Coordination: e, mas, ou, nem, logo, portanto
Coordinating conjunctions link clauses of equal grammatical rank. The main Portuguese coordinators are e (and), mas (but), ou (or), nem (neither/nor), logo/portanto (therefore).
PortuStories Editorial
European Portuguese Grammar Guide
| Conjunction | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| e | and | Fui ao mercado e comprei fruta. |
| mas | but | Queria ir mas estava cansado. |
| ou | or | Queres chá ou café? |
| nem | neither / nor | Não comeu nem bebeu nada. |
| logo / portanto | therefore | Choveu, logo ficámos em casa. |
| pois | so / well then (EP) | Tens razão, pois. |
Não gosta de peixe nem de marisco.
He likes neither fish nor seafood.
Nem…nem for negative correlation.
Pois is a very characteristic EP discourse particle. In conversation it most often signals agreement or acknowledgement: "Pois, tens razão." In formal EP, pois can also mean "because/since".
Contudo, todavia, porém (however/nevertheless) are formal coordinating adversatives used in written EP for contrast beyond mas.
From a PortuStories Story
Ele chegou tarde mas trouxe bolos, portanto toda a gente ficou contente.
He arrived late but brought cakes, so everyone was happy.