Spanish Connectors: and, or, but, because  

How do you say words like and, but, if, however, so, therefore, yet and although in Spanish? 

In this article, you’ll get the whole scoop.

Spanish connectors are transition words that allow us to join or connect two parts of a sentence, as well as connect several sentences to create different meaning relationships. For instance: and, but, if, however, so, therefore, yet, although, etc.

We can think of the connectors as a toolbox, in which to search and find certain specific words that help us to “assemble”, “build” or “weave” our discourse, depending on our purposes.

For example:

• I study Spanish, but not French
  Estudio Español, pero no Francés 

In this example, the word “but” indicates the limit of the main idea: “I study Spanish”, as well as allowing us to interpret an idea of contrast or opposition that, within the context of the statement, perhaps functions as an important clarification, too: “I don’t study French.”

In grammar, these types of words are also known as Spanish conjunctions, or Spanish transition words; precisely because by connecting ideas, parts of a sentence, or sentences with each other, they allow us to move from one point to another throughout the discourse.

The list of Spanish conjunctions is long – very long. But don’t worry, in this introductory guide (the first of three lessons about connectors) you’ll get the most common and useful connectors in Spanish.

In this article we will cover: 

• What are Spanish conjunctions or Spanish transition words?
• What are the types of Spanish conjunctions, according to their function?
• How to use “and” in Spanish?
• How to use “or” in Spanish?
• How to use “but” in Spanish?
• How to use “because” in Spanish?
• How to use “that’s why” in Spanish?
• How to use “then” or “so” in Spanish?
• Practice time 
• Final words
• Answers 

What are Spanish conjunctions or Spanish transition words?

As we mentioned in the introduction, a connector is a transition word (or some words that make up a transition expression) that allow us to join or connect different parts of a sentence, or several sentences to each other.

This may sound a bit abstract; but if you stop to think, all the time we are creating bridges between words to express ourselves. When we want to convince someone, or defend our point of view, or give an explanation on any subject, or simply tell an anecdote; we are using connectors all the time to connect our ideas, even though we are not aware of it.

But to get a clearer idea, it is best to review examples of Spanish conjunctions, classified according to their communicative function:

What are the types of Spanish conjunctions, according to their function?

If we were grammar fanatics, we could distinguish more than 15 types of Spanish transition words or Spanish conjunctions: order connectors, emphasis connectors, time connectors, space connectors, cause-effect connectors, finality connectors, condition connectors, addition connectors,  concession connectors, conclusion connectors, synthesis connectors, opposition connectors, explanation connectors, comparison connectors, correlation connectors etc… It is insane!

Can you imagine how long and overwhelming this guide would be if we decided to explain them all in one go? As we advance on this path we will learn more and more Spanish conjunctions (remember that there are still two Spanish transition word guides missing, and a lot to learn in the meantime) However, let’s review some examples of the most used connectors, so you can have a clearer and more concrete idea about what we are talking about:

Addition connectors; used to link similar ideas or add a new idea: Actually, in fact, in addition, also, and, in the same way, on the other hand, even, etc.

Adversative or opposition connectors; used to indicate alternatives, limit or mark contrasts and separate ideas: but, although, nevertheless, on the contrary, etc.

Locative and temporary connectors; used to organize information according to spatial references: here, there, there, in front of, behind, in the middle of etc. Or chronological references: first, before, after, then, as soon as, later, previously, at the same time, eventually, etc.

Causal connectors; used to indicate cause-effect relationships: therefore, because, then, therefore, consequently, etc.

As you can imagine, these examples make up just a small sample because, as we mentioned before, we have connectors for each variant of the discourse; from words to set goals or introduce examples, to expressions to connect explanations, summarize information, or conclude ideas.

In any case, this is undoubtedly one of the most useful topics to strengthen our communication skills, and the more Spanish conjunctions we know, the easier it will be for us to create sentences with different communicative purposes or intentions.

For this reason, below, we are going to study some of the most used Spanish conjunctions at the basic level of learning.

Are you ready? Let’s go! 

How to use “and” in Spanish?

The most literal translation of the conjunction “and” in Spanish is “y”. This conjunction is often used to indicate addition, sum or coexistence of several entities, characteristics or actions.

