Brazilian Portuguese has two almost separate inventories of sentence connectors. In conversation people glue ideas together with a tiny handful of words — e, mas, então, aí, daí, porque. But the moment you open a newspaper editorial, a court ruling, an academic abstract, or a corporate report, a different set appears: contudo, todavia, não obstante, portanto, por conseguinte, outrossim. These connectors are almost never heard in speech, yet they are everywhere in formal writing. Learning to recognize them is the single biggest unlock for reading sophisticated Brazilian texts; learning to deploy a few of them correctly is what makes your own writing sound educated rather than translated.
This page is organized by logical function — conclusion, contrast, addition, cause, concession — because that is how you choose a connector: first you decide what relationship you are signaling, then you pick the register-appropriate word for it.
Conclusion: portanto, logo, por conseguinte, assim
These introduce a consequence or inference — "therefore, so, thus." In speech you would just say então or aí; in writing you reach for these.
Portanto is the workhorse. It is fully formal but not stiff, and it is the safest choice when you want to write "therefore." Note that in careful writing portanto is usually set off by commas, because it is an adverbial connector, not a conjunction.
Os dados foram inconclusivos; portanto, novos testes serão necessários.
The data were inconclusive; therefore, further testing will be needed.
Logo means "therefore" in the strict logical sense (it is the word used in syllogisms) and also "soon" in everyday speech — context disambiguates. As a connector it is crisp and slightly more formal/argumentative than portanto.
Penso, logo existo.
I think, therefore I am.
Por conseguinte is the most formal of the group — typical of legal and academic prose, rare even in journalism. Assim ("thus") is gentler and very common in expository writing; it can also mean "this way," so it leans on context.
A empresa não cumpriu o prazo contratual; por conseguinte, incorre nas penalidades previstas em cláusula.
The company did not meet the contractual deadline; consequently, it incurs the penalties set out in the clause.
Assim, conclui-se que a hipótese inicial não se sustenta.
Thus, it can be concluded that the initial hypothesis does not hold.
Contrast: contudo, todavia, entretanto, no entanto, porém, não obstante
This is the richest cluster, and the one where Brazilian writers show the most stylistic taste. All of them translate roughly as "however, nevertheless, yet." The spoken-language equivalent is the single word mas.
The key insight for English speakers: where English mostly relies on position and punctuation to vary "however / yet / nevertheless / that said," Brazilian Portuguese has distinct lexical items, and they are not freely interchangeable in placement.
- Porém is the most flexible. It can begin a clause like mas, or float to a middle position set off by commas. It is formal-neutral — at home in journalism and good prose, too elevated for casual chat.
- Contudo and todavia are clearly formal/literary; todavia in particular has an old-fashioned, polished ring.
- Entretanto and no entanto are the standard "however" of expository and journalistic writing. (Watch out: entretanto can also mean "meanwhile" in older texts.)
- Não obstante is the most formal — borderline legalese — and means "notwithstanding / nevertheless." It can also function as a preposition: não obstante as dificuldades ("notwithstanding the difficulties").
O réu negou a acusação; contudo, as provas apresentadas indicam o contrário.
The defendant denied the accusation; however, the evidence presented indicates otherwise.
Esperávamos uma queda nos preços; todavia, eles continuaram a subir ao longo do trimestre.
We expected a drop in prices; yet they kept rising throughout the quarter.
O projeto é ambicioso. No entanto, o orçamento disponível mal cobre a primeira fase.
The project is ambitious. However, the available budget barely covers the first phase.
Não obstante os repetidos avisos, a população insistiu em permanecer na área de risco.
Notwithstanding the repeated warnings, the population insisted on staying in the risk area.
Addition: além disso, ademais, outrossim
For piling on a second supporting point — "moreover, furthermore, in addition." Speech uses bare e ("and") or e também.
Além disso ("besides that, moreover") is the everyday-formal choice, common even in semi-formal emails. Ademais is distinctly literary/formal. Outrossim ("likewise, furthermore") is extreme formal register — it survives almost exclusively in legal documents, official notices, and old-fashioned bureaucratic prose. A native speaker reading outrossim immediately registers "this is a legal or very stuffy document."
O candidato domina três idiomas. Além disso, tem ampla experiência internacional.
The candidate speaks three languages. Moreover, he has extensive international experience.
Os custos aumentaram; ademais, a demanda caiu de forma acentuada.
Costs rose; furthermore, demand fell sharply.
Fica o réu intimado a comparecer à audiência; outrossim, deverá apresentar os documentos solicitados.
The defendant is hereby summoned to appear at the hearing; furthermore, he must present the requested documents.
Cause: porquanto, visto que
For introducing a justification in formal register — "inasmuch as, given that, since." Everyday speech uses porque; see the dedicated causal clauses page for the full range.
Visto que ("seeing that, given that") is formal but accessible, common in expository writing. Porquanto ("inasmuch as, for") is archaic-leaning and strongly literary/legal; it presents the reason as already-known grounds for what follows.
Visto que todos os requisitos foram cumpridos, o pedido será deferido.
Given that all the requirements have been met, the request will be granted.
Não cabe recurso, porquanto a decisão transitou em julgado.
No appeal is possible, inasmuch as the decision has become final.
