Spanish connecting words

Do you need to expand your vocabulary because you always use the same Spanish connectors? In essays, homeworks or talking to friends, if you always use the same connector to link all your sentences, in this donQuijote article you will find a complete list of Spanish connectors, so you'll have a choice and don't repeat the same one all the time.

Whether you must write a letter, a class assignment or when talking to your friends, find the Spanish connector that best suits each situation in this list. Expanding your vocabulary will improve the way you communicate, both written and spoken, and make you sound like a native Spanish speaker.

You can continue reading in English or read this article in Spanish while improve and learn Spanish with donQuijote.

What is a Spanish connector?

Connectors in Spanish, or in any other language, are words that have the function of joining sentences or paragraphs in a text to give it coherence and cohesion. In this way, connectors help to organize ideas and facilitate their comprehension.

There are different types of connectors, depending on the relationship they establish with the ideas in the speech or text. The most used connectors in Spanish are: ‘y’, ‘porque’, ‘pero’, ‘para’, ‘o’, ‘también’, ‘sí’, ‘además’.

Although these are the most common connectors, each one belongs to a different type, among them you can find: addition connectors, contrast connectors, cause and effect connectors, sequence connectors, comparison connectors, purpose connectors and summary connectors.

Below, you are going to learn the different types of connectors in Spanish that exist and some examples that will help you understand how to use them. Keep reading so you don't miss anything!

Addition connectors

Addition connectors add information to the above; they connect ideas or elements and add information.

• Además (In addition/Plus) - Tengo que ir a la compra, además me gustaría acercarme al gimnasio (I must go shopping, plus I would like to go to the gym).
• También (Also) - Estudia francés y también alemán (He studies French and also German).
• Incluso (Even) - Todos vinieron, incluso los que no confirmaron asistencia a la fiesta (Everyone came, even those who did not RSVP to the party).
• Asimismo (Also) - El proyecto es viable, asimismo, hay que planteárselo bien a tu jefe (The project is feasible, also, you have to raise it well with your boss).
• Y (And) - Compré pan y leche en el supermercado (I bought bread and milk at the supermarket).
• Más (More) - Necesito comprar más frutas y verduras para esta semana (I need to buy more fruits and vegetables for this week).
• Del mismo modo (Likewise) - Los resultados fueron positivos, del mismo modo, los participantes opinaron favorablemente (The results were positive, likewise, the participants were positive).

Contrast and opposition connectors

These Spanish connectors indicate opposition or contrast between ideas in the same sentence. Here are some examples:

• Sin embargo (However) - Estudió mucho, sin embargo, no aprobó el examen teórico (He studied hard; however, he did not pass the theory exam).
• No obstante (Nevertheless) - Es un bolso caro, no obstante, vale la pena (It's an expensive bag, nevertheless, it's worth it).
• Aunque (Although) - Iré al parque esta tarde, aunque llueva (I will go to the park this afternoon, even if it rains).
• Pero (But) - Es inteligente, pero no se esfuerza todo lo que podría (He's smart, but he doesn't try as hard as he could).
• A pesar de (Despite) - A pesar del mal tiempo, salimos a correr al parque (Despite the bad weather, we go for a run in the park).
• En cambio (On the other hand) - Ella es callada, en cambio, él es muy hablador (She is quiet, on the other hand, he is very talkative).
• Por el contrario (On the contrary) - No quería subir al noveno piso, por el contrario, fue muy fácil hacerlo en ascensor (I didn't want to go up to the ninth floor, on the contrary, it was very easy to do it by elevator).
• Mientras que (Whereas) - Yo prefiero el mar, mientras que mi primo prefiere la montaña (I prefer the sea, while my cousin prefers the mountain).
• Por un lado/Por otro lado (On the one hand/On the other hand) - Por un lado, el viaje a Roma fue maravilloso. Por otro lado, fueron unos días agotadores (On the one hand, the trip to Rome was wonderful. On the other hand, it was an exhausting few days).