Examples:

• I have several shoes and dresses
  Tengo varios zapatos y vestidos

• Ana dances with her boyfriend and her friends
  Ana baila con su novio y sus amigos

• The house is neat and clean
  La casa está ordenada y limpia

• María writes and Tatiana draws
  María escribe y Tatiana dibuja

• Pedro is tall and fat
  Pedro es alto y gordo

• The dog and the cat are good friends
  El perro y el gato son buenos amigos

• Camilo is from Colombia and Diego is from Venezuela
  Camilo es de Colombia y Diego, de Venezuela

So far it has been easy, right? But now we will add a grammar rule that will raise the difficulty a little bit: because of the “y” sounds like “i”, when the next word begins with the vowel sound / i /, we will have to change the letter “y” for the “e”.

Example:

• I need a needle and thread
  Necesito una aguja e hilo

If the word that follows the connector is foreign but begins with the vowel sound / i /, the rule is the same.

Example:

• Can you give me your phone and email?
  ¿Puedes darme tu teléfono e email?

There are some exceptions to this rule, such as when the word that follows the conjunction begins with a diphthong (two vowels together that are pronounced in a single syllable) For example: Water and ice (Agua y hielo) However, we should study this, and other exceptions that obey quite specific grammar rules, when our level were a little more advanced.

For now, let’s review a few more examples:

• Ana and Isabel are working together
  Ana e Isabel están trabajando juntas.

• I am studying Spanish and English
  Estoy estudiando español e inglés

• The universe is mysterious and infinite
  El universo es misterioso e infinito

• Your son is very cheerful and intelligent
  Tu hijo es muy alegre e inteligente.

How to use “or” in Spanish?

The most literal translation of the conjunction “or” in Spanish is “o“. This conjunction expresses difference, separation or alternative between two or more people, things or ideas. It can have an exclusive role (that is, if two options are given, it can only be one and not both at the same time) or an inclusive role (it can be only one or it could be both), depending on the context.

Examples:

• The protagonist or the main character, is Ulysses
  El protagonista o el personaje principal, es Ulises.

• I like action or science fiction movies
  Me gustan las películas de acción o de ciencia ficción

• Five or six thousand people live in this city
  En esta ciudad viven cinco mil o seis mil personas

• Do you want pizza or hamburger?
  ¿Quieres pizza o hamburguesa?

And guess what… that’s right, this Spanish conjunction also has a variation. It is very similar to the previous one: We will change the letter “o” for the letter “u” when the next word begins with the vowel sound / o /.

Example:

• Minutes or hours
  Minutos u horas

The rule is the same even if the connector is followed by a numerical expression that begins with the vowel sound / o /.

Examples:

• Does the cell phone cost $ 700 or $ 800?
  ¿El celular cuesta $700 u $800?

• Which city are we going to choose: Nevada or Orlando?
  ¿Cuál ciudad vamos a escoger: Nevada u Orlando?

• I don’t like gray or dark days
  No me gustan los días grises u oscuros

• Do we order Chinese food or another option?
  ¿Ordenamos comida china u otra opción?

How to use “but” in Spanish?

Perhaps this is the most used adversative word of all Spanish transition words. The most literal translation of “but” in Spanish is “pero“; it is usually used after a comma to indicate a contrast, or to mark a limit between two opposing concepts, in tension or facing each other.

Examples:

• This is a good cell phone but it is expensive
  Este es un buen celular, pero es caro

We have to say that there is also the Spanish conjunction “mas” (without accent) which is equivalent to “pero”, but it is an old form that has fallen into disuse.

Example:

• This is a good cell phone but it is expensive
  Este es un buen celular, mas es caro

It is also useful to say that, unlike English, when we correct information that has been expressed in a negative way, in Spanish we don’t usually use the conjunction “pero”, but rather “sino”. If you think of “sino” as meaning “but rather”, it makes its usage easier to remember.

