Subordinating Conjunctions

Conjunciones de subordinación

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Subordinating conjunctions join dependent (subordinate) clauses to main clauses. You can recognize a dependent clause by the fact that it cannot stand alone – its meaning is incomplete without the main clause.

Por ejemplo …

Dije que estoy ocupado. – I said that I am busy.

The main clause is I said. What did I say? That I am busy. "I am busy" is incomplete without "I said." I might not in fact be busy, but I said that I was.
 

Como no tengo dinero, no puedo ir. – Since I don’t have any money, I can’t go.

The main clause is I can’t go. Why can’t I go? Because I don’t have any money. The idea here is not that I don’t want to go, but the fact that I can’t go since I don’t have any money.
 

Te lo diré cuando nos veamos. – I will tell you when I see you.

The main clause is I will tell you. When will I tell you? When I see you. So "I will tell you" is incomplete without the juxtaposition "when I see you."

Spanish subordinating conjunctions

a condición de que		on the condition that
a fin de que		so that
a menos que		unless
antes (de) que		before
apenas		as soon as
aunque		even though
bien que		even though
como		as, since
con tal (de) que		provided that, as long as
cuando		when
después de que		after
en caso de que		in case
en vista de que		in view of the fact htat
hasta que		until
mientras que		provided that, as long as
para que		so that
por miedo de que		for fear that
porque		because
pues		for, because
puesto que		since
que		that
si		if
sin que		without
siempre que		provided that, as long as
tan pronto como		as soon as
ya que		since

 Note that many of these conjunctions must be followed by the subjunctive.

 Related lessons

• Coordinating conjunctions
• Como vs cómo, que vs qué, si vs sí …
• Parts of speech
   

 En français

• Conjonctions de subordination
   

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