A2 Italian GrammarCoordinating Conjunctions
Connect sentences and ideas in Italian using coordinating conjunctions (congiunzioni coordinanti). Master e, ma, o, però, quindi, and other essential linking words for fluid communication.
1Basic Conjunctions: E, O, Ma
The most common Italian conjunctions are e (and), o (or), and ma (but). They connect words, phrases, or sentences of equal importance. Note that e becomes ed before words starting with 'e' for smoother pronunciation.
Basic Conjunctions
| Italian | English | Function |
|---|---|---|
| e / ed | and | addition |
| o / oppure | or | alternative |
| ma | but | contrast |
| né...né | neither...nor | negative addition |
Examples
Ho comprato pane e latte.
I bought bread and milk.
e connects two nouns
Vuoi caffè o tè?
Do you want coffee or tea?
o offers alternatives
È stanco ma felice.
He is tired but happy.
ma shows contrast
Non ho né tempo né soldi.
I have neither time nor money.
né...né for double negative
2Contrast: Però, Tuttavia, Invece
Italian has several ways to express contrast beyond ma. Però means 'however/but' and often comes later in the sentence. Tuttavia is more formal, while invece means 'instead/on the other hand'.
Contrast Conjunctions
| Italian | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| però | however, but | common, informal |
| tuttavia | however, nevertheless | formal |
| invece | instead, on the other hand | contrast |
| eppure | yet, and yet | surprising contrast |
Examples
Piove, però esco lo stesso.
It's raining, but I'm going out anyway.
però after the comma
Era difficile; tuttavia ho finito.
It was difficult; nevertheless I finished.
tuttavia - formal writing
Io vado, tu invece resti.
I'm going, you instead are staying.
invece for contrast
Ha studiato poco, eppure ha passato l'esame.
He studied little, yet he passed the exam.
eppure - unexpected result
3Cause and Result: Quindi, Perciò, Allora
To express cause and effect or logical consequence, Italian uses quindi (therefore), perciò (therefore/so), and allora (so/then). These help build logical arguments and explain reasoning.
Result Conjunctions
| Italian | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| quindi | therefore, so | logical conclusion |
| perciò | therefore, so | consequence |
| allora | so, then | casual, common |
| dunque | therefore, so | more formal |
Examples
Sono stanco, quindi vado a letto.
I'm tired, so I'm going to bed.
quindi shows consequence
Ha piovuto, perciò le strade sono bagnate.
It rained, so the streets are wet.
perciò explains result
Non hai studiato, allora non esci.
You didn't study, so you're not going out.
allora - consequence (casual)
Dunque, cosa facciamo?
So then, what do we do?
dunque - conclusion/summary
4Addition and Emphasis: Anche, Inoltre, Anzi
To add information or emphasize points, use anche (also), inoltre (furthermore), pure (also/too), and anzi (on the contrary/in fact). Anzi is particularly useful for correcting or strengthening statements.
Addition Conjunctions
| Italian | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| anche | also, too | addition |
| inoltre | furthermore, moreover | formal addition |
| pure | also, too | emphasis |
| anzi | on the contrary, in fact | correction/emphasis |
Examples
Parlo italiano e anche spagnolo.
I speak Italian and also Spanish.
anche adds information
È intelligente; inoltre, è simpatica.
She is intelligent; furthermore, she is nice.
inoltre - formal addition
Non è difficile, anzi è facile.
It's not difficult; on the contrary, it's easy.
anzi corrects/contrasts
Vengo anch'io, e pure Marco.
I'm coming too, and Marco as well.
pure emphasizes inclusion