Beyond individual sentences, Portuguese uses a rich set of words and phrases to organise the flow of ideas: signalling that one event follows another, that a counterargument is coming, that a conclusion is about to be drawn, that an example is on the way. These are discourse markers (marcadores discursivos), and they are what holds extended speech and writing together. A text without them reads like a list; a text with them has direction and rhythm.
This overview introduces the main categories of discourse markers in European Portuguese, gives you a sense of how they cluster by function, and points to the dedicated pages that cover each category in depth. If you have been wondering why your Portuguese writing feels flat or why long conversations lose their shape, this group is where the answer lies.
What counts as a discourse marker?
A discourse marker is a word or phrase that operates at the textual level rather than the propositional level — it tells the listener how to interpret the next chunk of discourse relative to what came before. Porém does not add information about the world; it tells you that a contrast is coming. Por isso does not describe an event; it tells you that an effect is being introduced.
Discourse markers overlap with conjunctions, adverbs, and prepositions grammatically, but what unites them is their function: they manage the flow of ideas, not the content of any single idea.
Ele não estudou para o exame. No entanto, teve a melhor nota da turma.
He didn't study for the exam. However, he got the highest mark in the class.
Primeiro vamos às compras, depois ao café, e por fim voltamos para casa.
First we'll go shopping, then to the café, and finally back home.
O concerto foi adiado. Por outras palavras, vamos ter de pedir outra vez licença ao patrão.
The concert was postponed. In other words, we'll have to ask the boss for time off again.
Why they matter more in PT-PT than in English
Written European Portuguese tends to use denser discourse-marker chains than written English. A well-written Portuguese essay will stack connectors like no entanto, por outro lado, todavia, em suma, por isso in ways that an English translator would often thin out or replace with sentence-level rewrites.
The reason is partly structural: Portuguese leans toward long sentences with multiple subordinate clauses, and connectors are what hold those clauses together. Partly cultural: formal Portuguese writing values explicit logical signposting more than English does. For a B1/B2 learner, this means that mastering discourse markers is not optional — it is what makes your writing pass as educated PT-PT.
Spoken Portuguese, by contrast, uses discourse markers more sparsely than written Portuguese, often relying on intonation and discourse particles like pois, lá, cá to do similar work. See the Discourse Particles page for the spoken system.
The main functional categories
1. Sequence — ordering events or arguments
Markers that place events or ideas on a timeline or in a logical order:
Primeiro, vamos preparar a massa; depois, deixamos levedar; em seguida, cozemos no forno; por fim, servimos com molho de tomate.
First, we prepare the dough; then we let it rise; next, we bake it; finally, we serve it with tomato sauce.
Core items: primeiro, em primeiro lugar, depois, em seguida, a seguir, posteriormente, por fim, finalmente, em último lugar. Covered in detail on the Sequence Markers page.
2. Addition — adding more information
Markers that signal "and here is more":
O apartamento é pequeno. Além disso, fica longe do centro.
The flat is small. On top of that, it's far from the centre.
Core items: também, além disso, para além de, ainda, ainda por cima, acresce que, de resto. The last two are formal; the first three are everyday.
3. Contrast — signalling opposition
Markers that prepare the listener for a turn in direction:
Estava a chover imenso. Mesmo assim, saímos para dar um passeio à beira-mar.
It was pouring with rain. Even so, we went out for a walk along the seafront.
Core items: mas (neutral, informal), porém (formal), no entanto, contudo, todavia (formal written), apesar disso, mesmo assim (neutral), pelo contrário, ao invés (emphatic).
4. Cause and effect — signalling why
Markers that link reason and consequence:
Não dormi nada esta noite. Por isso, estou exausto.
I didn't sleep at all last night. That's why I'm exhausted.
Como a loja estava fechada, tivemos de comer em casa.
Since the shop was closed, we had to eat at home.
Core items for cause: porque, como, visto que, dado que, uma vez que, já que. For effect: por isso, portanto, logo, assim, consequentemente, por conseguinte, daí que.
5. Exemplification — giving examples
Markers that introduce instances:
O mercado tem muitos produtos locais, por exemplo, queijo da serra e azeite do Alentejo.
The market has many local products — for example, mountain cheese and Alentejo olive oil.
Core items: por exemplo, como, tal como, nomeadamente, em particular, a saber. Nomeadamente and a saber are formal.
6. Reformulation — saying the same thing differently
Markers that introduce a rephrasing, either to clarify or to intensify:
O relatório tem de ser entregue até sexta-feira, ou seja, daqui a três dias.
The report has to be submitted by Friday — in other words, three days from now.
Core items: ou seja, isto é, quer dizer, por outras palavras, dito de outro modo. These are used constantly in both writing and speech.
7. Summation — closing out or recapping
Markers that signal you are wrapping up:
Em suma, o projeto foi um êxito, apesar de alguns atrasos iniciais.
In short, the project was a success, despite some initial delays.
Core items: em suma, em resumo, em conclusão, em síntese, resumindo, enfim. Enfim is more conversational; the others are formal.
8. Topic change or transition — pivoting to something new
Markers that move the conversation in a new direction:
A propósito, vi ontem o teu irmão na baixa.
By the way, I saw your brother downtown yesterday.
Por falar em férias, já decidiste para onde vais no verão?
Speaking of holidays, have you decided where you're going this summer?
