Correlative conjunctions (conjunções correlativas) come in matched pairs: a first half opens the structure and a second half closes it, and the two work together to link two coordinated elements. Não só… mas também ("not only… but also"), nem… nem ("neither… nor"), ou… ou ("either… or") — in each case neither half can do the job alone. This page lays out the full inventory, the verb-agreement rule that trips up nearly everyone, and the iron requirement of parallelism. For the single-word coordinating conjunctions, see Coordinating Conjunctions; for the broader principle of balance, see Parallel Structure.
The inventory
| Pair | Meaning | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| não só… mas também / como também | not only… but also | addition (emphatic) |
| tanto… quanto / como | both… and | addition (equal weight) |
| nem… nem | neither… nor | negative addition |
| ou… ou | either… or | exclusive choice |
| ora… ora | now… now / sometimes… sometimes | alternation |
| quer… quer | whether… or | indifference (formal) |
| seja… seja | whether… or / be it… or | indifference |
| não… mas sim | not… but rather | correction/contrast |
não só … mas também — "not only … but also"
This is the most common emphatic-addition pair. The second half can appear as mas também or, slightly more formal, como também or mas ainda.
Ela não só passou na prova, mas também tirou a maior nota da turma.
She not only passed the test, but also got the highest grade in the class.
O filme não só é longo como também é confuso.
The film is not only long but also confusing.
A common refinement in writing: when não só opens the sentence, the verb and subject often invert — Não só passou ela na prova… (literary). In everyday Brazilian speech the plain order above is the norm.
tanto … quanto — "both … and"
This pair joins two elements with equal weight. (The same words form the equality comparison tanto… quanto, "as much as"; here they mean "both… and." Context tells them apart.)
Tanto a diretora quanto os professores apoiaram a mudança.
Both the principal and the teachers supported the change.
Ele fala tanto inglês quanto espanhol fluentemente.
He speaks both English and Spanish fluently.
nem … nem — "neither … nor"
nem … nem is the negative correlative. One quirk: when nem… nem opens the sentence, the verb usually does not carry a separate não, because nem already negates.
Nem ele nem a esposa quiseram comentar o assunto.
Neither he nor his wife wanted to comment on the matter.
Não tenho tempo nem dinheiro para essa viagem agora.
I have neither the time nor the money for this trip right now.
ou … ou — "either … or"
ou … ou marks an exclusive choice — one or the other, but emphatically framed as alternatives.
Ou você decide agora, ou perde a vaga.
Either you decide now, or you lose the spot.
ora … ora and seja … seja / quer … quer
ora … ora describes alternation over time ("now this, now that"). seja … seja and the more formal quer … quer express indifference between options ("whether… or").
Ora ele está animadíssimo, ora não quer sair de casa.
Sometimes he's super excited, sometimes he doesn't want to leave the house.
Seja de carro, seja de ônibus, o importante é chegar no horário.
Whether by car or by bus, the important thing is to arrive on time.
Quer chova, quer faça sol, a feira acontece todo sábado.
Whether it rains or shines, the market happens every Saturday.
Notice that quer chova, quer faça uses the present subjunctive — these "whether… or" frames express a hypothetical indifference, so the subjunctive is required. Ora… ora, by contrast, reports real alternating facts and takes the indicative.
não … mas sim — "not … but rather"
This pair corrects: it rejects the first element and substitutes the second.
O problema não é o preço, mas sim a demora na entrega.
The problem isn't the price, but rather the delay in delivery.
The verb-agreement rule: paired subjects go PLURAL
Here is the point that catches almost everyone. When a correlative pair joins two singular subjects, the verb in standard written Portuguese goes plural, because the two subjects together form a compound subject.
Tanto João quanto Maria vieram à reunião.
Both João and Maria came to the meeting.
Tanto ele quanto ela sabem a verdade.
Both he and she know the truth.
Não só o gerente, mas também os funcionários reclamaram.
