Adversative conjunctions (conjunções adversativas) are the family of words that signal contrast. English has "but," "however," "yet," "nevertheless," and "though" — Portuguese has a parallel set, but sorted along a clear register gradient. Mas is the neutral, everyday word; porém, contudo, and todavia are literary or journalistic; não obstante is almost exclusively formal written Portuguese; só que and agora are colloquial alternatives that you will hear all the time on the street.
Mastering this group is less about meaning — they all mean roughly "but" — and more about register, placement, and punctuation. This page walks through each conjunction, shows where it can sit in the sentence, and ends with a side-by-side register table.
Mas — the neutral default
Mas is the workhorse of contrast. It is register-neutral, used equally in conversation, newspapers, novels, and academic writing. In structure, it always begins the contrasting clause and cannot float to mid-position.
Queria ir ao concerto, mas já não havia bilhetes.
I wanted to go to the concert, but there were no tickets left.
O trabalho é difícil, mas vale a pena.
The job is hard, but it's worth it.
Sou de Lisboa, mas vivo no Porto há vinte anos.
I'm from Lisbon, but I've been living in Porto for twenty years.
Mas marks a total contrast — X is true, and yet Y is true despite X. Compare this with the concessive embora (see the concessive page), which frames the contrast as an obstacle to something: Mas não consegui vs Embora tivesse tentado, não consegui.
Porém — the formal adversative
Porém means "however" and belongs to written and formal spoken Portuguese — editorials, essays, speeches, corporate emails. In speech it sounds elevated; overused it sounds pompous. Its great advantage over mas is positional flexibility: porém can appear at the start of the clause, embedded between commas, or even after the first chunk of the clause.
A proposta é interessante. Porém, apresenta vários problemas técnicos.
The proposal is interesting. However, it presents several technical problems.
A proposta, porém, apresenta vários problemas técnicos.
The proposal, however, presents several technical problems.
A proposta apresenta, porém, vários problemas técnicos.
The proposal presents, however, several technical problems.
All three positions are correct, and the choice is stylistic — fronted porém opens a contrast dramatically, embedded porém softens it.
Contudo — "yet," "however"
Contudo is very close in meaning and register to porém. It reads as slightly more literary and is common in longer written arguments. Journalists and essayists reach for it to avoid repeating porém in the same paragraph.
A reforma foi aprovada por larga maioria. Contudo, vários deputados manifestaram reservas.
The reform was approved by a large majority. Yet several MPs voiced reservations.
O plano parecia perfeito no papel; contudo, na prática, revelou-se inviável.
The plan seemed perfect on paper; however, in practice, it turned out to be unworkable.
Todavia — "nevertheless"
Todavia is the most clearly literary of the three Latin-flavoured adversatives. It carries the weight of "nevertheless" — acknowledging something and then pushing past it. In contemporary PT-PT prose it is rarer than porém and contudo, but still alive in essays and literary translations.
Os resultados são encorajadores. Todavia, é prudente manter a cautela.
The results are encouraging. Nevertheless, it's prudent to remain cautious.
Admitiu o erro; todavia, recusou-se a pedir desculpa.
He admitted the mistake; nevertheless, he refused to apologise.
No entanto — the everyday "however"
No entanto is the register-neutral counterpart of porém. You hear it in speech (unlike porém) and read it constantly in news articles, blog posts, and formal emails. Think of it as the Portuguese version of "however" — polished but not stiff.
Ele estudou muito. No entanto, não passou no exame.
He studied a lot. However, he didn't pass the exam.
A ideia, no entanto, não foi bem recebida.
The idea, however, was not well received.
Entretanto — meanwhile or however?
Here is a word that trips up learners — and, frankly, many native speakers. Entretanto has two possible meanings:
- "Meanwhile" — the primary meaning in spoken PT-PT. It marks simultaneity.
- "However" — an adversative reading, more common in Brazilian Portuguese and in older PT-PT writing.
In modern PT-PT, the "meanwhile" reading dominates. To translate "however" in PT-PT, reach for no entanto, contudo, or porém — do not rely on entretanto.
Eu preparei o jantar. Entretanto, ele pôs a mesa.
I made dinner. Meanwhile, he set the table. (PT-PT default — simultaneity)
A ideia é boa; entretanto, tem alguns problemas.
The idea is good; however, it has some problems. (more Brazilian; a PT speaker would say *no entanto*)
Não obstante — "notwithstanding"
Não obstante is strictly formal — legal, academic, bureaucratic. It means "notwithstanding" and can introduce either a clause or a noun phrase.
Não obstante as dificuldades, o projeto foi concluído no prazo.
Notwithstanding the difficulties, the project was completed on time.
A sentença foi mantida, não obstante os recursos apresentados.
The sentence was upheld, despite the appeals filed. (legal register)
It is a tell-tale marker of academic and legal writing; using it in a casual conversation would sound absurd.
Só que — the colloquial "but"
Só que (literally "only that") is the colloquial workhorse alongside mas. It begins a clause and adds a flavour of mild objection or qualification — often with a sigh implied.
Ia comprar o carro, só que não tenho dinheiro neste momento.
I was going to buy the car, but I don't have the money right now.
Adorava ajudar-te, só que estou atolado em trabalho.
I'd love to help you — it's just that I'm swamped with work.
Agora — the informal contrastive
In spoken PT-PT, agora (normally "now") can be used as an informal adversative, something like English "now, ..." when you set up a contrasting qualification. It is conversational and you will hear it constantly in radio debates and family arguments.
O filme é interessante. Agora, é longo demais.
