Conjunctions in Italian are words that serve to join, or unite two different sentences or words together and are divided into:
- Coordinating conjunctions: Unite two similar elements in the main clause or two independent clauses.
- Subordinating conjunctions: Link dependent or subordinate clauses to the main clause.
- Laura e Gianfranco hanno una bella casa in campagna.
- Laura and Gianfranco have a beautiful house in the countryside.
- Loro restano sempre in città, benchè abbiano una bella casa in campagna.
- They always stay in the city, even though they have a nice house in the country.
- The conjunction (e) is coordinative because it joins two words of the same main clause (Laura e Gianfranco).
- The conjunction (benchè) is subordinate because it introduces a dependent or subordinate clause (benchè abbiano) and connects it to the main clause (Loro restano sempre in città).
Coordinating conjunctions in Italian:
Coordinating conjunctions are the least problematic because with them we do not have to choose between indicative and subjunctive and are divided into:
1. Additional conjunctions (Aggiuntive):
Additional conjunctions link two elements or words by adding them to each other.
| E (and) | Starò dai nonni sabato e domenica I’ll be staying with my grandparents on Saturday and Sunday |
| Anche (also) | Starò via martedì e anche mercoledì. I will be away on Tuesday and also on Wednesday. |
| Pure (as well) | Starò via martedì e pure mercoledì. I will be away on Tuesday and also Wednesday. |
| Neanche (Not even) | Neanche Paolo sa che cosa è successo. Not even Paolo knows what happened. |
| Neppure/Nemmeno (Not even) | Neppure/Nemmeno Paolo sa che cosa è successo. Not even Paolo knows what happened. |
| Nè..nè (Neither..nor) | Non verranno né carlo né carla. |
A). E (and)
- La mia scuola è moderna e vi funzionano parecchi corsi.
- My school is modern and there are several courses.
When (e) is followed by a word that begins with an (e), it usually changes to (ed).
- La mia scuola è moderna ed efficiente.
- My school is modern and efficient.
B). Anche (also)
Anche is used in affirmative sentences. Its position in the sentence may vary. It usually precedes what it refers to.
- Anche in Italia c’è bisogno di operai specializzati come in Germania.
- Also in Italy there is a need for skilled workers as in Germany.
- Mia sorella si diverte ad andare in bicicletta e anche a suo marito piace molto.
- My sister enjoys cycling and her husband also enjoys it.
C). Pure (as well)
Pure is mainly used in the regions of Southern Italy, instead of (anche).
- Recentemente sono stato a Sorrento e pure a Napoli.
- I have recently been to Sorrento and also to Naples.
D). Neanche (Not even)
Neache is used in negative sentences. Its position in the sentence may vary. It usually precedes what it refers to.
- Non so più arrivare a casa di mia zia e non ricordo neanche il nome del paese dove vive.
- I can’t get to my aunt’s house anymore and I don’t even remember the name of the town where she lives.
(Anche) and (Neanche) serve to add something to what was said before. When (Neanche) is before the verb, (non) is not put.
- Neanche quel passante sa come arrivare in centro.
- Not even that passerby knows how to get downtown.
E). Neppure/Nemmeno (Not even)
Neppure, nemmeno are used as synonyms of (neanche)
- La strada statale per Cagliari è interrotta per il maltempo e nemmeno la provinciale è percorribile.
- The state road to Cagliari is interrupted due to bad weather and not even the provincial road is passable.
When (Neppure and nemmeno) are before the verb, (non) is not put.
- Ho chiamato sergio, ma non c’era e neppure sua sorella era in casa.
- I called Sergio, but he wasn’t there and his sister wasn’t at home either.
F). Nè..nè (Neither..nor)
Nè..nè It is used in negative sentences to correlate two parts of the sentence.
- Non ho visto nè Paolo nè sua moglie al cinema.
- I have not seen neither Paolo nor his wife at the cinema.
Nè..nè could be replaced with (e neanche).
- Non ho visto Paolo e neanche sua moglie al cinema.
- I haven’t seen Paolo or even his wife at the cinema.
When (Nè..nè) is before the verb, (non) is not put.
- Nè Paolo nè Luca parlano spagnolo.
