Phrase · 🎯 Arguing a point
No es que el plan sea malo, sino que llega en mal momento.
It's not that the plan is bad; it's that it comes at a bad time.
B2arguingAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
No1adverbnotes1verbit isser · present · 3rd sing.que1conjunctionthateldeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definiteplannounplanmasc. · sing.sea1verbisser · subjunctive · present · 3rd sing.maloadjectivebadmasc. · sing.,sino2conjunctionbut ratherque2conjunctionthatllega2verbcomes, arrivesllegar · present · 3rd sing.enprepositionatmal3adjectivebadmalo · masc. · sing.momentonounmoment, timemasc. · sing..
- No → sea: mood
- No → sino: corr
- plan → el: agree
- plan → malo: agree
- momento → mal: agree
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1No es que + subjunctive rejects a reason someone might assume: it is not that the plan is bad. Cause and consequence: ya que, debido a, así que, tan… que →
- 2sino que + indicative gives the real reason after a negative. To correct, use sino, not pero. Discourse markers B2: contrast, digression and reformulation →
- 3mal: malo drops its -o before a masculine singular noun, like buen día. Describing nouns: adjective agreement and modifiers →