Cause and consequence connectors

Cause and consequence connectors in Spanish establish a relationship between two ideas or actions of cause or consequence, hence their name. Examples:

• Porque (Because) - No fui a trabajar porque estaba enfermo (I didn't go to work because I was sick).
• Entonces (Then) - No había asientos suficientes, entonces tuvieron que quedarse de pie (There weren't enough seats, so they had to stand).
• Por lo tanto (Therefore) - La carretera está cortada, por lo tanto, hay que buscar otra forma de llegar a la ciudad (The road is cut off; therefore, you have to find another way to get to the city).
• Debido a (Because of) – Debido a la lluvia, se canceló el concierto (Because of the rain, the concert was cancelled).
• Ya que (Since) - No vino ya que estaba ocupado (He did not come as he was busy).
• Por eso (Therefore) - Llegó tarde a la estación, por eso perdió el tren (He was late to the station, therefore he missed the train).
• Así que (So) - Se rompió un vaso de cristal, así que tuve que recogerlo con cuidado (A crystal glass broke, so I had to pick it up carefully).
• En consecuencia (Consequently) – El proyecto fue un éxito, en consecuencia, recibimos más financiación (The project was a success, consequently, we received more funding).

Sequence connectors

Sequence connectors indicate the order of ideas or actions in a sentence:

• Primero (First) - Primero, desayunamos antes de empezar el viaje (First, we had breakfast before starting the trip).
• Luego (Then) - Terminé de leer el libro, luego lo devolví a la biblioteca (I finished reading the book, then I returned it to the library).
• Después (After) - Fui a comer al restaurante, después me fui al cine con mis amigas (I went to eat at the restaurant, then I went to the movies with my friends).
• A continuación (Next) - A continuación, os enseñaré a cocinar una tortilla de patatas (Next, I will teach you how to cook a potato omelet).
• Finalmente (Finally) - Finalmente, regresamos a casa tras un largo fin de semana (Finally, we came home after a long weekend).
• En primer lugar/En segundo lugar (Firstly/Secondly) - En primer lugar, quiero agradecerles su apoyo. En segundo lugar, discutiremos el presupuesto (First of all, I want to thank you for your support. Secondly, we will discuss the budget).

Comparative connectors

These connectors in Spanish oversee establishing comparisons between ideas:

• Como (As) - Es tan brillante como su hermana (She is as bright as her sister).
• Igual que (Just like)- Baila igual que un profesional (He dances just like a professional).
• Más que/Menos que (More than/Less than) - Es más alto que su hermano, pero su carácter es menos difícil que el de su hermana (He is taller than his brother, but his character is less difficult than his sister's).
• Similar a (Similar to) - Su estilo musical es similar al mío (His musical style is similar to mine).

Connectors of purpose

Purpose connectors indicate the purpose or intention of an action. There are some, in this type of Spanish connectors, that can easily be substituted for others since they have the same meaning. For example: ‘con la intención de’, ‘con el objetivo de’, ‘con el propósito de’ o ‘a fin de’. 

• Para - Estudia para ser médico (He studies to become a doctor)
• A fin de - Hace ejercicio a fin de mejorar su salud (He exercises in order to improve his health).
• Con la intención de - Viajó con la intención de aprender inglés (He traveled with the intention of learning English).
• A fin de que - A fin de que entendieras, te lo expliqué (In order for you to understand, I explained it to you).
• Para que (So that) - Lo hice para que no te preocupes (I did it so that you wouldn't worry).

Connectors to close a speech

These Spanish connectors serve to synthesize or conclude ideas in speeches, papers or in a conversation:

• En resumen (In summary) - En resumen, fue una gran experiencia (In summary, it was a great experience).
• En conclusión (In conclusion) - En conclusión, debemos seguir trabajando en el proyecto (In conclusion, we should continue working on the project).
• En pocas palabras (In a nutshell) - En pocas palabras, nos aprobaron el proyecto (In a nutshell, we got the project approved).
• Resumiendo (In summary) - Resumiendo, toda la convención fue un éxito (In summary, the whole convention was a success).
• En definitiva (Bottom line) - En definitiva, necesitamos más recursos (Bottom line, we need more resources).