Not only the manager but also the employees complained.
This contradicts the English instinct, where "either… or" and "neither… nor" famously agree with the nearest subject ("Neither he nor I am going"). Portuguese with tanto… quanto and não só… mas também prefers the plural for a genuinely joint action.
There are two principled exceptions:
- With ou… ou and nem… nem, agreement is more flexible. When the action genuinely excludes one of the subjects, the singular is used; when it can apply to both, the plural appears. Nem João nem Maria veio (only one could have come — singular) vs. Nem João nem Maria vieram (neither of them came — plural, very common in speech).
- If one of the paired subjects is eu, the verb takes the first-person plural: Tanto eu quanto você temos razão ("Both you and I are right").
Parallelism: the two halves must match grammatically
A correlative pair demands that whatever follows the first half is the same grammatical category as whatever follows the second. Connect a noun to a noun, an infinitive to an infinitive, a clause to a clause. Breaking parallelism is the most common stylistic error with these structures, and a linguistics professor will mark it every time.
Ela não só canta, mas também compõe as próprias músicas.
She not only sings but also writes her own songs. (verb + verb)
Quero não só descansar, mas também viajar para a praia.
I want not only to rest but also to travel to the beach. (infinitive + infinitive)
Common Mistakes
❌ Tanto João quanto Maria veio à reunião.
Incorrect — two joint subjects take a plural verb: 'vieram'.
✅ Tanto João quanto Maria vieram à reunião.
Both João and Maria came to the meeting.
❌ Ela não só é inteligente, mas também trabalha muito... e dedicada.
Incorrect — broken parallelism: a clause is paired with a bare adjective.
✅ Ela não só é inteligente, mas também é dedicada.
She is not only intelligent but also dedicated.
❌ Não ele nem a esposa quiseram comentar.
Incorrect — the negative pair is 'nem… nem', not 'não… nem'.
✅ Nem ele nem a esposa quiseram comentar.
Neither he nor his wife wanted to comment.
❌ Quer chove, quer faz sol, a feira acontece.
Incorrect — the 'quer… quer' indifference frame requires the subjunctive.
✅ Quer chova, quer faça sol, a feira acontece.
Whether it rains or shines, the market happens.
❌ O problema não é o preço, mas sim é a demora.
Awkward — don't repeat the verb after 'mas sim'; the verb is shared.
✅ O problema não é o preço, mas sim a demora.
The problem isn't the price, but rather the delay.
Key Takeaways
- Correlatives are paired connectors; neither half stands alone.
- With tanto… quanto and não só… mas também, two joint subjects take a plural verb — the opposite of the English "nearest subject" rule.
- ou… ou and nem… nem allow singular agreement when only one subject can act.
- The two halves must be grammatically parallel — noun with noun, infinitive with infinitive, clause with clause.
- quer… quer and seja… seja ("whether… or") take the subjunctive; ora… ora reports real alternation and takes the indicative.
Now practice Portuguese
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Portuguese→Related Topics
- Coordinating ConjunctionsA1 — The five classes of coordinating conjunction in Brazilian Portuguese — additive, adversative, alternative, conclusive, explicative — with comma rules and the key contrast with Spanish.
- Parallel StructureB1 — How to keep lists, comparisons, and correlative pairs balanced by matching grammatical forms in Brazilian Portuguese.
- Comparative Conjunctions (Como, Conforme)B1 — The connectors that build the second term of a comparison in Brazilian Portuguese — mais/menos (do) que, tão...quanto, tanto...quanto, assim como, bem como, que nem, and quanto mais...mais.
- Conjunctions: OverviewA2 — How Brazilian Portuguese conjunctions split into coordinating and subordinating types, what they join, and how the subordinating ones control verb mood.
- Coordination StructuresA2 — How Brazilian Portuguese links equals — words, phrases, and clauses — with copulative, adversative, disjunctive, conclusive, and explicative conjunctions, plus comma rules and ellipsis in coordination.