Learn about Spanish conjunctions. Discover the coordinating and subordinating conjunctions and learn how to use them in Spanish sentences.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Spanish Conjunctions | Definition, Types & Examples
Table of Contents
- Spanish Conjunctions
- Coordinating Conjunctions: Spanish Connector Words
- Subordinating Conjunctions in Spanish
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of conjunctions are there in Spanish?
Conjunctions are words or groups of words that serve to join sentences and give them an appropriate meaning. In Spanish, there are two types of conjunctions: coordinating and subordinating. Coordinating conjunctions join sentences or words that have the same value or hierarchy, while subordinating conjunctions join words or sentences with different values or importance.
What are 10 Spanish conjunction examples?
Some examples of coordinating conjunctions are: para (for), y (and), ni (nor), pero (but), o (or), even (yet). Examples of subordinating conjunctions are: aunque (even though), si (if), mientras que (while), sino (but), por lo tanto (thus).
Table of Contents
- Spanish Conjunctions
- Coordinating Conjunctions: Spanish Connector Words
- Subordinating Conjunctions in Spanish
- Lesson Summary
Conjunction words in Spanish are words or groups of words that serve to link parts of a sentence or different sentences. In general, conjunctions in Spanish have no meaning by themselves, only making sense when they are added to the structure of a narrative to form the links between sentences and give continuity to the ideas expressed. There are two types of conjunctions in Spanish, coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.
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Coordinating conjunctions, also known as connecting words in Spanish, are the conjunctions that unite and give meaning to groups of words or phrases that have the same hierarchical level; that is, they fulfill the same function or grammatical meaning. There are several basic coordinating conjunctions in Spanish:
| Coordinating Conjunctions | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| para | for | PAH-rah |
| y | and | eeh |
| ni | nor | neeh |
| pero | but | PEH-roh |
| o | or | oh |
| aún | yet | ah-OOHn |
| asi que | so | ah-SEEH keh |
| para que | so that | PAH-rah keh |
In the case of conjunctions y (and) and o (or), y is replaced by e when the following word begins with i or hi, while the conjunction o (or) is changed to u when the following word begins with o or ho, to avoid cacophony in both cases.
- Compraré algunas naranjas e higos en el mercado (I will buy some oranges and figs at the market).
- Para escribir poesía se necesita talento e imaginación (To write poetry you need talent and imagination).
- Cocinemos la pizza en estufa u horno (Let's cook the pizza on the stove or in the oven).
- Laura quiere ponerse un arillo en la nariz u oreja (Laura wants to have a piercing on the nose or the ear).
Coordinating Conjunctions in a Conversation
Some examples of the use of coordinating conjunctions in Spanish sentences that can be included in a conversation are:
- Necesito una maleta nueva para mi viaje a Europa (I need a new suitcase for my trip to Europe).
- Alicia irá a una fiesta y volverá tarde esta noche (Alice is going to a party and will be back late tonight).
- Ni he visto un fantasma, ni creo en ellos (I have not seen a ghost, nor do I believe in them).
- Mi madre quiere comer en un restaurante, pero no sabe donde (My mom wants to eat at a restaurant, but she doesn't know where).
- Roberto llegará tarde o quizás no vendrá (Roberto will be late or maybe he won't come).
- Saldré a pasear más tarde; aún no termino mis tareas (I'll go for a walk later; I haven't finished my homework yet).
- La comida está lista, asi que puedes pasar al comedor (The food is ready, so you can go to the dining room).
- Iré al dentista para que me haga una revisión urgente (I will go to the dentist so that he makes me an urgent check-up).
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Subordinating conjunctions in Spanish are words or groups of words that join sentences with ideas of different linguistic hierarchy. They serve to indicate the relationship between the ideas expressed in a causal, comparative, or conditional sense. There is a great variety of this type of words in Spanish. Some are used as conjunctions of time, when the events take place in different grammatical tenses, while others are conjunctions of space that indicate that two or more grammatical objects occupy different spaces. Listed below are several commonly used subordinating conjunctions in Spanish.
| Subordinating Conjunctions | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| aunque | even though | AHOOHn-keh |
| si | if | seeh |
| mientras que | while | meehEHn-trahs |
| mejor que | better than | meh-KHOHr keh |
| por lo tanto | thus | pohr loh TAHn-toh |
| sino | but | SEEH-noh |
Example Sentences: Subordinating Conjunctions
Below are some examples of the use of subordinating conjunctions in the Spanish language.