Core items: a propósito, por falar nisso, por falar em, agora, mudando de assunto.
9. Emphasis — underlining what you are saying
Markers that stress the importance or truth of what comes next:
De facto, a situação é mais grave do que parecia à primeira vista.
Indeed, the situation is more serious than it seemed at first glance.
Core items: de facto, com efeito, efetivamente, realmente, sem dúvida, sobretudo, acima de tudo. Note the PT-PT spelling de facto (with the c), distinct from Brazilian de fato.
10. Discourse particles — the spoken system
Beyond the written discourse markers above, spoken PT-PT uses small particles like pois, lá, cá, então, olha, pronto to manage conversational flow. These are covered separately on the Discourse Particles page.
— Vens ao jantar? — Pois venho, claro!
— Are you coming to dinner? — Of course I am!
Subjunctive with certain markers
A handful of discourse markers — particularly in the contrast and condition categories — trigger the subjunctive in the clause that follows. These need special attention because getting the mood wrong is an immediate giveaway that you are a learner.
Embora estivesse a chover, saímos mesmo assim.
Although it was raining, we went out anyway.
Apesar de que tenhamos tido problemas, o projeto avançou.
Despite the fact that we had problems, the project moved forward.
Ainda que ele me pedisse desculpa, eu não o perdoaria.
Even if he apologised to me, I wouldn't forgive him.
Core subjunctive-triggering markers: embora, ainda que, apesar de que, mesmo que, conquanto, posto que. See the pages on each for details.
Register map
| Function | Informal / spoken | Neutral | Formal / written |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contrast | mas | no entanto, apesar disso | porém, todavia, contudo |
| Effect | então, por isso | portanto, por isso | por conseguinte, logo |
| Cause | porque | como, visto que | uma vez que, dado que |
| Summation | enfim, no fim | em suma, resumindo | em conclusão, em síntese |
| Example | por exemplo | por exemplo, como | nomeadamente, a saber |
| Reformulation | quer dizer, ou seja | ou seja, isto é | por outras palavras |
How to build your repertoire
Do not try to memorise every marker at once. A practical path:
- A2: master primeiro, depois, por fim; também, mas, porque, então.
- B1: add além disso, no entanto, por isso, por exemplo, ou seja, em suma.
- B2: add porém, contudo, todavia, dado que, nomeadamente, por conseguinte, isto é.
- C1 / C2: layer in a saber, acresce que, de resto, por outras palavras, em suma, por seu turno, dito isto.
Each level builds on the previous — the higher-register markers do not replace the lower-register ones, they supplement them. Even in academic writing, the high-frequency items remain the backbone.
Common mistakes
❌ Embora está a chover, saímos.
Mood error — *embora* requires the subjunctive, not the indicative.
✅ Embora esteja a chover, saímos.
Although it is raining, we're going out.
❌ Por isso eu não sei o que dizer.
Without a prior context, *por isso* sounds disconnected.
✅ Não sei o que aconteceu, por isso não sei o que dizer.
I don't know what happened, so I don't know what to say.
Por isso requires a cause or context in the previous sentence — it cannot open a discourse without something to refer back to.
❌ Primeiro, depois, por fim...
Using sequence markers without content between them.
✅ Primeiro preparamos tudo; depois, começamos a cozinhar; por fim, servimos o jantar.
First we prepare everything; then we start cooking; finally, we serve dinner.
Sequence markers need clauses between them, not just the markers themselves.
❌ Eu gosto de café, no entanto, de chá.
*No entanto* must introduce a full clause, not a noun phrase.
✅ Eu gosto de café; no entanto, também gosto de chá.
I like coffee; however, I also like tea.
Formal contrast markers (no entanto, contudo, todavia, porém) require a complete clause to follow. Only mas and some coordinate conjunctions can link two nouns or noun phrases directly.
❌ Vou ao café, e depois, vou ao cinema, e depois, vou para casa.
Monotonous — overuse of the same sequence marker.
✅ Primeiro vou ao café; depois vou ao cinema; por fim vou para casa.
First I'll go to the café, then to the cinema, and finally home.
A well-structured passage rotates through different markers at different points in the sequence (primeiro / depois / por fim) rather than repeating e depois ad infinitum.
Key takeaways
Discourse markers are the scaffolding of Portuguese prose. They are organised into clear functional categories — sequence, contrast, cause, addition, exemplification, reformulation, summation, transition, emphasis — and each category has items at different register levels that you can rotate through for variety. Some markers trigger the subjunctive (embora, ainda que, mesmo que); most do not. The dedicated pages in this group walk through each category in detail with full example banks; this overview is your map to the territory.
Related Topics
- Sequence MarkersA2 — Words and phrases for ordering events or arguments in time — *primeiro, depois, em seguida, por fim, finalmente* — across everyday speech and formal writing.
- Addition MarkersA2 — Connectors for adding information, enumerating, and intensifying — from everyday *também* to formal *além disso* and emphatic *ainda por cima*.
- 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*.
- Discourse ParticlesB1 — An overview of pois, lá, cá, aí, então, pronto, vá, olha, and the small words that carry the social weight of PT-PT conversation.
- Conjunctions OverviewA2 — Words that connect clauses and sentences in Portuguese — from simple *e* and *mas* to the formal *uma vez que* and *dado que*.