In Brazilian Portuguese, conjunctions are used to connect and separate ideas in a sentence. In the following sentence, the word mas meaning but is a conjunction that links and adds the idea of contrast:
There are two major types of conjunctions in Brazilian Portuguese: coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions. Luckily both types are invariable, which means they have only one form! In this post, we'll see the difference between them and look at some of the subtypes within each group. We’ll also see how some conjunctions, like se meaning if, tend to trigger specific verb moods, like the subjunctive.
Ready to know more about conjunctions in Brazilian Portuguese? Keep reading this post!
What are coordinating conjunctions?
Coordinating conjunctions connect elements of equal importance in the sentence. They are used to join similar elements together to create a smooth and cohesive flow of ideas. Let's see it in the example below.
In the example above, the conjunction ou meaning or connects the words café meaning coffee and chá meaning tea to provide a sense of choice between them. Importantly, these two elements don't depend on each other to make sense. We could also say, Você quer café? meaning Do you want coffee? or we could say Você quer chá? meaning Do you want tea? in two separate sentences, but the conjunction is used to avoid repetition and make the sentence clearer and more concise. It establishes a coordinating relationship between the two terms (coffee and tea).
Let's now take a look at some of the different types of coordinating conjunctions in Brazilian Portuguese!
How to use additive conjunctions like ‘e’ (and)?
You can use additive conjunctions to supply additional information to your sentence. The most well-known conjunction in Brazilian Portuguese is also an additive conjunction: e meaning and.
In the sentence above, e is a single word used to establish a relationship between two activities — ler meaning reading and assistir meaning to watch, indicating that the speaker enjoys both.
Now, see below that some conjunctions can also be formed from more than one word:
- O garçom não só foi simpático mas também me deu ótimas sugestões do cardápio.Translation: The waiter was not only friendly but also gave me some great menu suggestions.
The conjunction não só… mas também… meaning not only…but also emphasizes that two things about the waiter:
ele foi simpático meaning he was nice
ele me deu ótimas sugestões do cardápio meaning he gave me some great menu suggestions
- O restaurante oferece tanto pratos vegetarianos como pratos com carne.Translation: The restaurant offers both vegetarian and meat dishes.
The conjunction tanto…como meaning as many...as; both is similar to não só… mas também but it is less emphatic.
- O filme não era nem engraçado nem emocionante.Translation: The film was neither funny nor exciting.
The conjunction nem…nem meaning neither...nor is like the opposite of the two above. It shows that:
the film was not funny
the film was not exciting
Take a look at our chart to see these and other coordinating conjunctions in Brazilian Portuguese at a glance!
How to use alternative conjunctions like ‘ou’ (or)?
Alternative conjunctions like ou meaning or are used to present a choice or alternative between two or more options. These conjunctions allow you to indicate that one thing can be chosen instead of another.
See in the example above that the conjunction ou meaning or links two different choices for the pizza flavor: muçarela ou pepperoni meaning mozzarella or pepperoni.
Although ou is the most common alternative conjunction, there are other coordinating conjunctions with similar functions. For example:
- Seja agora, seja mais tarde, nós precisamos conversar sobre isso.Translation: Either now or later, we need to talk about this.
- Ora ele está alegre demais, ora está muito irritado.Translation: Sometimes he's too happy, sometimes he's very angry.
- Quer ele vá de carro, quer ele vá de metrô, está sempre atrasado.Translation: Whether he takes the car or the subway, he is always late.
How to use adversative conjunctions like 'mas' (but)?
Adversative conjunctions like mas meaning but are used to express a contrast between different ideas; they highlight a difference, contradiction, or unexpected relationship between the connected elements.
In the example above, mas meaning but indicates an unexpected contrast to the first idea. Even though the test was hard, I managed to get a good grade.
In addition to mas, there are other adversative conjunctions in Brazilian Portuguese, like mesmo assim meaning even so.
The following conjunctions operate like mas and mesmo assim, but they sound more formal and appear more often in written language:
porém meaning but, however:
O teste foi difícil. Porém, consegui uma boa nota.Translation: The test was difficult. However, I got a good grade.contudo meaning nevertheless:
O teste foi difícil. Contudo consegui uma boa nota.Translation: The test was difficult. Nevertheless, I got a good grade.entretanto meaning nonetheless:
O teste foi difícil. Entretanto, consegui uma boa nota.Translation: The test was difficult. Nonetheless, I got a good grade.no entanto meaning nevertheless, however:
O teste foi difícil. No entanto, consegui uma boa nota.Translation: The test was difficult. However, I got a good grade.