- Veré la película aunque tengo sueño (I will watch the movie even though I'm sleepy).
- Daniel irá de viaje si logra reunir el dinero suficiente (Daniel will take a trip if he raises enough money).
- Yo comí ensalada mientras que mi novia comió una hamburguesa (I ate a salad while my girlfriend ate a burger).
- Mi computadora nueva es mejor que la anterior (My new computer is better than the previous one).
- Aprobé mi examen, por lo tanto, podré ir a celebrar en la noche (I passed my exam, thus I can celebrate tonight).
- Los nuevos trabajadores no traen soluciones sino más problemas (New workers have no solutions but more problems).
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Conjunction words in Spanish are words or groups of words that serve to link sentences. In general, conjunctions have no meaning by themselves, only make sense when they are added to the structure of a narrative to form the links between sentences and give continuity to the ideas expressed. Subordinating conjunctions in Spanish are words or groups of words that join sentences with ideas of different linguistic hierarchy. Some examples of this type of conjunctions are aunque (even though), si (if), mientras que (while), sino (but), mejor que (better than), and por lo tanto (thus).
Coordinating conjunctions, also known as connecting words, are the ones that unite and give meaning to groups of words or phrases that have the same hierarchical level. Examples of this type of conjunctions are para (for), y (and), ni (nor), pero (but), o (or), aún (yet), asi que (so), para que (so that). In the case of conjunction y (and), y is replaced by e when the following word begins with i or hi, like in Compraré algunas naranjas e higos en el mercado (I will buy some oranges and figs at the market). The conjunction o (or) is changed to u when the following word begins with o or ho, to avoid cacophony, as can be seen in Laura quiere ponerse un arillo en la nariz u oreja (Laura wants to have a piercing on the nose or ear).
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Additional Info
What Is a Conjunction?
You're studying Spanish with your friend Pablo. He asks you if you prefer coffee ''or'' tea. He says he's going to prepare some snacks too ''because'' he's starving ''and'' needs some sugar, ''so that'' he will be able to concentrate better.
Do you know what the words in quotes have in common? They are conjunctions. A conjunction, or conjunción (pronounced: kohn-hoon-SYOHN) in Spanish, is a word that connects other words or phrases. They are used to add information, to express a contrast, or to introduce an explanation, among other functions.
Keep reading to find out more about this type of word in Spanish, which will help you enrich your vocabulary and organize your ideas properly. We'll classify them into two main types - coordinating and subordinating.
Coordinating Conjunctions
As their name indicates, coordinating conjunctions coordinate or join different words or phrases. These are classified into different types, depending on their function. Let's take a look at the tables below to learn the most useful ones.
Expressing Addition
These are the coordinating conjunctions we use to express addition:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| y | (ee) | and |
| e | (eh) | and |
| ni…ni | (nee…nee) | neither…nor |
The conjunction e replaces y when the following word starts with i or hi. For example:
- Daniel e Isabel vinieron a la fiesta. (Daniel and Isabel came to the party.)
We use ni...ni when we negate two or more elements. For example:
- No quiero ni café ni té. (I want neither coffee nor tea.)
Note: In this type of construction, it's possible to omit the first ni. So we can say No quiero café ni té.
