Compound conjunctions: zwar ... aber

Ich komme zwar aus Spanien, aber Deutschland ist mein Zuhause.

Zwar ... aber is used to express a qualification: first a statement is made which leads to a particular assumption. Then this statement is qualified. When Yara says that she comes from Spain, one can assume that she considers Spain as her home. Then she says something that does not necessarily fit with this assumption: Germany is her home, not Spain. The word zwar can also be omitted but the qualification is then given less emphasis.

Zwar … aber is an example of a so-called double conjunction or compound conjunction, consisting of at least two parts. These separated conjunctions link sentences or clauses with equal ordination.

Sentences:

Where compound conjunctions link two sentences, each sentence generally has its own subject and its own verb.

Tarek kommt aus der Türkei. – Er spricht meistens Deutsch.
Tarek kommt zwar aus der Türkei, aber er spricht meistens Deutsch.

Clauses:

Where compound conjunctions link two clauses, they often have a common subject and/or a common verb.

Deutschland war für Yara fremd. – Deutschland war für Yara interessant.
Deutschland war für Yara zwar fremd, aber interessant.