Italian writing — especially in newspapers, academic prose, legal texts, and formal essays — is famous for its long, intricately linked sentences. The glue that holds these sentences together is a rich inventory of discourse connectives: words and phrases that signal sequence, cause, contrast, addition, reformulation, exemplification, and conclusion. Mastering them is what allows a learner to move from producing a string of disconnected sentences to writing genuinely connected discourse, which is what Italian readers expect at B2 and above.
This page is an organized inventory with register labels and natural examples. Use it as a reference when reading or composing connected text.
Why Italian uses so many connectives
Compared to English, Italian writing tolerates — and often demands — far more explicit signposting. Where English may rely on implicit relations (Studio italiano. Mi piace la cultura. Faccio molta pratica.), Italian readers expect the writer to make the logical relations explicit. A formal Italian text without connectives reads as choppy and underdeveloped.
Two consequences for learners:
- In writing, you should plan to use a connective per sentence or every other sentence in B2+ texts. Don't worry about "overusing" them in formal style.
- In speech, the same connectives appear, but in a thinner and more colloquial selection. Però, quindi, allora, cioè, insomma dominate; tuttavia, pertanto, ovvero are reserved for elevated registers.
Sequence
Used to order events or steps in time or in argument structure.
| Connective | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| prima | first / before | neutral |
| poi | then | neutral |
| dopo | afterwards | neutral |
| in seguito | subsequently | formal |
| successivamente | subsequently | formal |
| in primo luogo / in secondo luogo | first / second (in argument) | formal |
| infine | finally | neutral |
| alla fine | in the end | neutral |
Prima ho letto il testo, poi ho scritto il riassunto e infine ho controllato gli errori.
First I read the text, then I wrote the summary, and finally I checked for mistakes.
In primo luogo va analizzato il contesto storico; in secondo luogo, le cause economiche.
First the historical context must be analysed; second, the economic causes. (academic)
L'azienda ha annunciato la fusione e successivamente ha presentato il nuovo amministratore delegato.
The company announced the merger and subsequently introduced the new CEO. (journalistic)
Addition
Used to add information, often building up an argument.
| Connective | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| inoltre | furthermore | neutral/formal |
| anche | also | neutral |
| altresì | likewise | very formal |
| per di più | moreover | neutral |
| in più | in addition | neutral |
| oltre a ciò | besides that | formal |
| non solo … ma anche | not only … but also | neutral |
Lo studio è interessante; inoltre, presenta dati nuovi.
The study is interesting; furthermore, it presents new data.
Non solo parla cinque lingue, ma ha anche vissuto in tre continenti.
Not only does she speak five languages, she's also lived on three continents.
Il progetto è costoso. Per di più, richiederà tempi lunghi.
The project is expensive. What's more, it will take a long time.
Contrast
The most heavily used family in Italian writing.
| Connective | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| ma | but | neutral |
| però | however | neutral (very common) |
| invece | instead / on the other hand | neutral |
| tuttavia | nevertheless | formal |
| ciò nonostante / nondimeno | nevertheless | formal |
| al contrario | on the contrary | neutral |
| d'altra parte / d'altronde | on the other hand | neutral/formal |
| eppure | and yet | neutral/literary |
Volevo uscire, però è iniziato a piovere.
I wanted to go out, but it started raining.
Marco è molto silenzioso; sua sorella, invece, parla in continuazione.
Marco is very quiet; his sister, on the other hand, talks non-stop.
Le previsioni erano negative; tuttavia, l'economia ha mostrato segnali di ripresa.
The forecasts were negative; nevertheless, the economy showed signs of recovery. (formal)
Eppure non sembrava stanco quando l'ho visto.
And yet he didn't seem tired when I saw him.
A note on placement: però is unusual in that it can sit either at the start of a sentence (Però è iniziato a piovere) or, very commonly, inside the second clause (È iniziato a piovere, però). Tuttavia is more rigid and tends to come at the start.
Cause
Italian distinguishes between causes that are new to the listener (postposed: perché) and causes that are already known or being assumed (preposed: siccome, poiché).
| Connective | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| perché | because | neutral; postposed |
| poiché | since | formal; pre- or postposed |
| siccome | since | neutral; preposed only |
| dato che | given that | neutral |
| visto che | seeing that | neutral, slightly informal |
| a causa di + noun | because of | neutral |
| in virtù di + noun | by virtue of | very formal |
| grazie a + noun | thanks to | neutral, positive |
| per via di + noun | because of | colloquial |
Non sono uscito perché pioveva.
I didn't go out because it was raining.
Siccome pioveva, non sono uscito.
Since it was raining, I didn't go out. (siccome must come first)
La ditta, poiché aveva esaurito le scorte, ha rinviato la consegna.
The firm, since it had run out of stock, postponed the delivery. (formal)
L'evento è stato cancellato a causa del maltempo.
The event was cancelled because of bad weather.
Grazie al tuo aiuto, abbiamo finito in tempo.
Thanks to your help, we finished in time.
Consequence
The mirror image of cause.
| Connective | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| quindi | so | neutral (very common) |
| perciò | therefore | neutral |
| pertanto | therefore | formal |
| dunque | thus | formal/literary |
| allora | so / then | neutral, conversational |
| di conseguenza | as a result | neutral/formal |
| ne consegue che | it follows that | very formal |
| così | so / thus | neutral |
Pioveva, quindi siamo restati a casa.
It was raining, so we stayed home.
Il candidato non si è presentato; pertanto, la commissione ha rinviato l'esame.
The candidate didn't show up; therefore, the committee postponed the exam. (formal)
Non c'erano più posti, allora abbiamo cambiato programma.