Concession: conquanto, ainda que, posto que
Concessive connectors grant a point and then push back — "although, even though, granted that." Crucially, the formal concessive connectors govern the subjunctive, just like their everyday cousin embora. See concessive clauses for the mood rules in depth.
Ainda que ("even if / even though") is widely used and takes the subjunctive. Conquanto ("although") is literary and also takes the subjunctive. Posto que historically meant "although" (concessive) in formal prose, though in modern careless usage some writers drift it toward "since" — a contested point worth flagging.
Conquanto fosse jovem, demonstrava uma maturidade incomum.
Although he was young, he showed unusual maturity.
Ainda que chova, a cerimônia será realizada ao ar livre.
Even if it rains, the ceremony will be held outdoors.
The speech vs. writing divide — the core insight
Here is the table that ties the page together. Each formal connector maps onto one of just a few casual words that carry the whole conversational load:
| Function | Spoken (informal) | Written (formal / literary) |
|---|---|---|
| Conclusion | então, aí, daí | portanto, logo, por conseguinte, assim |
| Contrast | mas | contudo, todavia, entretanto, no entanto, porém, não obstante |
| Addition | e, e também | além disso, ademais, outrossim |
| Cause | porque | visto que, porquanto, uma vez que |
| Concession | só que, mesmo assim | conquanto, ainda que, não obstante |
The practical consequence is twofold. For reading, recognizing todavia, não obstante, and outrossim is what lets you parse the logical skeleton of academic, legal, and journalistic Brazilian Portuguese — these markers tell you whether the author is concluding, qualifying, or piling on. For writing, sprinkling in contudo or portanto is fine and expected; reaching for outrossim or porquanto when you do not control the register will make you sound like a bad imitation of a 1950s bureaucrat.
Common Mistakes
❌ Tava chovendo, todavia a gente foi pra praia.
Incorrect — mixing literary 'todavia' with heavily colloquial 'tava' and 'a gente'.
✅ Estava chovendo; todavia, fomos à praia. / Tava chovendo, mas a gente foi pra praia.
Correct — keep the register consistent: 'todavia' with formal grammar, or 'mas' with colloquial grammar.
The number-one error is register clash: dropping a formal connector into an otherwise colloquial sentence. Todavia and a gente do not belong in the same breath.
❌ Eu acho que sim, portanto não tenho certeza.
Incorrect — 'portanto' means 'therefore', but the relationship here is contrast.
✅ Eu acho que sim, porém não tenho certeza.
I think so, but I'm not certain. — contrast needs a contrast connector.
English speakers often calque "so" as portanto even when the logic is concession or contrast. Match the connector to the actual logical relationship, not to the English word.
❌ Conquanto ele é inteligente, não passou na prova.
Incorrect — concessive 'conquanto' requires the subjunctive, not the indicative 'é'.
✅ Conquanto seja inteligente, não passou na prova.
Although he's intelligent, he didn't pass the test.
Formal concessives (conquanto, ainda que, embora) demand the subjunctive. Using the indicative after them is a classic intermediate error.
❌ Outrossim, te mando um abraço! (in a message to a friend)
Incorrect — 'outrossim' is bureaucratic/legal register, absurd in a friendly message.
✅ E mais: um abraço! / Ah, e um abraço!
And one more thing — a hug! — use casual addition markers with friends.
❌ Por conseguinte a empresa demitiu metade da equipe.
Incorrect — formal sentence connectors are normally set off by commas.
✅ Por conseguinte, a empresa demitiu metade da equipe.
Consequently, the company laid off half the team.
Key Takeaways
- Choose a connector by function first (conclusion, contrast, addition, cause, concession), then by register.
- The formal connectors are written-register tools; speech compresses each function into então, mas, e, porque, só que.
- Keep register consistent — never pair outrossim/todavia with a gente/tava.
- Concessive connectors (conquanto, ainda que) take the subjunctive.
- For reading the canon of formal BR — editorials, contracts, academic papers — recognition of these markers is essential; for writing, deploy the mid-formal ones (portanto, porém, contudo, além disso) freely and leave outrossim/porquanto to the lawyers.
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Start learning Portuguese→Related Topics
- Causal Clauses (Porque, Já Que, Visto Que)A2 — How to express reason and cause in Portuguese with porque, já que, uma vez que, como, visto que, and pois — all in the indicative.
- Concessive Clauses (Although, Even Though)B1 — How to express contrast and concession with embora, mesmo que, ainda que and apesar de — and why the conjunctions take the subjunctive even for plain facts.
- Formal Connectors for WritingB2 — The high-formal stratum of Brazilian Portuguese connectors — outrossim, ademais, não obstante, doravante, por conseguinte — that lives in legal and academic prose, when they fit, and when they just sound pompous.
- Conclusion Markers (Enfim, Em Suma)B2 — How Brazilian Portuguese wraps up an argument or narrative — 'em suma', 'resumindo', 'no fim das contas', 'enfim', 'portanto' — and the register split between spoken and written closers.
- Contrast Markers (Mas, Porém, Contudo)A2 — How Brazilian Portuguese signals contrast on a register ladder, from the everyday 'mas' to the formal 'porém', 'contudo' and 'todavia'.
- Written vs Spoken BR PortugueseB1 — Brazil's central register axis — how spoken norms (a gente, cê/tá/pra, proclisis, invariable tem) diverge so far from formal writing (nós, full forms, há, enclisis) that learners must master both, plus the hybrid texting register.