Giving an Alternative
To give an alternative, use the following conjunctions:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| o | (oh) | or |
| u | (oo) | or |
| o bien…o bien | (oh byehn…oh byehn) | either…or |
The conjunction u replaces o when the following word starts with o or ho. For example:
- Vendrán unas siete u ocho personas. (Seven or eight people might be coming.)
 |
Expressing Contrast
There are many words or expressions that can be used to express contrast. These are:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| pero | (PEH-roh) | but |
| mas | (mahs) | but |
| aunque | (OWN-keh) | although, even though |
| sin embargo | (seen ehm-BAHR-goh) | however |
| no obstante | (noh ohbs-TAHN-teh) | however, nevertheless |
| por lo demás | (pohr loh deh-MAHS) | otherwise, apart from that |
| excepto | (ehk-SEHP-toh) | except for |
Note: No obstante is more formal than sin embargo.
Examples:
- Tengo muchas ganas de ir, pero no sé si llegaré a tiempo. (I'm looking forward to going, but I don't know if I'll arrive on time.)
- Ven aunque llegues tarde. (Come even though you arrive late.)
Giving an Explanation
We use the following expressions to clarify or introduce an explanation:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| es decir | (ehs deh-SEER) | that is, that is to say |
| esto es | (EHS-toh ehs) | that is |
Example:
- Estoy muy ocupada y tengo que terminar mis deberes, es decir, no podré salir esta tarde. (I'm very busy and I have to finish my homework, that is, I won't be able to go out this evening.)
Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions link two ideas that are dependant on each other. The tables below illustrate the main types.
Giving a Reason
Use the following conjunctions to express a reason:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| porque | (POHR-keh) | because |
| pues | (pwehs) | as, since |
| puesto que | (PWEHS-toh keh) | since |
| ya que | (yah keh) | since |
Examples:
- Seguro que aprueba el examen porque es muy buena estudiante. (She'll surely pass the exam because she's a very good student.)
- Esta tarde no puedo salir, ya que tengo mucho trabajo. (This evening I can't go out, since I have a lot of work.)
Expressing a Condition
To express a condition, use the conjunctions below:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| si | (see) | if |
| con tal de que | (kohn tahl deh keh) | as long as |
| siempre que | (SYEHM-preh keh) | as long as |
| como | (KOH-moh) | if |
Examples:
- Como no salgamos ya, vamos a perder el tren. (If we don't leave now, we'll miss the train.)
 |
Expressing an Aim
Finally, you can express an aim by introducing the sentence with the following conjunctions:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| para que | (PAH-rah keh) | so that |
| a fin de que | (ah feen deh keh) | in order to, so that |
 |
Example Conversation
It's time to put into practice everything we've seen so far. Isabel has been studying English for hours and she's exhausted. Let's hear her conversation with Pablo.
Isabel: Estoy estresada porque tengo el examen dentro de tres días. (I'm stressed because I have the exam in three days.)
Pablo: Con tal de que revises tu vocabulario y sepas conjugar los verbos, te irá bien. (As long as you review your vocabulary and know how to conjugate the verbs, it'll go well.)
Isabel: Estudio mucho pero siento que no sé nada. (I study a lot but I feel I don't know anything.)
Pablo: Échale un vistazo a esta página web para aprender idiomas si tienes tiempo. (Take a look at this website for learning languages if you have time.) Puedes acceder a diferentes temas, excepto a los videos. (You can access different topics, except for videos.) Sin embargo, si te suscribes podrás verlo todo. (However, if you subscribe, you'll be able to watch everything.)
Isabel: Gracias. (Thank you.)
Pablo: Venga, vamos a tomar algo para que descanses. (Come on, let's go and have something so that you can rest.) ¿Quieres un café o un té? (Do you want a coffee or a tea?)
Isabel: No quiero ni café ni té. (I want neither coffee nor tea.) Me apetece un chocolate caliente. (I fancy a hot chocolate.)
 |
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, we've learned about Spanish conjunctions, which are words that help us link ideas within a text. We've classified them into two main types - coordinating and subordinating.
We've seen the different types of coordinating conjunctions. Some of them express addition, such as y (and). Others indicate a contrast, for example, pero (but) or sin embargo (however).
We've also learned many subordinating conjunctions. For instance, porque (because) or ya que (since), which express a reason, or si (if) and con tal de que (as long as), which are used to express a condition.
Now you're ready to use them in context and give a more natural flow to the conversation.
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