Examples:

• Camilo is not Peruvian, but rather Bolivian
  Camilo no es peruano, sino rather boliviano 

• He is not proud, but rather shy
  Él no es orgulloso, sino tímido

• Daniel doesn’t want to talk to Alicia, but to you
  Daniel no quiere hablar con Alicia, sino con usted

• She is not my mom, but my aunt
  Ella no es mi mamá, sino mi tía

• This movie is interesting, but a bit long
  Esta película es interesante, pero un poco larga

• I love to sing, but I’m not very good at it
  Amo cantar, pero no soy muy buena

• Rome is a beautiful city, but I prefer Venice
  Roma es una ciudad hermosa, pero yo prefiero Venecia

• Your house is small, but very pretty
  Tu casa es pequeña, pero muy bonita

How to use “because” in Spanish

The most literal translation of “because” in Spanish is “porque”. However, we must be careful because there are Spanish conjunctions that are written similarly, but whose meaning is quite different. “Porque” (without an accent mark and joined in a single word) is not the same as “porqué” (with an accent mark) or “por que” (separated into two words); and much less equivalent to “por qué” (separated into two words and with an accent mark)… That’s how Spanish is.

Don’t worry, the truth is that sometimes even native speakers are not entirely clear on these differentiations and make grammatical mistakes when they write.

In moment we will focus on explaining the differences of each of those “porqués”, so to speak. But right now we are only interested in one, and that is: “porque” (joined in a single word and without accent marks). As in English, this is a Spanish transitive word for causality. In other words, it is used to introduce subordinate clauses that express a cause referring to the immediately preceding information.

Examples:

• I’m not going to the park because it’s raining
  No voy a ir al parque porque está lloviendo

• It is good to use the bicycle because you take care of the environment
  Es bueno usar la bicicleta porque cuidas el medio ambiente

• Ana is happy because she is traveling to Colombia
  Ana está feliz porque está viajando a Colombia

• Juan is tired because he is exercising
  Juan está cansado porque está haciendo ejercicio

• Luis is nervous because he has a job interview
  Luis está nervioso porque tiene una entrevista de trabajo 

How to use “that’s why” in Spanish?

“Por eso” is an expression very similar to “porque”, because it is also located within the group of Spanish conjunctions to establish cause-effect relationships. In English, the most common way to translate it is “because of that” or “that’s why” 

Let’s review some examples:

• It’s a used car, that’s why it ‘s cheaper
  Es un carro usado, por eso es más barato

• Michael wants to travel to Latin America, that’s why he is studying Spanish
  Michael quiere viajar a Latinoamérica, por eso está estudiando Español

• Carlos doesn’t know how to drive, that’s why he takes the bus everyday
  Carlos no sabe conducir, por eso toma el bus todos los días

• Roberto wants to earn more money this month, that’s why he is working overtime
  Roberto quiere ganar más dinero este mes, por eso está trabajando horas extras

In fact, we could use these spanish transition words with the examples of “porque” to express them in another way, but with the same causal sense:

• It’s raining, that’s why I’m not going to the park
  Está lloviendo, por eso no voy a ir al parque

• Ana is traveling to Colombia, that’s why she is happy
  Ana está viajando a Colombia, por eso está feliz

• Luis has a job interview,  that’s why he is nervous
  Luis tiene una entrevista de trabajo, por eso está nervioso 

How to use “then” or “so” in Spanish?

Finally, we are going to take a look at “then” and “so”, two very useful connectors, because they are used frequently, and especially in everyday and informal conversations.

Most of the time “then” is used as a temporary connector (later or after), but depending on the context, it can also work as a causal connector.

Example:

• You missed the train? Then you have to take a taxi
  ¿Perdiste el tren? Entonces tienes que tomar un taxi

When we use it in this way, the most accurate translation would be “entonces“

In this sense, “then” can be used not only to locate an event chronologically, but to locate an event within a series of other events with a cause-effect meaning. And when we use it like this, “then” and “so” could be considered synonymous.

Examples:

• And if we don’t find a hotel? What do we do then?
  ¿Y si no encontramos un hotel? ¿Qué hacemos entonces?

• Tomorrow I have an exam, so I have to study
  Mañana tengo examen, entonces tengo que estudiar

• Today is his birthday, so we are going to prepare a surprise party
  Hoy es su cumpleaños, entonces vamos a preparar una fiesta sorpresa

• You have a fever. Then it is better not to go out tonight
  Tienes fiebre. Entonces es mejor no salir esta noche

The expression that works as a synonym for “then” and that would be a more accurate translation for “so” is: “así que”

Examples:

• Tomorrow I have an exam, so I have to study
  Mañana tengo examen, así que tengo que estudiar

Sometimes, “so” is also used to express that one thing is the purpose or finality of another.

