English handles most adversative situations with the single word but, occasionally reaching for however or nevertheless when the register rises. Portuguese fans this same work out across a whole register gradient: mas for everyday use, porém and contudo for writing and formal speech, todavia for literary or elevated prose, and no entanto and não obstante at different points on the scale. Getting the right one is not just about meaning — they all mean roughly "but" or "however" — it is about matching the tone of the sentence around them. A report that says mas every few paragraphs reads as casual; a Whatsapp to a friend that uses não obstante reads as a parody.
This page gives you the full gradient, the position rules (where in the clause each word can appear), and the punctuation that each one demands.
The register gradient
| Word | Register | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| só que | colloquial | spoken contrast, slightly softer than mas |
| mas | neutral, all registers | default adversative; clause-initial |
| no entanto | neutral to formal | common in writing; "however" |
| porém | formal / written | essays, journalism, official prose |
| contudo | formal / written | near-synonym of porém, slightly more formal still |
| todavia | literary / formal | older-feeling; literature, high-register essays |
| não obstante | very formal / legalistic | "notwithstanding"; academic or legal writing |
Mas — the default
Mas is a coordinating conjunction. It always goes between the two things it connects and never floats mid-clause. You put a comma before it, not after.
Queria ir ao cinema, mas estou cansada.
I wanted to go to the cinema, but I'm tired.
O restaurante é caro, mas a comida é excelente.
The restaurant is expensive, but the food is excellent.
Estudei muito, mas reprovei no exame.
I studied a lot, but I failed the exam.
Não é perfeito, mas serve.
It's not perfect, but it'll do.
Mas is also the word PT-PT speakers use to launch a protest or a mild objection in dialogue:
— Tens de acabar isso hoje. — Mas eu já trabalhei o dia todo!
— You have to finish that today. — But I've worked all day already!
Só que — the colloquial cousin
In speech, só que ("it's just that") functions almost identically to mas but lands slightly softer, as if you were conceding before objecting.
Sim, vou — só que chego um bocadinho atrasado.
Yeah, I'll come — it's just that I'll be a bit late.
This is conversational only; avoid it in writing.
Porém — the written workhorse
Porém is formal but not ornate. You will find it in journalism, essays, opinion columns, and academic writing. Unlike mas, porém enjoys positional freedom — it can appear at the start of a clause, mid-clause between commas, or after the finite verb.
Clause-initial
A proposta era atraente. Porém, não foi aceite.
(formal, written) The proposal was attractive. However, it was not accepted.
Mid-clause (between commas)
A proposta era atraente; a maioria, porém, não a aceitou.
(formal, written) The proposal was attractive; the majority, however, did not accept it.
Post-verbal
A proposta era atraente. Não foi, porém, aceite pela assembleia.
(formal, written) The proposal was attractive. It was not, however, accepted by the assembly.
The mid-clause position is a sign of a writer in control — it lets you emphasise the subject before introducing the contrast. English does the same with however ("The majority, however, rejected it").
Punctuation note: porém always demands commas when it sits mid-clause, and typically a comma after it when it opens a clause.
Contudo — the near-synonym of porém
Contudo means essentially the same thing as porém and occupies the same positions, with roughly the same register. Some writers perceive contudo as a hair more formal than porém; in practice, they are interchangeable in almost all written contexts.
O projeto foi aprovado. Contudo, faltam ainda os recursos financeiros.
(formal, written) The project was approved. However, financial resources are still lacking.
O resultado foi positivo; há, contudo, pontos a melhorar.
(formal, written) The result was positive; there are, however, points to improve.
Using porém and contudo interchangeably across a long piece of writing is actually good style — it avoids repetition.
Todavia — the literary register
Todavia feels older, more elevated, almost literary. It is still in use and perfectly correct, but it has a patina that porém and contudo lack. You will see it in essays, literary prose, and elevated journalism, but it sounds ornamented in an ordinary business email.
A cidade estava em ruínas. Todavia, os habitantes recusaram-se a partir.
(literary) The city lay in ruins. Nevertheless, the inhabitants refused to leave.
Reconheceu os seus erros; todavia, manteve a sua posição.
(literary) He acknowledged his mistakes; nevertheless, he maintained his position.
Positionally, todavia behaves like porém and contudo.
No entanto — the neutral-to-formal middle
No entanto ("however") sits comfortably between mas and porém. It is common in writing of all kinds and also appears in careful speech and television news. Unlike porém, it sounds natural in a broader range of registers.
Gosto muito de Lisboa. No entanto, faz-me falta o silêncio do campo.
I like Lisbon a lot. However, I miss the quiet of the countryside.
A solução parece simples; no entanto, esconde dificuldades reais.
The solution seems simple; however, it hides real difficulties.
No entanto is typically clause-initial or sentence-initial; the mid-clause position is possible but less common than with porém.
Não obstante — the most formal
Não obstante corresponds to English notwithstanding and lives in legal, academic, and institutional prose. In ordinary writing it sounds almost pompous. It can also function as a preposition ("despite"): não obstante a crise.
Não obstante as dificuldades, o acordo foi assinado.
(very formal) Notwithstanding the difficulties, the agreement was signed.
As provas eram insuficientes; o tribunal, não obstante, condenou o réu.
(very formal, legal) The evidence was insufficient; the court, nevertheless, convicted the defendant.
Use sparingly. One não obstante in a short piece of writing is memorable; three is a caricature of formality.