- Neither Paolo nor Luca speaks Spanish.
2. Disjunctive conjunctions (Disgiuntive):
Disjunctive conjunctions indicate the separation between two elements, excluding one of them.
| O (or) | Vuoi un’arancia o un mandarino? Do you want an orange or mandarin? |
| Altrimenti/Oppure (otherwise/or) | State zitti, altrimenti non sento niente! Be quiet, otherwise I won’t hear anything! |
| Ovvero (that is/or) | Non so se sia meglio restare, ovvero andarsene. I don’t know if it’s better to stay or to leave. |
A). O (or)
O introduces an alternative to what was said in the first sentence.
- Che facciamo? Telefoniamo o lasciamo un messaggio?
- What are we doing? Shall we call or leave a message?
B). Altrimenti/Oppure (otherwise/or)
Altrimenti, oppure are used as synonyms of (O).
- Regalale un libro oppure un CD.
- Could you give her a book or CD?
- Presentami qualcosa da leggere, altrimenti dammi un video.
- Present me something to read, otherwise, give me a video.
C). Ovvero (that is/or)
Ovvero is used as a synonym of (O).
- Non so se sia meglio restare, ovvero andarsene.
- I don’t know if it’s better to stay or to leave.
(Ovvero) can also has an explanatory value:
- Verrò fra due ore, ovvero alle sei.
- I’ll come in two hours, that is at six.
- Questa notte, ovvero questa mattina presto.
- This night, or early this morning.
3. Declarative conjunctions (Dichiarative):
Declarative conjunctions introduce a statement, or an explanation.
| Cioè (that is/i.e.) | Daniela è presbite, cioè non vede bene da vicino. Daniela is farsighted, meaning she doesn’t see well up close. |
| Infatti (in fact) | Maria è una ragazza generosa, infatti aiuta sempre tutti. Maria is a generous girl, in fact she always helps everyone. |
A). Cioè (that is/i.e.)
Cioè introduces an explanation of what has been said before.
- Non mi piace comprare molti vestiti, cioè mi compro solo i vestiti di cui ho realmente bisogno.
- I don’t like buying a lot of clothes, i.e. I only buy clothes that I really need.
- Angela è mia cognata, cioè ha sposato mio fratello.
- Angela is my sister-in-law, that is, she married my brother.
B). Infatti (in fact)
(Infatti) is used to connect two sentences: the sentence with (Infatti) confirms and demonstrates what is expressed by the other sentence, often also indicating the consequence.
It has a similar meaning to (effettivamente).
After (Infatti) the verb goes in the indicative or conditional.
- Ha detto che sarebbe arrivato tardi e infatti è stato così.
- He said he would be late and indeed he was.
- Martina è una ragazza generosa, infatti aiuta sempre tutti.
- Martina is a generous girl, in fact, she always helps everyone.
- La squadra non è molto forte, infatti quest’anno ha perso spesso.
- The team is not very strong, in fact, this year they have lost often.
4. Adversative conjunctions (Avversative):
Adversative conjunctions connect two elements in opposition to each other
| Ma (but) | voglio mangiarla, ma sono a dieta. I want to eat it, but I’m on a diet. |
| Però, tuttavia (but, nevertheless) | È stato stato un bel viaggio, però molto faticoso. It was a beautiful journey, but very tiring. |
| Anzi (rather/on the contrary) | Non sono arrabbiata: anzi, mi fa piacere. I’m not angry: in fact, I’m pleased. |
A). Ma (but)
(Ma) is used to join two words or two sentences and introduces the idea of contrast.
- Stasera non bevo il vino ma la birra.
- Tonight I don’t drink wine but beer.
- Andrea e Monica abitano a Verona ma lavorano a Vicenza.
- Andrea and Monica live in Verona but work in Vicenza.
B). Però, tuttavia (but, nevertheless)
Però, tuttavia are used as synonyms of (ma)
(Però) has a stronger adversative value than (ma), and can also be found in various positions within the sentence.
- Credo che la capitale del Burundi sia Bujumbura, però non ne sono sicuro.
- I think the capital of Burundi is Bujumbura, but I’m not sure.
