Consecutive conjunctions (conjunções consecutivas) announce a real result — the consequence of something that has actually happened or is actually the case. "I was so tired that I fell asleep." "He drank so much water that he felt sick." Portuguese has an elegant three-part system for this: tão with adjectives and adverbs, tanto (agreeing in gender and number) with nouns, and tanto as an adverb with verbs. The common feature: consecutive clauses always take the indicative, because the result is real.
The defining contrast to learn is consecutive vs final (purpose). De modo que and de maneira que belong to both families, and the mood is what disambiguates: indicative = consecutive (real result), subjunctive = final (intended purpose). This page covers the result side; see the purpose conjunctions page for the other side of that contrast.
Tão … que — with adjectives and adverbs
The pattern tão + adjective/adverb + que + indicative expresses "so [adj/adv] that [result]." Tão is invariable (it does not agree in gender or number).
Estava tão cansado que adormeci na cadeira.
I was so tired that I fell asleep in the chair.
A sopa estava tão quente que queimei a língua.
The soup was so hot that I burned my tongue.
Falou tão baixo que ninguém o ouviu.
He spoke so quietly that nobody heard him.
O filme foi tão aborrecido que saímos a meio.
The film was so boring that we left halfway through.
Tão pairs with adjectives (tão cansado, tão quente, tão aborrecido) and with adverbs (tão baixo, tão devagar, tão bem). It never pairs with nouns — that is tanto's job.
Tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas … que — with nouns
With a noun, Portuguese uses tanto (masculine singular), tanta (feminine singular), tantos (masculine plural), or tantas (feminine plural), agreeing with the noun. The pattern is tanto(s)/tanta(s) + noun + que + indicative.
Havia tanto trânsito que chegámos uma hora atrasados.
There was so much traffic that we arrived an hour late.
Tinha tantos livros que a estante cedeu.
He had so many books that the shelf gave way.
Recebi tantas mensagens que não consigo responder a todas.
I got so many messages that I can't reply to all of them.
The agreement must match the noun — tanto trânsito (masc. sing.), tanta pizza (fem. sing.), tantos livros (masc. pl.), tantas mensagens (fem. pl.).
Tanto … que — with verbs
With a verb, tanto is used as an invariable adverb meaning "so much." The pattern is verb + tanto + que + indicative.
Trabalhou tanto que acabou no hospital.
He worked so much that he ended up in hospital.
Riram tanto que lhes doeram as caras.
They laughed so much that their faces hurt.
Chorou tanto que ficou sem voz.
She cried so much that she lost her voice.
Chovia tanto que as ruas ficaram inundadas.
It was raining so hard that the streets flooded.
In this adverbial use, tanto is invariable — trabalhou tanto, not tantos. Do not confuse this with tanto(s)/tanta(s) modifying a noun.
De tal forma que, de tal modo que, a tal ponto que
These are reinforcing variants of tão/tanto … que. They translate to "to such an extent that" or "in such a way that" and emphasise the intensity leading to the result. They all take the indicative.
O ruído era de tal forma intenso que não conseguíamos ouvir-nos.
The noise was so intense that we couldn't hear each other.
Ficou nervoso de tal modo que se esqueceu do que queria dizer.
He got so nervous that he forgot what he wanted to say.
Trabalhou a tal ponto que adoeceu.
He worked to such an extent that he got ill.
A situação agravou-se de tal maneira que tivemos de chamar a polícia.
The situation escalated to such an extent that we had to call the police.
These formulas are particularly common in written PT-PT — news articles, essays, formal reports — where they add emphasis without reaching for colloquial intensifiers.
De modo que and de maneira que — the ambiguity point
Here is the distinction that ties this page to the purpose conjunctions page. De modo que and de maneira que can introduce either a result or a purpose. The mood disambiguates:
- Indicative → consecutive (real result): falou devagar, de modo que todos entenderam ("he spoke slowly, so everyone understood")
- Subjunctive → final (intended purpose): fala devagar, de modo que todos entendam ("speak slowly so that everyone understands")
Explicou devagar, de modo que todos entenderam.
He explained slowly, so everyone understood. (result — indicative)
Explica devagar, de modo que todos entendam.
Explain slowly, so that everyone understands. (purpose — subjunctive)
Chovia muito, de maneira que o jogo foi adiado.
It was raining a lot, so the game was postponed. (result)
Prepara tudo, de maneira que o jogo possa começar a tempo.
Prepare everything, so that the game can start on time. (purpose)
In real text, punctuation and context help: a comma before de modo que + indicative often signals the consecutive reading ("and as a result"), while de modo que without a comma, embedded in an intentional act, usually introduces purpose with the subjunctive.
Consecutive adverbs — por isso, portanto, logo, assim, por conseguinte
Portuguese also expresses consequence through a set of consecutive adverbs that connect two independent clauses (rather than introducing a subordinate clause). These are the Portuguese equivalents of "so," "therefore," "hence," "consequently."
| Adverb / locution | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| por isso | so, because of that | neutral |
| portanto | therefore, so | neutral |
| logo | therefore, hence | semi-formal |
| assim | thus, so | neutral / formal |
| por conseguinte | consequently | formal |
| em consequência | as a consequence | formal |
| deste modo / desta forma | in this way, thereby | formal |
Chovia imenso, por isso ficámos em casa.
It was pouring, so we stayed home.
Não me avisaste, portanto não fui.
You didn't let me know, so I didn't go.
