“Sin embargo” in Spanish – Meaning and Use

Welcome 😊 to our grammar lesson on the Spanish phrase sin embargo.

By the end of this lesson, you will know the meaning of sin embargo and how to use it correctly in sentences.

Meaning of “sin embargo”

sin embargo means however or nevertheless.

It is similar in its meaning to another Spanish word: pero (English but).

Both “sin embargo” and “pero” express opposition between two elements. The difference is that sin embargo communicates a more emphasized opposition.

Use in sentences

sin embargo is frequently isolated from the rest of the sentence by a period and/or commas.

We can place it at several spots in the sentence. But its most common place is at the beginning.

Examples

The following 3 sentences have the same meaning: “The team plays well. However, today it lost”:

El equipo juega bien. Sin embargo, hoy ha perdido.

El equipo juega bien. Hoy, sin embargo, ha perdido.

El equipo juega bien. Hoy ha perdido, sin embargo.


The following 3 sentences mean: “Carlos hasn’t studied. Nevertheless, he’s going to take the exam”:

Carlos no ha estudiado. Sin embargo, va a hacer el examen.

Carlos no ha estudiado. Va a hacer, sin embargo, el examen.

Carlos no ha estudiado. Va a hacer el examen, sin embargo.