Notice how, in the examples above, these conjunctions are used at the beginning of a sentence. However, unlike in English, they can also appear after a comma in a single sentence:
How to use explanatory conjunctions like ‘porque’ (because)?
You can use explanatory conjunctions like porque meaning because to provide further explanation or clarification about a previously mentioned idea. These conjunctions expand on presented information and offer additional details.
In the example above, porque meaning because explains the reason why I did not participate in the meeting. We could also express the same idea with the conjunction pois meaning because.
How to use conclusive conjunctions like ‘portanto’ (therefore)?
In Brazilian Portuguese, portanto meaning therefore and other conclusive conjunctions indicate a result or a consequence regarding the information presented.
Since Bruna will be moving to a new city, it logically follows that she will have to find a new place to live. The conjunction portanto helps to establish the cause-and-effect relationship between the information, indicating that the decision to move leads to the need of finding a new place.
Portanto is more used in formal speech, but the conjunctions below are less formal ways to express the same idea:
então meaning so
Bruna mudará de cidade, então terá que procurar um novo lugar para morar.Translation: Bruna will move to another city, so she will have to look for a new place to live.por isso meaning because of this
Bruna mudará de cidade, por isso terá que procurar um novo lugar para morar.Translation: Bruna will move to another city, because of this she will have to look for a new place to live.aí, daí meaning then
Bruna mudará de cidade, aí/daí terá que procurar um novo lugar para morar.Translation: Bruna will move to another city, then she will have to look for a new place to live.
What are subordinating conjunctions in Brazilian Portuguese?
In Brazilian Portuguese, subordinating conjunctions are used to introduce subordinate clauses. Subordinate, or dependent, clauses rely on the main clause to provide additional information or modify the main clause.
The sentence above has a main and a subordinate clause which are linked by the conjunction se meaning if. Unlike coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions are used to introduce dependent clauses that cannot stand alone as independent sentences. But, like coordinating conjunctions, these small words can also give different ideas to the sentence by serving different functions. Let's get to know each of them.
How to use complementizer conjunctions like ‘que’ (that) and ‘se’ (if)?
The conjunctions que meaning that and se meaning if are considered “complementizer conjunctions” in Brazilian Portuguese, and introduce a subordinate clause that functions as a complement or object of a verb in the main clause. For example:
In Brazilian Portuguese, it's common to use both que and se to introduce reported speech or indirect questions.
- Felipa me disse que ia ao supermercado.Translation: Felipa told me that she was going to the supermarket.
- Não sei se a Fernanda já chegou em casa.Translation: I don't know if Fernanda has arrived home yet.
How to use causal conjunctions like ‘porque’ and ‘pois’ (because)?
Causal conjunctions like porque/pois meaning because are used to introduce clauses that provide a reason or justification for an action or statement presented in the main clause.
Causal conjunctions are usually followed by verbs in both the indicative and subjunctive moods. See more examples of causal conjunctions below:
como meaning as:
Como já estava tarde, preferi não te ligar.Translation: As it was already late, I preferred not to call you.já que meaning as:
Vamos sair mais cedo, já que o trânsito costuma ficar intenso nesta hora.Translation: Let's leave early, as traffic tends to get heavy at this time.uma vez que meaning as, once:
A empresa terá um novo projeto, uma vez que o financiamento seja aprovado.Translation: The company will have a new project once funding is approved.
How to use temporal conjunctions like ‘quando’ (when)?
Quando meaning when and other temporal conjunctions are used to introduce subordinate clauses that express a specific time or moment.
Some more temporal conjunctions that express the same idea:
assim que meaning as soon as:
Eu te ligo assim que eu chegar em casa.Translation: I'll call you as soon as I get home.logo que meaning as soon as:
Eu te ligo logo que eu chegar em casa.Translation: I'll call you as soon as I get home.
As you can see in the examples above, temporal conjunctions often trigger the future subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese.
How to use concessive conjunctions like ‘embora’ (although) and ‘apesar de’ (despite)?
