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[giantantattack.livejournal.com]

When translating the English conjunction "but", how does one know when to use но or а or да?

Also, in the same thought, how does one distinguish between и, а, and да, as far as "and" is concerned?
[EDIT]: I found the answer to this last part in the community's memories section.

Comments

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

For the AND one, I know that a is usually used as more contrasting while ee is usually more like listing. I've never heard of da used as and.

[giantantattack.livejournal.com]

I just found this (http://www.livejournal.com/community/learn_russian/72120.html?thread=702904#t702904) in the memories section. It addresses the use of "да" in this context.

[apollotiger.livejournal.com]

The difference between и and a was explained to me like so: и is simply sticking sentences together, but a is drawing a conclusion.

[cema.livejournal.com]

Well, а is also contrasting, although maybe not so much as да.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

>When translating the English conjunction "but", how does one know when to use но or а or да?

"Но" is used in most cases. "А" as "but" means opposition: я был одет в белое, а она - в черное (I was dressed in white, but she was dressed in black.) The usage of да as "but" is rather rare and very colloquial and/or old-fasioned: я хотел пойти, да не смог (I wanted to come out, but I couldn't) -- and is replacable with "но" in most cases, except some old proverbs: хотел бы в рай, да грехи не пускают - I would like to enter the paradise, but [my] sins would not let me [in].

Спасибо!

[giantantattack.livejournal.com]

This is a great explanation. Thank you so much. I pretty much had the distinction between а and но figured out, but, being the perfectionist I am, I had to make sure. And the dictionary I have mentions that да is used, but only gave "Я и пошёл бы, да не могу." as an example, and described nothing else about its use. So, your explanation on that piece was particularly helpful.

Re: Спасибо!

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Right, however good a dictionary would be, it could never replace a living native speaker willing to explain (especially, being perfectionist as I am :))))))