síce ... ale
Admittedly ... but
Use síce to admit something and ale to add the more important point: Je to síce drahé, ale dobré. (It is expensive, admittedly, but good.)
How It Works
Admit, then contrast. With síce the speaker agrees that something is true. The second part, with ale, gives the point that matters more:
- Je to síce drahé, ale dobré. (It is expensive, admittedly, but good.)
- Mám síce málo času, ale prídem. (I do not have much time, it is true, but I will come.)
Where síce goes. Síce usually stands right after the first word or phrase of its clause. Short unstressed words such as som, sa and mi come first, and síce follows them: Bol som síce unavený, ale pomohol som mu. See unstressed words in second position.
The second part. It starts with ale, or with no or lenže. A comma always comes before it, even between two short words: síce malý, ale pekný. Without the second part, síce leaves the sentence unfinished.
Similar patterns. Hoci and aj keď say something similar with a subordinate clause: Hoci je to drahé, je to dobré. With síce ... ale, both parts are main clauses. A síce, with a in front, is a different expression meaning "namely", and dictionaries prefer a to for it: see a to / a síce.
Examples (6)
- Je to síce drahé, ale dobré.
It's expensive, admittedly, but good.
Word by Word: Is it admittedly expensive, but good.
- Bol som síce unavený, ale pomohol som mu.
I was tired, it is true, but I helped him.
Word by Word: Was I admittedly tired, but helped I to-him.
Som comes before síce because unstressed words stand right after the first word.
- Byt je síce malý, ale veľmi pekný.
The flat is small, admittedly, but very nice.
Word by Word: Flat is admittedly small, but very nice.
- Slovenčina je síce ťažká, no dá sa naučiť.
Slovak is hard, it is true, but it can be learned.
Word by Word: Slovak is admittedly hard, but gives self to-learn.
- Pršalo síce celý deň, ale výlet sa nám páčil.
It rained all day, admittedly, but we enjoyed the trip.
Word by Word: Rained admittedly whole day, but trip self to-us pleased.
- Mám síce málo času, ale prídem.
I don't have much time, it's true, but I'll come.
Word by Word: I-have admittedly little of-time, but I-will-come.
Common Mistakes
Following síce with a instead of a contrast word.
Je to síce drahé a dobré.Je to síce drahé, ale dobré.Síce promises a contrast, so the second part needs ale, no or lenže.
Putting síce before an unstressed word.
Bol síce som unavený, ale pomohol som mu.Bol som síce unavený, ale pomohol som mu.Som must come right after the first word, so síce goes after it.
Leaving out the comma before ale.
Byt je síce malý ale pekný.Byt je síce malý, ale pekný.A comma always comes before ale in síce ... ale, even between two adjectives.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Admittedly ... but, learn And, But and Or. síce ... ale is a two-part version of ale.
Related Patterns
- hociAlthough: Hoci
Says a similar thing with a subordinate clause: Hoci je to drahé, je to dobré.
Level 3 - aj keď / i keďEven Though
Another way to admit a point before the main statement.
Level 4 - avšak / noHowever: Avšak and No
No can replace ale in the second part of síce ... ale.
Level 5 - Unstressed Words in Second Position
Explains why síce comes after words like som and sa.
Level 3 - a toNamely: A to
A síce with a in front is a different expression that means namely. Standard Slovak prefers a to for it.
Level 6
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice síce ... ale in Bubblegum
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