There were no more seats left, so we changed our plans.
Il bilancio è in attivo; ne consegue che si possono fare nuovi investimenti.
The budget is in surplus; it follows that new investments can be made. (academic)
Reformulation
Used to say the same thing in different words — to clarify, soften, or specify.
| Connective | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| cioè | that is, i.e. | neutral (very common) |
| ovvero | or rather / that is | formal |
| in altre parole | in other words | neutral |
| in altri termini | in other terms | formal |
| vale a dire | that is to say | formal |
| insomma | basically / all in all | conversational |
Non vengo, cioè, magari più tardi, ma adesso no.
I'm not coming — that is, maybe later, but not now.
Dovrai presentare la documentazione entro il 30 giugno, ovvero la scadenza prevista dal bando.
You'll have to submit the paperwork by June 30, that is, the deadline set by the call. (formal)
Insomma, alla fine ho deciso di non andarci.
Basically, in the end I decided not to go. (conversational)
Il documento è pubblico, vale a dire consultabile da chiunque.
The document is public, that is to say, anyone can consult it.
Exemplification
| Connective | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| per esempio / ad esempio | for example | neutral |
| in particolare | in particular | neutral/formal |
| come | such as | neutral |
| soprattutto | especially | neutral |
| tra cui | including | neutral/formal |
Mi piacciono i film d'autore, per esempio quelli di Fellini.
I like art-house films, for example Fellini's.
Sono stati invitati molti scrittori, in particolare quelli del Sud Italia.
Many writers were invited, in particular those from southern Italy.
Le lingue romanze, come l'italiano e il francese, derivano dal latino.
The Romance languages, such as Italian and French, descend from Latin.
Conclusion
Used to wrap up an argument or a paragraph.
| Connective | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| in conclusione | in conclusion | neutral/formal |
| per concludere | to conclude | formal |
| in sintesi | in summary | neutral/formal |
| riassumendo | summing up | neutral |
| in fin dei conti | when all is said and done | conversational |
| insomma | in short | conversational |
| tutto sommato | all things considered | neutral |
In conclusione, possiamo dire che il progetto è stato un successo.
In conclusion, we can say the project was a success.
Riassumendo: prima i dati, poi l'analisi, infine le conclusioni.
To sum up: first the data, then the analysis, finally the conclusions.
In fin dei conti, non era una cattiva idea.
When all is said and done, it wasn't a bad idea.
Putting it all together — a connected paragraph
Here is a short B2-level paragraph that uses connectives from each family. Notice how the logical structure becomes immediately clear once they're in place.
Studio l'italiano da due anni. Inoltre, mi piace molto la cultura italiana, soprattutto il cinema. Tuttavia, la grammatica resta difficile, in particolare il congiuntivo. Siccome voglio migliorare, faccio pratica ogni giorno: prima leggo un articolo, poi scrivo un riassunto e infine controllo gli errori. In conclusione, sono motivato a continuare, perché ogni piccolo progresso mi dà soddisfazione.
I've been studying Italian for two years. What's more, I really like Italian culture, especially the cinema. However, the grammar is still hard, in particular the subjunctive. Since I want to improve, I practise every day: first I read an article, then I write a summary, and finally I check for mistakes. In conclusion, I'm motivated to keep going, because every small step gives me satisfaction.
That paragraph uses sequence (prima, poi, infine), addition (inoltre), contrast (tuttavia), cause (siccome, perché), exemplification (in particolare), and conclusion (in conclusione) — and despite the density, it reads as natural Italian, not an exercise.
Spoken vs written register at a glance
| Spoken / informal | Written / formal |
|---|---|
| ma, però | tuttavia, nondimeno, ciò nonostante |
| perché | poiché, in quanto |
| siccome | dato che, in considerazione del fatto che |
| quindi, allora | pertanto, di conseguenza |
| anche, in più | inoltre, altresì |
| cioè | ovvero, vale a dire |
| insomma | in sintesi, in conclusione |
Mixing registers up — ma altresì, però pertanto, siccome dunque — reads as awkward. Pick a register and stay consistent.
Common Mistakes
❌ Però altresì preferisco il caffè.
Wrong register mix — altresì is very formal, però is conversational.
✅ Però preferisco il caffè. / Tuttavia, preferisco altresì il caffè.
But I prefer coffee. / However, I likewise prefer coffee.
❌ Pioveva, perché siamo restati a casa.
Wrong — perché introduces causes, not consequences.
✅ Pioveva, perciò siamo restati a casa.
It was raining, so we stayed home.
❌ Non sono uscito siccome pioveva.
Wrong placement — siccome must come at the start of its clause, with the cause preceding the effect.
✅ Siccome pioveva, non sono uscito.
Since it was raining, I didn't go out.
❌ Inoltre piove, anche fa freddo.
Wrong — Italian doesn't double up addition connectives like this.
✅ Piove e, inoltre, fa freddo.
It's raining, and what's more, it's cold.
❌ Cioè dunque vale a dire che non viene.
Wrong — three reformulators in a row is not natural.
✅ Cioè, non viene. / In altre parole, non viene.
That is, he's not coming.
Key takeaways
- Italian connected discourse relies on explicit connectives far more than English does.
- Connectives fall into well-defined families: sequence, addition, contrast, cause, consequence, reformulation, exemplification, conclusion.
- Each family has both conversational and formal members — pick the register and stay consistent.
- Some connectives (siccome, poiché) are sensitive to position; others (però) are flexible.
- For B2 writing, aim for at least one connective every two sentences. For C1+ academic writing, every sentence.
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