conjunctions they are invariable words in the Spanish language, that is, they do not show gender or number inflection. Its function is join words, phrases, phrases or clauses and establish hierarchical relationships between them. The conjunction etymology comes from the Latin: cum means "with" and yoke, "to join", that is, conjunction means what “joins with”.
conjunctions in spanishhave only grammatical meaning and have no lexical meaning. Their meaning is acquired in the prayers in which they are used.
Read too: El alphabet - the name of the letters in spanish
Classification of conjunctions
In Spanish, the conjunctions are classified into:
▪ coordinates: are the conjunctions that unite sentences that are at the same level of importance, to the point that their position can be changed without losing the sense of the larger clause to which they belong. For example, in prayer:
Mercedes goes to work and Pablo falls at home.
(Mercedes goes to work and Pablo stays at home.)
If we change the order of the prayers, the meaning is not affected:
Pablo falls at home and Mercedes goes to work.
(Pablo stays at home and Mercedes goes to work.)
▪ subordinates: they are the conjunctions that unite sentences that are at a level of interdependence, so that the meaning of one of them depends on the other for completion. For example, in prayer:
Luis said that he would come to recoger the children.
(Luis said he would come get the kids.)
The meaning of the second clause, which we call “subordinate prayer”, is only possible thanks to the first one, called “coordinated prayer” or “main prayer”. Without it, the second prayer would be incomprehensible.
Below, we'll look at examples of each of these types of conjunctions.
Read too:preposition – word that creates syntactic links with others
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→ Cordant conjunctions
At coordinating conjunctions are divided into:
▪ copulative: conjunctions that unite meanings. Are they y, ni and what.
Examples
- Maria Barre y Luis plancha.
(Maria sweeps and Luis passes.)
- Don't want to eat ni to exit a la calle.
(He doesn't feel like eating or going out.)
There is a rule in Spanish that when two nouns are united by conjunction y and the second starts with the vowel i or with the syllablehi, the conjunction y should be changed to and.
Example
meet and hicieron los trabajos.
(They got together and did the work.)
▪ disjunctive: conjunctions that present two opposing ideas, which exclude each other. O it is the disjunctive conjunction par excellence in Spanish.
Example
¿El shrimp is eaten fried O cooked?
(Is shrimp eaten fried or boiled?)
As with the conjunction y before words with i or hi, the conjunction ‘o’ must be used as u before words beginning with O or ho. Example:
I am sure that they will sell, one u the other.
(I'm sure they will come, one or the other.)
▪ adversative: conjunctions that promote correction or matching between elements. More specifically, the second clause joined with conjunction corrects or colors some idea of the first clause. conjunctions are but, but, bell and aunque.
Examples
- It's a short book, but very interesting.
(It's a short book, but very interesting.)
- Alfredo's wife is not vacaciones, bell At home.
(Alfredo's wife is not on vacation, but at home.)
▪ explanatory: conjunctions that unite sentences in which, as the name implies, the second explains or paraphrases the first. Are they the sea, are you, best dicho and you decide.
Examples
- Los hombres are omivores, you decide, we ate at all.
(Men are omnivores, that is, we eat everything.)
- If you went to the other world, are you, if murio.
(He went to the other world, that is, he died.)
▪ distributive: conjunctions that are used in pairs and indicate distribution and/or alternation. Are they O... O, bien... bien, ya... ya and now... now.
Examples
- O reduce the number of participants O we will have to cancel the activity.
(Either the number of participants will be reduced or we will have to cancel the activity.)
- taking now the sword, now la feather.
(Taking now the sword, now the pen.)
Also access: Personal and treatment pronouns
→ Subordinate conjunctions
At subordinating conjunctions are divided into:
▪ comparatives: conjunctions that introduce a subordinate clause that establishes a comparison relationship with the main clause. Are they What a..., tan... like and less than....
Example
the monument was not tan great like we imagine it.
(The monument was not as big as we thought.)
▪ causal: conjunctions that introduce a subordinate clause that expresses the cause or motive of the main clause. The most used is the conjunction why and put.
Example
Are you tired why has run a lot.
(You are tired because you ran too much.)
▪ consecutive: conjunctions that introduce a subordinate clause that expresses the effect or consequence of the main clause. Are they luego, count and there.
Example
We didn't win the party, luego we don't qualify.
(We didn't win the match, so we didn't qualify.)
▪ conditionals: conjunctions that introduce a subordinate clause that expresses a condition for carrying out the main clause. Are they yes, like and when.
Example
you can get out when pay what you owe.
(You can leave when you pay what you owe.)
▪ concessive: conjunctions that introduce a subordinate clause that expresses an objection, an impediment to the meaning of the main clause. The main one is the conjunction aunque.
Example
In the scam, aunque he's been on a diet all year.
(I can't lose weight, even though I've been on a diet all year.)
▪ finals: conjunctions that introduce a subordinate clause that expresses the purpose of the action performed in the main clause. The final conjunction par excellence is for. Example
In the last few years he is horrified for travel to Japan.
(Over the last few years, I have saved to travel to Japan.)
solved exercises
1.What is the type of conjunction of the words in bold in each sentence?
The) Tiene quince years, you decide, the age of illusions.
B) Yes Conduct with care, do not suffer the accident.
ç) We wear clothes and hicimos una stupendous food.
d) It's not my aunt, bell my sister.
and) ¿You prefer O coffee?
Answers:
The) explanatory coordinating conjunction
B) conditional subordinating conjunction
ç) copulative coordinating conjunction
d) adversative coordinating conjunction
and) disjunctive coordinating conjunction
By Diego Guimaraes Gontijo
Spanish teacher
