CONJUNCTIONS

CONJUNCTIONS
Conjunctions connect various elements in a sentence.
They can be as simple as:
Pedro y Carlos - Peter and Charles
libros y revistas - books and magazines
or a little bit more difficult such as:
Neither John nor his father found out until
yesterday.
Either you tell me the truth or you're going to
O me dices la verdad o vas a sentirlo. regret it.
Ni Juan ni su padre lo superion hasta ayer -
There are three types of conjunctions in Spanish: coordinate, subordinate and correlative.
Coordinate
Coordinate conjunctions connect words, phrases or clauses of the same kind. The most common
are:
o ni y pero sino peras y fresas en la cocina o en el comedor listo pero perezoso -
or
nor
and
but
but
pears and strawberrys
in the kitchen or in the dining room
cleaver but lazy
NOTE
Both "o"' and "u" mean "or". You normally would use "o" to mean "or". However, when a word
ends in "o" and the word that would follow "or" begins with an "o", or "ho" use "u".
muchachos u
hombres
-
boys or men
septiembre u
octobre
-
september or october
The conjunction "o" when used with numbers becomes "ó".
2ó4
-
two or four
Both "y" and "e" mean "and". You would normally use "y" to mean "and". However, when a
word that would follow "and" begins with "i" or "hi" use "e".
bonita e inteligente
-
aguja e hilo
-
pretty and
intelligent
needle and thread
madre e hijo
-
mother and daughter
padre e hijo
-
father and son
However, when a word that follows "and" begins with "hie" use "y".
flores y hierba - flowers and grass
nieve y hielo - snow and ice
Aquí se encuentran cobre y hierro. - Copper and iron are found here.
Fortunately there are not a lot of words in Spanish that begin "hie", but the list does include:
hielo - ice
hiena - hyena
hierro - iron
hierbabuena - mint
Pero usually follows an affirmative expresssion, but may follow a negative statement if the verb of
the first clause is repeated or if another ver follows.
El es inteligente pero perezoso.
Bebe leche pero no bebe café.
Juan no bebe café pero bebe leche.
-
He is intelligent but lazy.
He drinks milk but he does not drink coffee.
John does not drink coffee, but he drinks milk.
Sino is used only after a negative in a contrasting statement when the verb of the first clause is
understood but not repeated.
Juan no bebe café sino leche.
-
Juan does not drink coffee, but milk.
Subordinate
Subordinating conjunctions join subordinate (dependent) clauses to main clauses. A subordinate
clause is a group of words containing a subject and verb that is dependent on a main clause.
Commonly used subordinate conjunctions are:
a condición de
que
a fin de que
a menos que
a pesar de que
antes (de) que
- on the condition that
-
so that, in order that
unless
in spite of
before
así .... como - both .... and
aun cuando - even if
aun - even, still
aunque - although, even though
de suerte que desde que
después (de) que
donde
e
-
empero en caso (de) que en cuanto hasta que -
so that, in such a manner
as
since
after
where
and
yet, however,
notwithstanding
in case
as soon as
until
caso que
como
como que
como quiera que
-
in case that
as, since
it seems that, apparently
although, since
luego que
mas
mas que
mientras
as soon as, after
but
even if, however much
while
while, so long as, as long
mientras que as
como si - as if
con la condición
que
con tal (de) que
cuando
dado caso que
dado que
de condición que
de manera que
- on condition that
-
ni - neither, nor
-
provided that
when
supposing that
supposing that
so as to
so that
so that, in such a way
de modo que that
ni siquiera
para que
porque
puesto que
que
si
-
not even
so that, in order that
because
since
that
if, whether
sin que - without
Less Common Conjunctions
ni sólo ... (sino)
not only ... but also
también
para que - in order that, so that
pero - but
por cuanto - inasmuch as
pues que - since
sin embargo
sino
sino que
siquiera
tan pronto como
u
-
nevertheless
but, rather
but that, but rather that
though, although
as soon as
or
ya que - since, seeing that
en razón de que
entrentano que
más bien que
no bien ...
cuando
por más que
por rázon que
salvo que
siempre que
tan luego como
tanto ... como
- for the reason that
- meanwhile, while
- rather than
- no sooner ... than
-
no matter how
for the reason that
unless
whenever, provided that
therefore
as much .... as
NOTE
In Spanish only a conjunction or a relative pronoun can introduce a subordinate clause. As such
you must be careful to use a conjunction in Spanish, although in English the word may function as
an adverb, preposition and a conjunction. A conjunction must be used when a subject and verb
follow the main clause.
English
Adverb
before
Preposition
before
Conjunction
before
antes
Spanish
antes de
antes (de) que
Incorrect
Correct
Ellos llegaron antes saliésemos.
Ellos llegaron antes que saliésemos.
They arrived before we left.
Incorrect
Correct
Suele salir sin nosotros lo oigamos.
Suele salir sin que nosotros lo oigamos
He usually leaves without our hearing him.
Incorrect
Correct
Nos réimos después nos dio las buenas noticias.
Nos réimos después que nos dio las buenas noticias.
We laughed after he gave us the news.
Correlative
Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs with intervening words.
o ... o - either ... or
o sea .... o sea.... - either ... or
apendas .... cuando - scarcely .... when
Apendas nos saludó, cuando tuvimos que salir. - He'd scarely greeted us when we had to leave.
Neither John nor his father found it out until
Ni Juan ni su padre lo supieron hasta ayer. yesterday.
Either you tell me the truth or you're going to
O me dices la verdad o vas a sentirlo. regret it.
CONJUNCTIONS - ENGLISH TO SPANISH
after
-
although, even though
although, since
-
después (de) que,
luego que
aunque
como quiera que
and
-
e
apparently, it seems that
as if
as long as, so long as,
while
-
como que
como si
-
mientras que
as soon as
-
en cuanto
as, since
-
como
because
-
porque
neither ... nor
-
ni ... ni
neither, nor
not even
-
on condition that
-
on the condition that
provided that
-
ni
ni siquiera
con la condición
que
a condición de que
con tal (de) que
scarely ... when, hardly
-
apenas ... cuando
since
-
so as to
so long as, as long as,
while
-
desde que, puesto
que
de condición que
-
mientras que
before
-
antes (de) que
both ... and
-
así ... como
even if
even if, however much
even, still
hardly, scarely ... when
however much, even if
however, yet
if, whether
in case
in case that
in order that, so that
-
aun cuando
mas que
aun
apenas ... cuando
mas que
empero
si
en caso (de) que
caso que
a fin de que, para que
in spite of
in such a way that
it seems that, apparently
-
a pesar de que
de modo que
como que
so that
-
so that, in order that
-
supposing that
supposing that
that
unless
until
when
where
whether, if
while
while, so long as, as long
as
without
yet, however,
-
de manera que
a fin de que, para
que
dado caso que
dado que
que
a menos que
hasta que
cuando
donde
si
mientras
mientras que
-
sin que
empero