परंतु (But)

Formal/written way to say 'but' — used in news and literature

Example

प्रयास किया परंतु सफल न हुआ

Tried but didn't succeed

From Sanskrit. You'll see this in news articles, textbooks, and formal writing. In conversation, people almost always use लेकिन or मगर instead.

Automatically detected by the Desi Lingo browser extension when you click Hindi words on any webpage.

Connects words or ideas together — 'and'

Gives a choice between options — 'or'

Shows contrast — 'but', 'however'

Another way to say 'but' — slightly more bookish than लेकिन

Introduces what someone said or thought — 'I said that...', 'I think that...'