Conjunctions are words or phrases that join or connect two or more elements within a sentence so that you can add information, give alternatives, or present contrasting ideas. In Italian, there are two types of conjunctions, depending on the nature of the elements being connected: congiunzioni coordinative meaning coordinating conjunctions and congiunzioni subordinative meaning subordinating conjunctions. Luckily, all conjunctions are invariable, which means they only have one form!
In this post, we’ll take you through these two main types of conjunctions in Italian and describe how to use them. We use conjunctions all the time, in any language: mastering them in Italian will definitely step up your conversation skills, so keep reading!
What are coordinating conjunctions in Italian?
Italian coordinating conjunctions, or congiunzioni coordinative / coolrdinanti, connect elements or clauses of the same level and type. This means that they can connect:
a noun with a noun:
Suoni la chitarra o il violino?Translation: Do you play guitar or violin?a verb with another verb:
Amo disegnare e dipingere.Translation: I love drawing and painting.two main clauses:
Ho giocato ma non ho vinto.Translation: I played but I didn’t win.
Coordinating conjunctions can be divided into the following types, according to their function:
| Conjunction type | Used to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
avversative Translation: adversative | express | Pisa è piccola ma molto viva. Translation: Pisa is small but very lively. |
conclusive Translation: conclusive | introduce a | Ho deciso, perciò è inutile cercare di farmi cambiare idea. Translation: I made my choice, therefore there’s no point in trying to make me change my mind. |
copulative Translation: copulative | add one element | Ho studiato cinese e giapponese. Translation: I studied Chinese and Japanese. |
correlative Translation: correlative these always appear in pairs! | correlate | Ho portato non solo l’ombrellone ma anche due lettini. Translation: I brought not only a beach umbrella but also two beach loungers. |
dichiarative Translation: declarative | explain or | Giorgia, cioè mia cugina, lavora in quel negozio. Translation: Giorgia, that is, my cousin, works in that store. |
disgiuntive Translation: disjunctive | present | Vuoi il gelato o il tiramisù? Translation: Would you like ice-cream or tiramisu? |
To leave nothing to chance, we have prepared for you a comprehensive list of Italian conjunctions. But here we still have to tackle the second big group: the subordinating conjunctions.
What are subordinating conjunctions in Italian?
Italian subordinating conjunctions, or congiunzioni subordinative / subordinanti connect two clauses when one of them depends on the other. In the sentence below for instance, there are two clauses:
While the first clause (called the main clause) expresses a complete thought and can stand on its own, the second one (the subordinate clause) depends on the first and cannot stand on its own. The word perché meaning because that introduces the subordinate clause, is the subordinating conjunction.
According to their function, subordinating conjunctions can be divided into several types. The type name most often gives away their function, so don’t be intimidated by the amount of them!
| Conjunction type | Used to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
avversative Translation: adversative | contrast | Anziché telefonare, preferisco parlargli di persona. Translation: Instead of calling, I’d rather talk to him in person. |
causali Translation: causative | explain why | Sono stanca perché non dormo bene. Translation: I’m tired because I don’t sleep well. |
comparative Translation: comparative | make comparisons | Preferiamo uscire piuttosto che restare a casa. Translation: We prefer to go out rather than staying home. |
concessive Translation: concessive | say that something | Benché adori il mare, odio avere i capelli pieni di sale. Translation: Despite the fact that I adore the sea, I hate having my hair full of salt. |
conclusive Translation: conclusive | say that something | C’è il sole, quindi vado a piedi. Translation: It’s sunny outside, therefore I’ll walk. |
condizionali Translation: conditional | express a condition | Se piove, rimandiamo a settimana prossima. Translation: If it rains, we’ll postpone it to next week. |
consecutive Translation: consecutive | introduce a | Eravamo così stanchi che abbiamo deciso di stare a casa. Translation: We were so tired that we decided to stay home. |
dichiarative (esplicative) Translation: declarative | explain or clarify | Ho fatto tardi, infatti ho perso l’autobus. Translation: I was late and, indeed, I missed the bus. |
eccettuative Translation: exceptive | express an | A meno che me lo chieda direttamente, non gli dirò niente. Translation: Unless he asks directly, I won’t tell him anything. |
esclusive Translation: exclusive | introduce an | Sta studiando molto così che domenica possa uscire. Translation: She’s studying hard so that she can go out on Sunday. |
interrogative Translation: interrogative | ask questions | Ci chiediamo se Carlo verrà alla fine. Translation: We wonder if Carlo will eventually come. |
limitative Translation: limitative | state a limit | Per quanto adori lo sport, oggi proprio non riesco. Translation: As much as I love sports, today I really can’t. |
relative Translation: relative | introduce a | È il paese dove ho vissuto fino al 2015. Translation: It’s the town where I lived until 2015. |
temporali Translation: temporal | give time-related | Finché abbiamo vissuto entrambi a Milano, andavamo al cinema insieme tutti i venerdì. Translation: While we both were living in Milan, we went to the movies together every Friday. Learn more about this conjunction from our post on finché vs. finché non. |
Here's our comprehensive list of Italian conjunctions.
What forms can Italian conjunctions take?
As you probably have noticed from our many examples, conjunctions can take a few different forms:
semplici meaning simple, that is, made with one word:
Vado con Pietro e Francesca.Translation: I’m going with Pietro and Francesca.composte meaning compound, made by combining two or more words:
Ho studiato molto, eppure non ho passato l’esame.Translation: I studied a lot, and yet I failed my exam.Eppure meaning and yet is made by e meaning and + pure meaning yet.locuzioni congiuntive meaning conjunctive clauses, that is, expressions made by two or more words:
Ho lavorato più ore in modo da avere un giorno libero.Translation: I worked more hours so that I could have a day off.
Summary
Conjunctions are invariable parts of the speech used to connect words or clauses. In Italian, there are two types of conjunctions: coordinating and subordinating.
Coordinating conjunctions mainly add, contrast information, or give alternatives.
Subordinating conjunctions express finality, concession, establish temporal relationships, express consequences, or comparisons.
In addition to checking out our list of common Italian conjunctions, the best thing to do is... practice! Said and done: here’s a series of activities for you!
:quality(80)){kind=logo}
:quality(75))
:quality(75))