"Sino" as "only"

[laepelba]

My exercise book says the following:

Sino may also indicate a restriction, equivalent to only in English in situations such as:

- No espera sino que tú defiendas tus ideas. He wants only that you defend your ideas.
- Las hijas de Marsha no compran sino camisas de seda. Marsha's daughters buy only (do not buy anything but) silk shirts.

I don't completely follow this construction. My main question is does the verb before "sino" always needs to be preceded by "no"?

So would it work something like the following? (I made these up....)
- No vota sino por un republicano.
- No puedo hacer sino tanto.
- El delinquente no asalta sino viejos.

I kept wanting to use "sólo" instead of "sino" in these sentences, yet without the word "no". I have absolutely no idea if I'm on track here.......

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by laepelba

My main question is does the verb before "sino" always needs to be preceded by "no"? Yes. I can't think of a counterexample now.

So would it work something like the following? (I made these up....)
- No vota sino por (un) republicano(s). Leaving "un republicano" means that there is a known republican for whom he/she is voting. (An alternative with "sólo": Sólo vota por republicanos.)
- No puedo hacer sino tanto. No puedo hacer tanto. / No puedo hacer sino esto. / Sólo esto puedo hacer
- El delincuente no asalta sino viejos. (An alternative with sólo: "El delincuente sólo asalta viejos")

I kept wanting to use "sólo" instead of "sino" in these sentences, yet without the word "no". I have absolutely no idea if I'm on track here.......
Yes, you are.

Comments above.

El perro no quiere sino que le den agua. - El perro sólo quiere que le den agua.
The dog only wants to be given some water.

Mi suegra no sabe sino hacer maldades. - Mi suegra sólo sabe hacer maldades.
My mother in law can only do evil things.

[aleCcowaN]

In your examples:

no ... sino = ... not other thing (than)

That "no" negates any possible complement except the one starting with "sino".

[Perikles]

There seems to be a parallel in Shakespearean English: They never meet but there is a skirmish of wit between them.

[laepelba]

Okay, thanks, all.

Malila - I was iffy about that 2nd example. I was trying to say "I can only do so much", which is very common to say in English. But it's probably one of those things that really doesn't translate directly...

Perikles, that is why I could never really read Shakespeare. That sentence almost doesn't make sense to me.......

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Perikles: Yo la uso, pero la construcción "no ...sino..." tiene un no-sé-qué de arcaico también en español...

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

My exercise book says the following:



I don't completely follow this construction. My main question is does the verb before "sino" always needs to be preceded by "no"?

So would it work something like the following? (I made these up....)
- No vota sino por un republicano.
- No puedo hacer sino tanto.
- El delinquente no asalta sino a viejos.

I kept wanting to use "sólo" instead of "sino" in these sentences, yet without the word "no". I have absolutely no idea if I'm on track here.......

Yours are correct.

...no ....sino... = only

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Perikles: Yo la uso, pero la construcción "no ...sino..." tiene un no-sé-qué de arcaico también en español...

Yes?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Irma: Tal vez en España no... aquí se usa muy poco, y normalmente es gente mayor la que la llega a usar.

[irmamar]

Aquí es habitual; menos en el lenguaje hablado, pero en el escrito (formal) sí se usa, y mucho. Por eso me ha sorprendido tu comentario.