Tag: Spanish conjunctions list

Subordinating Conjunctions in Spanish: porque, que, cuando, aunque, and Others

Subordinating conjunctions in Spanish are essential for connecting clauses, providing reasons, expressing conditions, and indicating time. These conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses, which depend on the main clause to complete their meaning. Understanding their usage will significantly improve your fluency in Spanish.

List of Common Subordinating Conjunctions and Their Uses

Below is a list of the most commonly used subordinating conjunctions in Spanish along with their meanings and examples:

Conjunction	Meaning	Example 1	Example 2
porque	because	No salí porque llovía. (I didn’t go out because it was raining.)	Estudio mucho porque quiero aprobar. (I study a lot because I want to pass.)
que	that	Me dijo que vendría. (He told me that he would come.)	Creo que es una buena idea. (I think that it is a good idea.)
cuando	when	Te llamaré cuando llegue. (I will call you when I arrive.)	Cuando era niño, jugaba mucho. (When I was a child, I played a lot.)
aunque	although/even though	Aunque está lloviendo, saldré. (Even though it is raining, I will go out.)	Lo haré aunque no tenga ganas. (I will do it even if I don’t feel like it.)
si	if	Si estudias, aprobarás. (If you study, you will pass.)	Iré si tengo tiempo. (I will go if I have time.)
como	as/since	Lo hice como me dijiste. (I did it as you told me.)	Como hace frío, me pondré un abrigo. (Since it is cold, I will wear a coat.)
porque	because	No fui porque estaba enfermo. (I didn’t go because I was sick.)	Lo hicimos porque era necesario. (We did it because it was necessary.)
mientras	while/as long as	Puedes quedarte mientras quieras. (You can stay as long as you want.)	Mientras yo cocino, tú pones la mesa. (While I cook, you set the table.)
para que	so that	Te lo explico para que lo entiendas. (I explain it to you so that you understand.)	Trabajo duro para que mis hijos tengan una mejor vida. (I work hard so that my children have a better life.)
hasta que	until	No saldrás hasta que termines la tarea. (You will not go out until you finish your homework.)	Esperaré hasta que llegues. (I will wait until you arrive.)

More Example Sentences

No me gusta que llegues tarde. (I don’t like that you arrive late.)
Como no tenía dinero, no compré nada. (Since I had no money, I didn’t buy anything.)
Siempre me llama cuando necesita ayuda. (He always calls me when he needs help.)
Aunque hace frío, no llevo abrigo. (Although it is cold, I am not wearing a coat.)
Si tienes hambre, come algo. (If you are hungry, eat something.)
Se quedó hasta que terminó la película. (He stayed until the movie ended.)
Te hablo despacio para que me entiendas. (I speak slowly so that you understand me.)
Mientras yo limpio, tú organizas la mesa. (While I clean, you organize the table.)
Me gusta que me ayudes. (I like that you help me.)
No salgas hasta que te llame. (Do not go out until I call you.)

Fill in the Blanks

No saldré ______ termine mi tarea.
Te lo explico ______ lo entiendas.
______ estudies, no aprenderás.
Me dijo ______ vendría.
Saldré ______ haga calor o frío.
Esperaré ______ llegues.
______ no vengas temprano, perderemos el tren.
No me gusta ______ me hables así.
Comeré ______ tenga hambre.
Salimos temprano ______ no había tráfico.

Answers

hasta que
para que
Si no
que
aunque
hasta que
Si
que
cuando
porque

Things to Keep in Mind

Word Order: In Spanish, subordinating conjunctions typically introduce the subordinate clause, which follows the main clause.
Verb Tense: Some conjunctions require the use of the subjunctive mood, especially when expressing uncertainty, purpose, or conditions (e.g., “para que” requires the subjunctive: “para que me entiendas”).
Gender and Plurality: Conjunctions themselves do not change based on gender or plurality, but the words around them do. Make sure the verbs and adjectives agree with the subject.
Use of Articles: Articles (el, la, los, las) do not affect subordinating conjunctions, but they must agree with the nouns they accompany.
Common Mistakes: Beginners often confuse “porque” (because) with “por que” (for which) and “por qué” (why). Understanding their differences is crucial.

Conclusion

Mastering subordinating conjunctions in Spanish is essential for fluency, as they help create complex and meaningful sentences. Whether expressing reasons, conditions, or time, these conjunctions enhance communication and improve sentence structure. By practicing with real-life examples and exercises, you can become more confident in using them correctly. Keep practicing and incorporating these into daily conversations to strengthen your command of Spanish!

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Happy learning! 😊

February 4, 2025

Coordinating Conjunctions in Spanish: y, o, pero, sino, and Others

Coordinating conjunctions (conjunciones coordinantes) in Spanish are essential for connecting words, phrases, and clauses that are grammatically equal. They help create fluid and coherent speech and writing. This article will explain the main coordinating conjunctions in Spanish, their uses, and common expressions that feature them in everyday conversation.

Types of Coordinating Conjunctions

Spanish coordinating conjunctions are categorized into four main types:

Copulative Conjunctions (Conjunciones Copulativas) – Used to add information.
Disjunctive Conjunctions (Conjunciones Disyuntivas) – Used to offer alternatives.
Adversative Conjunctions (Conjunciones Adversativas) – Used to express contrast.
Distributive Conjunctions (Conjunciones Distributivas) – Used to indicate alternation or distribution.