The same sentence across registers
Watch the same idea climb the register ladder:
A reunião foi longa, mas produtiva.
The meeting was long but productive. (neutral — conversational)
A reunião foi longa, no entanto produtiva.
The meeting was long, however productive. (neutral to formal — business writing)
A reunião foi longa; porém, produtiva.
The meeting was long; however, productive. (formal — reports, essays)
A reunião foi longa; não obstante, produtiva.
The meeting was long; nevertheless, productive. (very formal — legal, institutional)
Each is correct. The difference is who is speaking and in what medium.
Punctuation summary
| Connector | Before | After | Mid-clause |
|---|---|---|---|
| mas | comma | no comma | not possible |
| no entanto | period or semicolon | usually comma | possible, with surrounding commas |
| porém | period or semicolon | comma | yes — between commas |
| contudo | period or semicolon | comma | yes — between commas |
| todavia | period or semicolon | comma | yes — between commas |
| não obstante | period or semicolon | comma | yes — between commas |
Entretanto — a PT-PT caveat
In Brazilian Portuguese, entretanto is a common synonym of porém. In European Portuguese, entretanto is primarily temporal — it means meanwhile or in the meantime.
Vai tomar banho; entretanto, eu faço o jantar.
(PT-PT) Go take a shower; in the meantime, I'll make dinner.
The adversative sense ("however") does exist in PT-PT but sounds brasileiro and can confuse readers. In PT-PT writing, prefer no entanto, porém, contudo, or todavia for the "however" sense. Save entretanto for "meanwhile."
Related adversative conjunctions
- embora
- conjuntivo — although (subordinates a concessive clause rather than coordinating). Embora estivesse cansado, foi ao ginásio.
- apesar de
- ainda assim — even so, all the same (often mid-sentence). Não gostei; ainda assim, fiquei até ao fim.
- mesmo assim — even so (colloquial to neutral). Sabia que era arriscado, mesmo assim avançou.
- por outro lado — on the other hand (introduces a balancing point rather than a contradiction).
Estava doente; ainda assim, foi trabalhar.
He was sick; even so, he went to work.
Common mistakes
❌ Porém, eu não gosto de café.
Starting a conversational sentence with *porém* sounds like reading from a report. Use *mas*.
✅ Mas eu não gosto de café.
But I don't like coffee.
❌ A casa é antiga mas, tem bom isolamento.
*Mas* takes a comma *before*, not after.
✅ A casa é antiga, mas tem bom isolamento.
The house is old, but it has good insulation.
❌ O livro é longo porém interessante.
*Porém* mid-clause needs commas on both sides.
✅ O livro é longo; porém, interessante. / O livro é longo, porém interessante.
The book is long, however interesting.
❌ Entretanto, discordo da sua análise.
In PT-PT, *entretanto* sounds temporal (*meanwhile*), not adversative. Use *no entanto* or *porém* for 'however'.
✅ No entanto, discordo da sua análise.
However, I disagree with your analysis.
❌ Sabes, não obstante, ele tem razão.
Using *não obstante* in casual speech sounds like parody. Use *mas* or *no entanto*.
✅ Sabes, no entanto, ele tem razão.
You know, however, he's right.
❌ Está a chover, todavia vamos sair.
*Todavia* in a mundane sentence sounds overwrought.
✅ Está a chover, mas vamos sair na mesma.
It's raining, but we're going out all the same.
❌ Queria ir ao concerto mas não tenho bilhete, mas talvez consiga um, mas é caro.
Stacking *mas* clauses makes writing childish. Reach for *no entanto* or *porém* on the second hop.
✅ Queria ir ao concerto, mas não tenho bilhete. No entanto, talvez consiga um — ainda que seja caro.
I wanted to go to the concert, but I don't have a ticket. However, I might manage to get one — even if it's expensive.
Key takeaways
- Mas is the everyday, spoken-and-written default. It sits between clauses with a comma before it.
- No entanto lifts the register slightly without sounding stiff; it is the safe choice in business or journalistic prose.
- Porém and contudo are near-synonyms used in formal writing. Both enjoy positional flexibility and need commas when placed mid-clause.
- Todavia is literary; save it for elevated prose.
- Não obstante is legal and academic; one per piece of writing is plenty.
- In PT-PT, entretanto is usually temporal ("meanwhile"). For "however," prefer no entanto, porém, or contudo.
- Mixing registers within a single piece (one mas, one porém) is good style; stacking mas repeatedly is not.
Related Topics
- Choosing Between Similar Words: OverviewA2 — A navigator for the pairs and triplets of Portuguese words that overlap in meaning — ser/estar/ficar, por/para, saber/conhecer, levar/trazer/buscar, and more — with an explanation of why English collapses what Portuguese splits.
- Adversative Conjunctions (Mas, Porém, Contudo, Todavia)A2 — Expressing contrast and opposition in Portuguese — from the everyday *mas* to the formal *porém*, *contudo*, *todavia*, and *não obstante*.
- Coordinating Conjunctions (E, Ou, Mas, Nem)A1 — Joining independent clauses of equal weight — the four workhorses *e*, *ou*, *mas*, and *nem*, plus the semi-coordinators *também* and *bem como*.
- Conjunctions OverviewA2 — Words that connect clauses and sentences in Portuguese — from simple *e* and *mas* to the formal *uma vez que* and *dado que*.
- Register and Formality ErrorsB1 — How to avoid the most common register mistakes in European Portuguese — wrong pronouns, mismatched verb forms, and inappropriate slang.