Example:

• He said it loudly so you could hear him.
  Lo dijo en voz alta para que pudieras escucharlo. 

When we use it in this way, a good translation would be “para que”

However, “para” connector is a bit more advanced so we will leave it to study later.

In other situations “so”  is used to indicate a transition or introduce a new topic, or before summarizing and concluding what one is saying.

Example:

• So, how are you?
  ¿Entonces, cómo estás?

In these cases it is more accurate to use “entonces” que “así que”.

Let’s review some examples with the use of Spanish transition words “así que”:

• The party is tonight so I need a fancy dress
  La fiesta es esta noche, así que necesito un vestido elegante. 

• I have a lot of work, so I’m not going to the movies with you
  Tengo mucho trabajo, así que no voy a ir al cine con ustedes 

• I like to travel, so I am going to study several languages
  Me gusta viajar, así que voy a estudiar varios idiomas.

Final words

At this point you will have already realized how important Spanish conjunctions are when we want to communicate.

There are still many Spanish conjunctions to review but, as we mentioned at the beginning, this is the first of three guides dedicated to the most important Spanish transition words. But now you know the most important conjunctions and how to use them correctly. 

For now, be sure to practice what you have learned in this guide.

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Practice time 

Fill in the blanks, using y/e or o/u

1. Lo que Samuel dice es un poco gracioso ____ irónico.
   (What Samuel says is a bit funny and ironic) 

2. Me gusta escuchar ____ bailar salsa.
   (I like to listen to and dance salsa)

3. Prefiero los alimentos naturales ____ orgánicos.
   (I prefer natural or organic foods) 

4. ¿Nuestra cita es a las 7 ____ a las 8 de la mañana?
   (Is our appointment at 7am or at 8am?)

Translate the following sentences using Spanish conjunctions:

1. I like cars and motorcycles

2. I want to go to the beach because it is very hot.

3. I prefer an apartment because I live alone.

4. My friends are Antonio, Luis and Ignacio.

5. I don’t know whether to drink coffee or tea.

6. Patricia does not eat meat because she is a vegetarian.

7. My friend’s son is 7 or 8 years old.

8. Camilo is very shy, that’s why he doesn’t dance at parties.

9. My phone is not working so better we talk later.

10. Today is Juan’s birthday, that’s why you have to come with us.

11. My parents are lawyers, that’s why I have a lot of money.

12. It’s late, so it is better you take a taxi.

13. And because of that, he loves Cristina.

14. So, what time do we meet?

Answers

Fill in the blanks, using y/e or o/u

1. Lo que Samuel dice es un poco gracioso __e__ irónico.
   (What Samuel says is a bit funny and ironic) 

2. Me gusta escuchar __y__ bailar salsa.
   (I like to listen to and dance salsa)

3. Prefiero los alimentos naturales __u__ orgánicos.
   (I prefer natural or organic foods) 

4. ¿Nuestra cita es a las 7 __o__ a las 8 de la mañana?
   (Is our appointment at 7am or at 8am?)

Translate the following sentences using Spanish conjunctions:

1. Me gustan los carros y las motos. 

2. Quiero ir a la playa porque hace mucho calor.

3. Prefiero un departamento porque vivo solo

4. Mis amigos son: Antonio, Luis e Ignacio. 

5. No sé si tomar café o té. 

6. Patricia no come carne porque es vegetariana.

7. El hijo de mi amiga tiene 7 u 8 años.

8. Camilo es muy tímido, por eso no baila en las fiestas.

9. Mi teléfono no funciona, así que mejor hablamos más tarde.

10. Hoy es el cumpleaños de Juan, por eso tienes que venir con nosotros.

11. Mis padres son abogados, por eso tengo mucho dinero.

12. Es tarde, entonces mejor tomas un taxi.

13. Y por eso, él ama a Cristina.

14. Entonces, ¿a qué hora nos encontramos?