5. Conclusive conjunctions
They 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.
6. Correlatives 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.