Tuttavia is formal and is preferred in written Italian.
- In Italia sono aumentate le esplorazioni, tuttavia il mercato interno non si è ancora ripreso.
- Exploration has increased in Italy, however, the domestic market has not yet recovered.
C). Anzi (rather/on the contrary)
(Anzi) is used to modify, reinforce, or change what we have just said.
Sometimes, it can be followed by (no) which reinforces it.
- Le mie amiche arrivano venerdì sera ,anzi sabato mattina.
- My friends arrive on Friday evening, or rather Saturday morning.
- Vorrei un succo di frutta alla pesca, anzi alla pera.
- I would like a peach fruit juice, or rather a pear one.
- Lo spettacolo comincia alla 20.45, anzi no, alle 21.00.
- The show starts at 20.45, or rather, at 21.00.
Sometimes, at the end of a negative sentence, you can use Anzi! alone as an exclamation, without expressing the second part of the sentence, which remains implied. In this case Anzi! has the meaning of (al contrario).
- Michele non è stupido, anzi!
- Michele is not stupid, on the contrary!
- Non siamo nervosi, anzi!
- We are not nervous, on the contrary!
- Non fa freddo, anzi!
- It’s not cold, on the contrary!
5. Correlative conjunctions (Correlative):
Correlative conjunctions create a correspondence or relate two or more elements.
| O…O (either…or) | Devi deciderti: o studi o impari un lavoro. You have to decide: either you study or you learn a job. |
| Sia…sia (both..and) | Il libro si rivolge sia agli adulti sia a un pubblico più giovane. The book is aimed at both adults and a younger audience. |
| Né..né (neither..or/nor) | Né io né tu vogliamo continuare questo lavoro. Neither I nor you want to continue this work. |
| Non solo…ma anche (Not only…. but also) | Non solo lavorava da noi, ma frequentava anche l’universita. Not only did he work for us, but he also attended university. |
A). O…O (either…or)
- Devi deciderti: o studi o impari un lavoro.
- You have to decide: either you study or you learn a job.
B). Sia…sia (both..and)
It is used in affirmative sentences to correlate two parts of the sentence, something like (e).
In modern Italian, it is often found (sia.. che).
- Sia Franco sia(che) Antonio giocano a calcio.
- Both Franco and Antonio play soccer.
C). Né..né (neither..or/nor)
It is used in negative sentences to correlate two parts of the sentence.
- Non ho visto né Paolo né sua moglie al cinema.
- I didn’t see either Paolo or/nor his wife at the cinema.
Né..né could be replaced with (e neanche)
- Non ho visto Paolo e neanche sua moglie al cinema.
- I didn’t see Paolo or his wife at the cinema.
D). Non solo…ma anche (Not only…. but also)
- Non solo vorrei ringraziarvi, ma anche ricambiarvi il favore.
- Not only would I like to thank you, but also to return you the favor.
6. Conclusive conjunctions (Conclusive)
Conclusive conjunctions join two elements of which the second is the consequence or conclusion of the first.
| Dunque (So) | Non lo amo più e dunque l’ho lasciato. I don’t love him anymore and so I left him. |
| Perciò/quindi (Therefore) | Lui mi ha offeso e quindi non gli parlo più. He offended me and so I don’t talk to him anymore. |
| Allora (so/then) | Il treno era già partito, allora ho preso l’autobus. The train had already left, so I took the bus. |
A). Dunque (so)
It is used to introduce the consequence of what has been said before.
- Sono stanco, dunque mi prendo una settimana di ferie.
- I’m tired, so I’m taking a week off.
B). Perciò/quindi (therefore)
Perciò and quindi are used as a synonym of (dunque)
- Suo padre è inglese, perciò anche lei ha il passaporto di quel paese.
- Her father is British, so she too has a British passport.
- Occorre aumentare la produzione, quindi bisogna chiedere agli operai di lavorare al sabato.
- We need to increase production, so we need to ask the workers to work on Saturdays.
C). Allora (so/that)
- Se vuoi venire, allora preparati.
- If you want to come, then get ready.
- Non ti piace?, allora non voglio insistere.
- You don’t like it?, so I don’t want to insist.