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How to Say ‘On the other hand / however’ in French

Par contre

par KOHN-truh

[par KOHN-truh]

💬 Usage Tip: In everyday speech par contre mostly introduces a catch or a small problem, like "but". Expect bad news to follow it.

Phrase Breakdown

Par

[par]

by (in 'par contre')

First part of the expression 'par contre', meaning 'however'.

Example

Par contre, il pleut.

However, it's raining.

contre

[KOHN-truh]

however (in 'par contre')

Literally 'against'; with 'par' it means on the other hand.

Example

C'est bon, par contre c'est cher.

It's good, but it's expensive.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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