Spanish Conjunctions and Interjections  


Conjunctions join sentences together; also independent words.

The principal conjunctions are:

Á menos que - unless
Á pesar de - in spite of
Así como - just as
Así que - so that
a fín de que - that--in order that
aunque - although, even if
bien que - although, even if
si bien - although, even if
Bien ... bien - whether ... or
Como - as
Con tal que - provided
Con que - so
Cuando - if
de suerte que - so that
mas - but
pero - but
Sino - but--after a [2]
Ni ... ni - neither ... nor
No sea que* - lest, also perhaps
No obstante - nevertheless
Ó ... ó[3] - either ... or
para que - that--in order that
Porqué, porque - why, because
Portanto - therefore
Puesto que[4] - seeing that
Pues - since
Que - that
Si - if, whether
Sin embargo - however, notwithstanding
Según - according
Siquiera - at least, even
Y[5] - and
Ya ... ya[6] - whether ... or--with subj. mood
Ya que - since, seeing that

Footnote 1: Empero is used same as pero at the beginning of a sentence.
Footnote 2: Unless a finite verb follows, as: No tengo dinero pero gozo de buena reputación (I have no money but I enjoy a good reputation).
Footnote 4: In old Spanish it had the meaning of "even if."
Footnote 5: Before words commencing with "i," also "hi" not followed by a vowel, use "é", as: "Padre é hijo," but "Nieve y hielo."
Footnote 6: "Ora ... ora" and "ya ... ya" both mean "now ... now" (with indic. mood), and "whether ... or" (with subj. mood).

The conjunctions marked with an asterisk are always followed by a verb in the Subjunctive Mood.

The English "either" is generally left understood, as:

  • Exportaciones ó importaciones: Either exports or imports.

"Either" following a negative--tampoco, as:

  • No quiero comprar Títulos de Gobierno ni Obligaciones de Ferrocarriles tampoco: I do not wish to buy Government Stock, nor Railway Stocks either.

Interjections, being mere exclamations, do not stand in grammatical relation to any other word in the sentence.

They are elliptical sentences, as:

  • ¡Oh! (I am surprised, etc.).

The principal Interjections in Spanish are the following:

  • caramba, cáspita (these express practically all kinds of emotions)
  • ay[7] (oh! grief or threat)
  • bah, ca, quiá (humph!)
  • ce, hola, ola (I say!)
  • chito, chitón (shut up!)
  • cuidado, ¡ojo! (attention! look out!)
  • ea (come!)
  • he (hey)
  • húy (oh! physical pain)
  • ojalá (oh, that)
  • por Dios (for heaven's sake)
  • tate, zape (what! (surprise))
  • tonterías (nonsense!)
  • uf (oh! weariness or fatigue)
Footnote 7: This can govern a noun or pronoun, as--¡Ay de mí! Woe to me! ¡Ay de Pedro! Woe to Peter!
As well as "Ah" or "Ha," "Oh" or "O" as in English, and many words used as exclamations, as:

  • ¡Silencio! ¡calle! ¡calle la boca (silence! hush! shut your mouth!)
  • ¡vamos! (much used), (come! come now!)
  • ¡que lástima! (what a pity!)
  • ¡poco á poco! (gently, Sir!)
  • ¡héteme[8] aquí! (here I am!)
  • ¡hételos[8] aquí! (here they are, etc.)
Footnote 8: "Te"--ethical dative.]



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