каде е Марко? — Ами, не знам. — Where's Marko? — Well, I don't know.
  • Ами, како да не! Yeah, right! (you don't believe it)
  • Ами, што да правам? Well, what else can I do?

This second use belongs to casual speech and folk style, so leave it out of formal writing.

Commas. Put a comma before ами when it brings in the right version, and after it when it opens a reply. Inside не само ... ами и no comma is written. See commas before contrast words. Do not mix up ами with ама, a casual word for "but" that works like но.

Examples (6)

  1. Не е тоа, ами ова.

    It's not that one, but this one.

    Word by Word: Not is that, but this.

  2. Не одиме во кино, ами во театар.

    We're not going to the cinema, but to the theatre.

    Word by Word: Not we-go in cinema, but in theatre.

  3. Не сум лута, ами уморна.

    I'm not angry, just tired.

    Word by Word: Not I-am angry, but tired.

    Лута and уморна are feminine, so the speaker is a woman.

  4. Ами, не знам.

    Well, I don't know.

    Word by Word: Well, not I-know.

  5. Ами, како да не!

    Yeah, right!

    Word by Word: Well, how to not!

    With ами in front, како да не shows disbelief rather than a real "of course".

  6. Таа не само што готви ами и пече леб.

    She not only cooks but also bakes bread.

    Word by Word: She not only that cooks but also bakes bread.

Common Mistakes

  • Using но to correct a negative statement.

    Не е тоа, но ова.
    Не е тоа, ами ова.

    When you replace a wrong idea with the right one, use ами or туку. Но only adds a contrast; it does not replace anything.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

амиLevel 4Well and but Rather

Learn This First

Well and but rather follow не ... туку.

Words in This Pattern

амиами