Concessive conjunctions like embora meaning although and apesar de meaning despite express a contrast or concession to the main clause, indicating that the information in the subordinate clause is unexpected or contradictory to what is stated in the main clause. They present a condition that is contrary to what might be expected. For example:
- Embora seja caro, vou comprar esse presente para a Paulinha.Translation: Although it’s expensive, I’m going to buy this gift for Paulinha.
- Ela sorriu apesar de estar triste.Translation: She smiled despite being sad.
Although concessive conjunctions can be followed by verbs in the indicative or subjunctive mood, the following conjunctions will usually trigger the subjunctive:
ainda que meaning even though:
Ainda que eles estivessem cansados, ficaram na festa até o final.Translation: Even though they were tired, they stayed at the party until the end.por mais que meaning no matter how:
Por mais que economizassem, eles não conseguiriam comprar aquela casa.Translation: No matter how much they saved, they couldn't buy that house.
If you want to know more about the difference between the subjunctive and indicative, don't miss our post!
How to use conditional conjunctions like ‘se’ (if)?
The conjunction se meaning if is a conditional conjunction, meaning that it introduces a subordinate clause in order to indicate a hypothesis or condition upon which the main clause depends.
Se meaning if is the most common example of a conditional conjunction. However, there are many others that express the same idea, and they often trigger the subjunctive.
a menos que meaning unless:
A menos que você pergunte, ele não te dará mais informações sobre isso.Translation: Unless you ask, he won't give you more information about it.a não ser que meaning unless:
Ele não poderá entrar na festa a não ser que mostre o convite.Translation: He will not be able to enter the party unless he shows the invitation.caso meaning in case:
Leve um casaco, caso esfrie mais tarde.Translation: Take a coat in case it gets cold later on.desde que meaning as long as:
Ela irá ao jantar desde que seja no sábado.Translation: She'll go to dinner as long as it's Saturday.
Check out our post on “if” clauses in Brazilian Portuguese to learn a lot more about how to use conditional conjunctions.
How to use comparative conjunctions like ‘como se’ (as if, like)?
Comparative conjunctions like como meaning as, like are used to introduce clauses that establish a comparison or similarity.
Here are some others:
assim como meaning like:
Ele é tímido assim como eu.Translation: He's shy just like me.feito meaning like:
Ele estava chorando feito uma criança.Translation: He was crying like a child.que nem meaning like:
Patrícia acorda tarde que nem eu.Translation: Patricia wakes up late like me.
How to use proportional conjunctions like 'à medida que' (as)?
Conjunctions like à medida que meaning asare proportional conjunctions, meaning they introduce a subordinate clause whose action is directly related to the action described in the main clause.
There are two more common conjunctions that express the idea that one action or condition is directly related to, or proportional to, another.
quanto mais... mais meaning the more... the more:
Quanto mais estudo, mais aprendo.Translation: The more I study, the more I learn.conforme meaning the more... the more:
Conforme eu te conheço, mais gosto de você.Translation: The more I get to know you, the more I like you.
How to use final conjunctions like ‘para que’ (to, in order to)?
Use final conjunctions like para que meaning to, in order to to introduce clauses that express purpose or intention.
Para que and the other conjunctions that express purpose usually trigger the subjunctive.
a fim de que meaning in order to:
Trabalhamos em equipe a fim de que o projeto fosse concluído a tempo.Translation: We worked as a team in order to get the project completed on time.de forma / de modo que meaning so that:
Ele explicou o problema de modo que todos pudessem entender.Translation: He explained the problem so that everyone could understand.
How to use consecutive conjunctions like ‘então’ (so)?
Então meaning so and other consecutive conjunctions are used to introduce a clause that indicates a consequence or result of an action expressed in the main clause.
Então meaning so and other conjunctions establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the subordinate and the main clauses. See more examples of conjunctions below:
de modo que / de maneira que meaning in a way that:
O professor explicou a atividade de modo que todos pudessem entender.⇓
O professor explicou a atividade de maneira que todos pudessem entender.Translation: The teacher explained the activity in a way that everyone could understand.
To sum up
In this post, we learned that conjunctions are words that connect other words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. They establish relationships between the connected elements, such as adding information, contrasting ideas, showing cause and effect, etc. In Brazilian Portuguese, conjunctions can be coordinating or subordinating, and within each group, they are further classified according to their function in the sentence.
For a summary of the main coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, check out our chart! Then, you can practice using conjunctions in Brazilian Portuguese with this activity. Happy learning!
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