List of Common Coordinating Conjunctions with Examples

Conjunction	Type	Meaning	Example Sentences
y	Copulative	and	Me gusta el café y el té. (I like coffee and tea.)
e	Copulative	and (used before words starting with ‘i’ or ‘hi’)	Estudia inglés e italiano. (He studies English and Italian.)
ni	Copulative	neither/nor	No quiero comer ni beber. (I don’t want to eat or drink.)
o	Disjunctive	or	¿Quieres café o té? (Do you want coffee or tea?)
u	Disjunctive	or (used before words starting with ‘o’ or ‘ho’)	Prefieres ocho u once manzanas? (Do you prefer eight or eleven apples?)
pero	Adversative	but	Quiero ir, pero no tengo tiempo. (I want to go, but I don’t have time.)
sino	Adversative	but rather	No quiero café, sino té. (I don’t want coffee, but rather tea.)
mas	Adversative	but (formal)	Tengo dinero, mas no lo gastaré. (I have money, but I will not spend it.)
bien… bien…	Distributive	either… or…	Bien estudias, bien trabajas. (Either you study or you work.)
ya… ya…	Distributive	sometimes… sometimes…	Ya canta, ya baila. (Sometimes he sings, sometimes he dances.)

Detailed Explanation of Key Coordinating Conjunctions

1. Copulative Conjunctions: y, e, ni

Used to add elements in a sentence.
‘e’ is used instead of ‘y’ when the next word starts with ‘i’ or ‘hi’ to avoid phonetic confusion.
‘ni’ is used in negative sentences to mean “neither… nor.”

✅ Examples:

Compré pan y leche. (I bought bread and milk.)
Estudia francés e italiano. (He studies French and Italian.)
No tengo hambre ni sed. (I am neither hungry nor thirsty.)
No quiero ver televisión ni escuchar música. (I don’t want to watch TV nor listen to music.)

2. Disjunctive Conjunctions: o, u

Used to offer choices or alternatives.
‘u’ replaces ‘o’ when the next word starts with ‘o’ or ‘ho’.

✅ Examples:

¿Quieres jugo o agua? (Do you want juice or water?)
Prefieres ocho u once años. (Do you prefer eight or eleven years?)
¿Tomamos el autobús o caminamos? (Shall we take the bus or walk?)

3. Adversative Conjunctions: pero, sino, mas

Used to contrast ideas.
‘Sino’ is used after a negative phrase to mean “but rather.”
‘Mas’ is a formal way to say “but” (used in literary contexts).

✅ Examples:

Me gusta la pizza, pero prefiero la pasta. (I like pizza, but I prefer pasta.)
No compré el vestido, sino los zapatos. (I didn’t buy the dress, but rather the shoes.)
Quería ir, mas no tenía coche. (I wanted to go, but I didn’t have a car.)
No es rojo, sino azul. (It’s not red, but rather blue.)

More Example Sentences:

1.María y Juan fueron al cine anoche. (María and Juan went to the movies last night.) – Copulative (y)

2.Pedro e Isabel son hermanos. (Pedro and Isabel are siblings.) – Copulative (e, used before ‘i’ sound)

3.No me gusta el fútbol ni el baloncesto. (I don’t like soccer nor basketball.) – Copulative (ni)

4.¿Quieres leer un libro o ver una película? (Do you want to read a book or watch a movie?) – Disjunctive (o)

5.Necesitamos siete u ocho sillas para la fiesta. (We need seven or eight chairs for the party.) – Disjunctive (u, used before ‘o’ sound)

6.Estaba cansado, pero siguió trabajando. (He was tired, but he kept working.) – Adversative (pero)

7.No compré la manzana, sino la pera. (I didn’t buy the apple, but rather the pear.) – Adversative (sino, after a negative clause)

8.Quería llamarte, mas no tenía batería en el teléfono. (I wanted to call you, but I had no battery on my phone.) – Adversative (mas, formal use of ‘but’)

9.Bien cocina, bien limpia la casa. (Either he cooks, or he cleans the house.) – Distributive (bien… bien…)

10.Ya duerme, ya mira televisión. (Sometimes she sleeps, sometimes she watches TV.) – Distributive (ya… ya…)

These sentences showcase various coordinating conjunctions in different contexts. Let me know in comment if you need more!

Fill in the Blanks Questions:

Me gustan los perros __ los gatos. (and)
No quiero sopa __ ensalada. (but rather)
¿Quieres agua __ jugo? (or)
No tengo hambre __ sed. (nor)
No solo canta, __ también baila. (but also)
Puedes comer pollo __ pescado. (or)
No compré un coche, __ una bicicleta. (but rather)
Salimos temprano, __ llegamos tarde. (but)
No es un problema fácil, __ difícil. (but rather)
__ llueve, __ hace sol. (Sometimes… sometimes…)

Answers

y
sino
o
ni
sino
o
sino
pero
sino
Ya… ya…

Conclusion

Mastering coordinating conjunctions will help you improve sentence flow, coherence, and clarity in Spanish. Keep practicing these expressions in daily conversations!

Happy learning! 😊

February 3, 2025