Não há provas concretas; logo, o caso será arquivado.
There is no concrete evidence; hence, the case will be shelved. (semi-formal)
O prazo expirou; por conseguinte, o pedido foi rejeitado.
The deadline expired; consequently, the request was denied. (formal)
For a deeper tour of these connectors in discourse, see the cause-and-effect discourse page. They are stylistic siblings of the tão…que family — both express consequence — but they do not subordinate one clause to another.
Consecutive vs final — the mood test
The deep logic of the consecutive/final distinction: a consecutive result has already happened (or is presented as real), so Portuguese marks it with the indicative. A final purpose is an intended outcome — not yet realised, possibly never realised — so Portuguese marks it with the subjunctive.
Ele gritou tão alto que todos se assustaram.
He shouted so loudly that everyone got scared. (real result — indicative *assustaram*)
Ele gritou alto para que todos se assustassem.
He shouted loudly so that everyone would get scared. (intended purpose — subjunctive *assustassem*)
The tão…que and tanto…que patterns are unambiguously consecutive and always take the indicative — you will never see estava tão cansado que adormecesse. The ambiguity lives only in de modo que / de maneira que, and the mood is the key.
Consecutive clauses in context
In conversation — recounting an experience
Chovia tanto que tivemos de parar o carro no meio da autoestrada.
It was raining so much that we had to stop the car in the middle of the motorway.
In a news article
Os danos foram de tal forma graves que o edifício terá de ser demolido.
The damage was so severe that the building will have to be demolished.
In a light complaint
Havia tanta gente no restaurante que esperámos meia hora por uma mesa.
There were so many people in the restaurant that we waited half an hour for a table.
In a story
Riram tanto a contar a história que se esqueceram do tempo.
They laughed so much telling the story that they forgot about the time.
With consecutive adverbs
O autocarro não veio, por isso apanhei um táxi.
The bus didn't come, so I took a taxi.
Punctuation
- Tão/tanto + que sentences usually take no comma before que: the result clause is tightly bound to the intensifier.
- De modo que / de maneira que with a result reading often takes a comma before: chovia muito, de modo que o jogo foi adiado. With a purpose reading, the comma is often absent: fala devagar de modo que todos entendam.
- Consecutive adverbs (por isso, portanto, logo, assim) usually take a comma before (separating the two clauses) and sometimes a comma after when they appear parenthetically: Não me avisaste, portanto, não fui.
Style note — informal vs formal consequence
In speech, PT-PT speakers overwhelmingly use por isso, portanto, and tão/tanto…que to express consequence. Logo and por conseguinte live in writing; saying logo, não venho in a text message sounds stilted. Assim in the consecutive sense is common in writing but sounds slightly formal in speech. Match the formula to the register — that is half of writing well in Portuguese.
Common mistakes
❌ Estava tanto cansado que adormeci.
Wrong — before an adjective, use *tão*, not *tanto*.
✅ Estava tão cansado que adormeci.
I was so tired that I fell asleep.
❌ Havia tão trânsito que chegámos atrasados.
Wrong — before a noun, use *tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas*, with agreement.
✅ Havia tanto trânsito que chegámos atrasados.
There was so much traffic that we arrived late.
❌ Trabalhou tão que caiu doente.
Wrong — after a verb, use *tanto* (invariable adverb), not *tão*.
✅ Trabalhou tanto que caiu doente.
He worked so much that he got ill.
❌ Falou baixo, de modo que ninguém ouça.
Wrong — a real consequence (past event) requires the indicative, not the subjunctive.
✅ Falou baixo, de modo que ninguém ouviu.
He spoke quietly, so nobody heard.
❌ Estava tão cansada que adormecesse.
Wrong — the *tão…que* construction always takes the indicative.
✅ Estava tão cansada que adormeci.
I was so tired that I fell asleep.
❌ Tanto livros tinha que a estante partiu-se.
Agreement wrong — *livros* is plural masculine, so *tantos*.
✅ Tantos livros tinha que a estante se partiu.
He had so many books that the shelf broke.
Key takeaways
- Tão + adj/adv + que + indicative: real result with an intensified quality (tão cansado que…).
- Tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + noun + que + indicative: real result with an intensified quantity (tantos livros que…), agreement required.
- Verb + tanto + que + indicative: real result with intensified action (trabalhou tanto que…), tanto invariable.
- De tal forma/modo/maneira que, a tal ponto que — formal reinforcers, always indicative.
- De modo que / de maneira que — mood distinguishes: indicative = result, subjunctive = purpose. This is the single ambiguity point in this family.
- Consecutive adverbs (por isso, portanto, logo, assim, por conseguinte) link two independent clauses; they do not subordinate.
- Consecutive = real = indicative; final = intended = subjunctive. That is the whole logic.
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*.
- Purpose Conjunctions (Para que, A fim de que)B1 — Expressing purpose and goals — when to use *para* + personal infinitive vs *para que* + subjunctive, plus the formal *a fim de que*, *com o intuito de*, and *com vista a*.
- Causal Conjunctions (Porque, Pois, Já que, Visto que)A2 — Expressing cause and reason — from the everyday *porque* to the formal *uma vez que*, *visto que*, and *dado que*, plus the noun-phrase expressions *devido a* and *em virtude de*.
- Cause and Effect MarkersA2 — Connectors for linking causes to consequences — *porque*, *por isso*, *portanto*, and the formal *em virtude de* and *por conseguinte*.