Conjunctions in Spanish

This section explains conjunctions in Spanish and includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers.

What are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions (las conjunciones) are words used to connect clauses or phrases in a sentence. They help link ideas, and show relationships between them, such as cause, contrast, condition, or purpose.

Conjunctions can be coordinating (which join equal elements, like two independent clauses) or subordinating (which join a main clause to a dependent clause).

Coordinating Conjunctions

These conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses that are equal in structure.

Common Coordinating Conjunctions:

• Y (and)
  • Me gusta el chocolate y la vainilla. (I like chocolate and vanilla.)
• O (or)
  • ¿Prefieres café o té? (Do you prefer coffee or tea?)
• Pero (but)
  • Me gusta nadar, pero no tengo tiempo. (I like swimming, but I don’t have time.)
• Porque (because)
  • Estudio español porque me gusta. (I study Spanish because I like it.)
• Ni (neither/nor)
  • Ni él ni ella pueden venir. (Neither he nor she can come.)
• Aunque (although, even though)
  • Aunque está lloviendo, voy a salir. (Although it’s raining, I’m going to go out.)

Subordinating Conjunctions

These conjunctions connect a main clause with a dependent or subordinate clause, indicating relationships like cause, purpose, condition, or time.

Common Subordinating Conjunctions:

• Que (that)
  • Creo que él está enfermo. (I think that he is ill.)
• Cuando (when)
  • Saldré cuando termine el trabajo. (I will leave when I finish the work.)
• Porque (because)
  • No voy a la fiesta porque estoy cansado. (I’m not going to the party because I’m tired.)
• Aunque (although, even though)
  • Aunque hacía frío, fuimos al parque. (Although it was cold, we went to the park.)
• Si (if)
  • Si tienes tiempo, ven a mi casa. (If you have time, come to my house.)
• Mientras (while)
  • Escuchaba música mientras estudiaba. (I listened to music while studying.)
• Antes de que (before)
  • Hazlo antes de que se acabe el día. (Do it before the day ends.)
• Después de que (after)
  • Me voy después de que termine la película. (I’m leaving after the movie finishes.)
• Para que (so that, in order that)
  • Te ayudo para que puedas terminar más rápido. (I’ll help you so that you can finish faster.)
• A pesar de que (despite the fact that)
  • A pesar de que estaba cansado, seguí trabajando. (Despite the fact that I was tired, I kept working.)

Correlative Conjunctions

These are pairs of conjunctions used together to express relationships between two elements in a sentence.

Examples of Correlative Conjunctions:

• No solo... sino también (Not only... but also)
  • No solo hablo inglés, sino también francés. (I speak not only English but also French.)
• O... o (Either... or)
  • O estudias más, o no pasarás el examen. (Either you study more, or you won’t pass the exam.)
• Tanto... como (Both... and)
  • Tanto mi hermano como yo vamos a ir. (Both my brother and I are going.)
• Ya... ya (Either... or)
  • Ya comes, ya estudias. (Either you eat, or you study.)

Foundation Tier Example

At GCSE Foundation level, students are expected to recognise and use simpler conjunctions to link ideas in short sentences.

• Voy al cine porque me gusta el cine. (I’m going to the cinema because I like cinema.)
• Estudia o no aprobarás. (Study or you won’t pass.)

Higher Tier Example

At the Higher tier, students are expected to use more complex conjunctions and varied structures in sentences.

• Aunque estaba cansado, decidí ir al gimnasio porque necesitaba hacer ejercicio. (Although I was tired, I decided to go to the gym because I needed to exercise.)
• Si hubiera sabido que era tan importante, habría estudiado más para el examen. (If I had known it was so important, I would have studied more for the exam.)

Summary Table of Common Conjunctions

Additional Notes on Conjunctions

• Some conjunctions can change the meaning of a sentence depending on whether the verb is in the indicative or subjunctive. For example, "cuando" (when) can use the indicative if referring to something that has already happened, but it uses the subjunctive if referring to something that is uncertain or hasn’t yet happened.
  • Indicative:Cuando llegaste, yo ya estaba allí. (When you arrived, I was already there.)
  • Subjunctive:Cuando llegue, te llamaré. (When I arrive, I’ll call you.)
• The conjunction aunque can also take the subjunctive when expressing doubt or a hypothetical situation:
  • Indicative:Aunque me ofrecieron dinero, no acepté. (Although they offered me money, I didn’t accept.)
  • Subjunctive:Aunque me ofrezcan dinero, no lo aceptaré. (Even though they offer me money, I won’t accept it.)

By mastering conjunctions in Spanish, you can improve your ability to express complex ideas and create more sophisticated sentences. Both foundation and higher-tier students will benefit from using a variety of conjunctions to link ideas clearly and effectively in Spanish.