The film is interesting. Now, it's too long.
Podes ir. Agora, tens de voltar antes das onze.
You can go. But you have to be back before eleven.
This is distinctively spoken — in writing, prefer mas or no entanto.
Placement gradient
Where a conjunction can sit in a clause is not just a stylistic detail; it is a structural property. Here is the full grid:
| Conjunction | Clause-initial | Mid-clause (in commas) | After verb | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mas | yes | no | no | neutral |
| só que | yes | no | no | colloquial |
| agora | yes | no | no | colloquial |
| porém | yes | yes | yes | formal/written |
| contudo | yes | yes | yes | formal/literary |
| todavia | yes | yes | yes | literary |
| no entanto | yes | yes | yes | semi-formal |
| entretanto (adv.) | yes | yes | yes | formal/rare in PT-PT for "however" |
| não obstante | yes | yes | rare | very formal |
Total contrast vs concessive contrast
A subtle but important distinction: adversative conjunctions like mas and porém assert a direct contrast between two facts ("X, but Y"). Concessive conjunctions like embora and apesar de frame the first fact as a conceded obstacle that is nevertheless overcome ("although X, Y").
Estou cansado, mas vou ao cinema.
I'm tired, but I'm going to the cinema. (direct contrast)
Embora esteja cansado, vou ao cinema.
Although I'm tired, I'm going to the cinema. (concession — the tiredness is an acknowledged obstacle)
Both are true and natural, but the concessive version signals that the speaker is consciously dismissing the obstacle, while the adversative version just reports two facts next to each other. English speakers tend to over-use mas where a native would use embora or apesar de.
Adversatives in the wild
Let us see each in its natural habitat:
In a personal letter (neutral)
Gostei muito de Lisboa, mas o trânsito é um pesadelo.
I really liked Lisbon, but the traffic is a nightmare.
In a newspaper opinion column (formal)
O Governo promete um aumento dos salários. Contudo, a inflação continua a corroer o poder de compra das famílias.
The Government promises a salary increase. However, inflation continues to erode families' purchasing power.
In a speech (elevated)
Muitos tentaram antes de nós, e muitos falharam. Todavia, não desistimos.
Many tried before us, and many failed. Nevertheless, we did not give up.
In a WhatsApp message (colloquial)
Ia lá hoje, só que estou com uma dor de cabeça horrível.
I was going to go today, it's just that I've got a horrible headache.
In a radio debate (informal/rhetorical)
O homem tem razão. Agora, dizer que a culpa é só do governo é um bocado exagerado.
The man has a point. Now, saying it's all the government's fault is a bit of a stretch.
Register comparison at a glance
| Register | Go-to adversatives |
|---|---|
| Colloquial speech, texting | mas, só que, agora |
| Neutral writing (email, blog) | mas, no entanto |
| Journalistic / semi-formal | mas, no entanto, contudo, porém |
| Formal / academic | porém, contudo, todavia, não obstante |
| Legal / bureaucratic | não obstante, porém, contudo |
Common mistakes
❌ Queria ir, porém, não posso.
Awkward register mix — *porém* feels over-formal in a simple spoken sentence.
✅ Queria ir, mas não posso. / Queria ir; porém, não posso. (formal writing)
I wanted to go, but I can't.
❌ O filme é bom, entretanto é muito longo.
In PT-PT, *entretanto* primarily means 'meanwhile' — this sounds Brazilian or odd.
✅ O filme é bom, no entanto é muito longo. / O filme é bom, mas é muito longo.
The film is good; however, it's very long.
❌ Mas, eu não gosto.
Over-punctuation — no comma after *mas* at the start of a clause.
✅ Mas eu não gosto.
But I don't like it.
❌ Estou cansado mas vou ao cinema.
Missing comma before *mas* — standard PT-PT punctuation expects the comma.
✅ Estou cansado, mas vou ao cinema.
I'm tired, but I'm going to the cinema.
❌ Ele é competente, mas, no entanto, preguiçoso.
Redundant — don't stack *mas* with *no entanto* in the same clause boundary.
✅ Ele é competente, mas preguiçoso. / Ele é competente; no entanto, é preguiçoso.
He's competent, but lazy.
Key takeaways
- Mas is the neutral default; everything else is stylistic variation along the register gradient.
- No entanto is the safest polished alternative for writing and formal speech.
- Porém, contudo, todavia are adverbial — they can float through the clause, unlike mas.
- Entretanto in PT-PT usually means "meanwhile," not "however" — do not assume Brazilian usage.
- Só que and agora are colloquial and carry pragmatic colouring (apology, qualification).
- Não obstante is formal only — legal, academic, corporate prose.
- Mismatching register is the most common stylistic mistake: porém in a text message sounds pompous, só que in a legal brief sounds careless.
Related Topics
- Conjunctions OverviewA2 — Words that connect clauses and sentences in Portuguese — from simple *e* and *mas* to the formal *uma vez que* and *dado que*.
- 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*.
- Concessive Conjunctions (Embora, Ainda que, Mesmo que)B1 — Expressing concession and unexpected outcomes — *embora*, *ainda que*, *mesmo que*, *se bem que*, and the prepositional alternative *apesar de*, all with the subjunctive mood logic explained.
- Contrast MarkersA2 — Connectors for expressing opposition, concession, and counter-expectation — from the everyday *mas* to the subjunctive-triggering *embora*.
- Cause and Effect MarkersA2 — Connectors for linking causes to consequences — *porque*, *por isso*, *portanto*, and the formal *em virtude de* and *por conseguinte*.