G3305 G3305
A conjunction expressing concession or affirmation: however, indeed, nevertheless — marking contrast or emphasis.
A versatile discourse particle that signals the speaker is acknowledging one reality before pivoting to another. In its most common use it means 'however' or 'yet,' introducing a concessive clause — as when the disciples wanted to question Jesus but no one dared (John 4:27), or when many believed but would not confess openly (John 12:42). It can also carry a purely emphatic force, 'indeed' or 'truly,' affirming what follows with weight. Paul uses it as 'nevertheless' in 2 Timothy 2:19, pivoting from false teaching to the firm foundation of God.
Senses
1. however — Concessive conjunction meaning 'however' or 'yet,' acknowledging a preceding thought while introducing a contrasting or qualifying statement. Appears in John 4:27 (they wanted to ask, yet no one spoke), John 7:13 (no one spoke openly, however, for fear), and John 20:5. Spanish 'sin-embargo' and French 'cependant' both capture this adversative nuance. 5×
amh["ግን"]·AR["حقاً","لَكِنْ","لٰكِنْ","وَلٰكِنْ"]·ben["তবুও","তবে"]·ces["přece"]·dan["ganske-vist"]·DE["allerdings","jedoch"]·ell["μέντοι"]·EN["however","indeed"]·FR["cependant","pourtant"]·guj["ખરેખર"]·hat["sepandan"]·hau["sai-dai"]·heb["אֲבָל","אוּלָם","אכן"]·HI["तौभी","फिर-भी"]·hun["mégis"]·ID["namun"]·IT["certamente","tuttavia"]·jav["nanging","sanajan"]·JA["しかしながら"]·KO["그러나"]·mar["तरीही"]·mya["သို့သော်လည်း"]·nld["toch"]·nor["visselig"]·pnb["فیر-وی"]·pol["jednakże"]·PT["contudo","porém","todavia"]·ron["totuși"]·RU["однако"]·ES["sin-embargo"]·SW["hakika","hakuingia","hata-hivyo","hawaku"]·swe["emellertid"]·tam["உண்மையில்"]·tel["నిజముగా"]·tgl["tunay"]·TH["แท้จริง"]·TR["ancak","yine-de"]·ukr["однак"]·urd["البتہ","تاہم","لیکن","کہا"]·VI["thật-ra"]·yor["nítòótọ́"]·yue["雖然"]·ZH["然而"]
2. indeed — Emphatic affirmative particle meaning 'indeed' or 'truly,' lending weight and certainty to the assertion that follows. In John 12:42, many rulers indeed believed but feared the Pharisees; in James 2:8, keeping the royal law is indeed doing well. Spanish 'ciertamente' highlights the affirmative rather than contrastive force. 2×
AR["حَقًّا"]·ben["অবশ্য","তবুও"]·DE["allerdings"]·EN["indeed"]·FR["cependant"]·heb["אָמְנָם"]·HI["फिर-भी","सचमुच"]·ID["memang"]·IT["certamente"]·jav["nanging","ugi"]·KO["그럼에도-불구하고","참으로"]·PT["contudo"]·RU["однако"]·ES["ciertamente"]·SW["kweli","lakini"]·TR["gerçekten"]·urd["بے-شک","لیکن"]
3. nevertheless — Strong adversative conjunction meaning 'nevertheless,' marking a decisive pivot from a troubling situation to a reassuring truth. In 2 Timothy 2:19, despite those who have swerved from the truth, 'nevertheless the firm foundation of God stands.' Spanish 'sin-embargo' and German 'allerdings' confirm the concessive-adversative weight. 1×
AR["لٰكِنَّ"]·ben["তবুও,"]·DE["allerdings"]·EN["nevertheless"]·FR["cependant"]·heb["אֲבָל"]·HI["परन्तु,"]·ID["namun-demikian"]·IT["certamente"]·jav["nanging,"]·KO["그러나,"]·PT["contudo"]·RU["однако-"]·ES["sin-embargo"]·SW["hata-hivyo"]·TR["yine-de"]·urd["تاہم"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Included with: μέν, Particle, used partly to express certainty on the part of the speaker or writer; partly, and more commonly, to point out that the word or clause with which it stands is correlative to another word or clause that is to follow, the latter word or clause being introduced by δέ. __A __A.I μέν used absolutely to express certainty, not followed by correlative δέ, indeed, of a truth,…