Spanish 4.3. Conjunctions

Conjunctions are important components in Spanish as they allow the speaker to join sentences and convey useful meanings.

Most Common Conjunctions in Spanish

ConjunctionMeaningExample
yandMe gusta la primavera y el verano.
I like spring and summer.
oorVoy a tomar café o té.
I am going to drink tea or coffee.
siifSi estoy cansado, no voy a salir.
If I am tired, I won’t go out.
pero

mas

sino
butQuiero dormir pero no puedo.
I want to sleep, but I can’t.
Yo trabajo, mas no tengo dinero.
I work, but I have no money.
No voy el sábado sino el domingo.
I won’t go on Saturday, but rather on Sunday.
segúnaccording toSegún los médicos, el café no es malo.
According to the doctors, coffee is not bad.
excepto
salvo
exceptVoy al gimnasio todos los días excepto los viernes.
I go to the gym every day except Friday.
entoncesthenBueno, entonces te voy a esperar.
Okay, then I will wait for you.
sin embargohoweverEstoy cansado. Sin embargo, puedo salir contigo.
I am tired. However, I can go out with you.
no obstanteneverthelessEl clima es seco; no obstante, a veces llueve.
The climate is dry. Nevertheless, sometimes it rains.
para que
a fin de que
so that
in order to
Resumiré el libro para que puedas entenderlo.
Resumiré el libro a fin de que puedas entenderlo.
I will summarize the book so that you can understand it.
porquebecauseEstudio español porque quiero vivir en México.
I study Spanish because I want to live in Mexico.
a causa debecause ofNo podemos salir a causa de la nieve.
We can’t go out because of the snow.
en vez de
en lugar de
insteadEn vez de salir hoy, vamos a ver una película.
Instead of going out tonight, we’ll watch a movie.
pues
puesto que
ya que
since
because
for
Voy al café, pues tengo bastante tiempo libre.
Voy al café, puesto que tengo bastante tiempo libre.
Voy al café, ya que tengo bastante tiempo libre.
I’ll go to the coffee shop since I have enough free time.
dado quegiven thatEs un momento importante, dado que el ganador se lo lleva todo.
This is an important moment, given that winner takes all.
por lo tantothereforeEra tarde; por lo tanto, no salimos anoche.
It was late; therefore, we didn’t go out last night.
de lo contrariootherwiseEspero que no llueva; de lo contrario, no salimos.
I hope it doesn’t rain; otherwise, we don’t go out.
aunquealthough
even if
Entiendo lo que dijo, aunque no puedo explicarlo.
I understand what he said, although I can’t explain it.
a pesar dein spite of
despite
A pesar de ser bajo, es un muy buen jugador.
Despite being short, he is a very good player.
comoas sinceComo hace frío, voy a llevar mi abrigo.
As it is cold, I will wear my coat.
así quesoEs difícil decidir, así que hay que pensarlo.
It is difficult to decide, so one must think about it.
es decirin other words
that is
Hablo inglés y español, es decir, soy bilingüe.
I speak English and Spanish, in other words, I’m bilingual.
siempre que
con tal (de) que
provided that
as long as
Te ayudaré siempre que lo necesites.
Te ayudaré con tal de que lo necesites.
I will help you as long as you need it.
mientras (que)while
as long as
Compremos algo mientras estamos aquí.
Let’s buy something while we are here.
o … o …
ya sea … o …
either… or…Bueno, o nos vamos ahora o más tarde.
Bueno,nos vamos ya sea ahora o más tarde.
Okay, we either leave now or later.
ni … ni …neither … nor …Mi italiano no es ni bueno ni malo.
My Italian is neither good nor bad.
además debesidesAdemás de la comida, pediré bebidas también.
Besides food, I will order drinks too.
aparte deapart fromAparte del clima, no me gusta este lugar.
Apart from the weather, I don’t like this place.
a diferencia deunlikeA diferencia de usted, no sé alemán.
Unlike you, I don’t know German.

When “y(and) or “o(or) is followed by a Vowel

If the word following “y(and) starts with an “i” or has the “ee” sound, e.g., “hijo”(son) at the beginning of the word, the “y” is replaced with “e,” e.g., “español e inglés(Spanish and English), “hijos e hijas” (sons and daughters), etc.

An exception to this rule is if the word starts with a diphthong, such as “ie” or “io” sounds, e.g., “agua y hielo” (water and ice).

If the word following “o(or) starts with an “o” or has the “o” sound (e.g., “hogar”) at the beginning of the word, the “o” is replaced with “u,” e.g., “siete u ocho(seven or eight), “ayer u hoy” (yesterday or today).

The Conjunctions “Pero,” “Mas,” and “Sino” all meaning “But”

The conjunctions “pero,” “mas,” and “sino” in Spanish can all mean “but. However, “pero” is the one you will encounter the most in daily life. The word “mas” is considered formal and is used more in written Spanish. Finally, the word “sino” is used to mean “but” or “but rather” when the first part of the sentence is negative, e.g., “No es invierno sino verano” (It is not winter but summer).

Para que” vs. “A fin de que

Both “para que” and “a fin de que” mean “so that” or “in order to.

However, “para que” is more commonly used, while “a fin de que” is considered more formal.

Conjunctions that use the Subjunctive Mood in Spanish

The conjunctions “para que,” “a fin de que,” “siempre que,” “con tal (de) que,” and “mientras que” are usually followed by the subjunctive mood as explained in Level IV, Lesson 7 and Level V, Lesson 5.

The conjunction “aunque” means “although” or “even though” if followed by indicative mood, and means “even if” if followed by subjunctive mood. More on this is covered in Level VI, Lesson 5.

Quiz: Conjunctions in Spanish

Spanish: Conjunctions

1 / 10

1. I like spring and summer.

SP: Me gusta la primavera el verano.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

2 / 10

2. I study Spanish because I want to live in Mexico.

SP: Estudio español quiero vivir en México.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

3 / 10

3. I speak English and Portuguese, that is, I'm bilingual.

SP: Hablo inglés y portugués, , soy bilingüe.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

4 / 10

4. I go to the gym every day except Friday.

SP: Voy al gimnasio todos los días los viernes.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

5 / 10

5. If I am tired, I won't go out.

SP: estoy cansado, no voy a salir.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

6 / 10

6. My Italian is neither good nor bad.

SP: Mi italiano no es bueno malo.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

7 / 10

7. Despite being short, he is a very good player.

SP: ser bajito, es muy buen jugador.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

8 / 10

8. Instead of going out tonight, we’ll watch a movie.

SP: salir hoy, vamos a ver una película.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

9 / 10

9. I want to sleep, but I can't.

SP: Quiero dormir no puedo.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

10 / 10

10. I am going to drink coffee or tea.

SP: Voy a tomar café té.

Accented letters (if needed):

á é í ó ú ñ ü

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