Discourse connectors: position in the sentence and the comma
Sin embargo, además, por cierto, en resumen are not conjunctions. A conjunction (pero, porque, aunque) glues two halves of one sentence; a connector stands in a sentence of its own and ties it to the previous one. Everything else follows from that: its place, the comma, and the fact that a connector can be thrown out without breaking the sentence. For example: “El hotel era caro. Sin embargo, no había otra opción”…
How it works
Sin embargo, además, por cierto, en resumen are not conjunctions. A conjunction (pero, porque, aunque) glues two halves of one sentence; a connector stands in a sentence of its own and ties it to the previous one. Everything else follows from that: its place, the comma, and the fact that a connector can be thrown out without breaking the sentence.
The usual place is the start of a new sentence, after the full stop, with a comma right after: Estudió mucho. Sin embargo, no aprobó. The comma is not decoration: without it the sentence reads wrong, and it is the first thing that gives a foreigner away in writing. A connector may also stand mid-sentence — then it is wrapped in commas from both sides: Es cómodo y, además, más barato.
The pair pero — sin embargo shows the difference best of all. Pero is a conjunction: it lives inside the sentence, with a comma before it and none after: es caro, pero me gusta. Sin embargo is a connector: it comes after the full stop and carries a comma of its own. English draws the same line between 'but' and 'however' — and stacking the two (pero sin embargo) is as clumsy as 'but however'.
Connectors sort by their job. Order of thought: en primer lugar, en segundo lugar, por último. Addition: además, asimismo. Contrast: sin embargo, no obstante, en cambio, por el contrario. The pair 'on the one hand — on the other': por un lado — por otro lado. Clarification: es decir, en otras palabras, o sea (thoroughly colloquial). Summary: en resumen, en conclusión, al fin y al cabo. Aside: por cierto, a propósito.
Mood: connectors, unlike conjunctions, demand none — after sin embargo the verb is ordinary. One exception matters: those that express likelihood. Quizás and tal vez pull subjuntivo when the doubt is real (quizás venga) and the ordinary form when the speaker is fairly sure (quizás viene). And a lo mejor does not combine with subjuntivo at all — only a lo mejor viene.
Table
| job | word | position | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ordering | en primer lugar | sentence start + comma | En primer lugar, es caro |
| addition | además | at the start or wrapped in commas | Además, no hay sitio |
| contrast | sin embargo | after the full stop + comma | Sin embargo, no funcionó |
| contrast (conjunction) | pero | inside the sentence, comma before | es caro, pero me gusta |
| a pair of arguments | por un lado / por otro lado | at the start of both sentences | Por un lado… por otro lado… |
| clarification | es decir | wrapped in commas | Es decir, que no viene |
| summary | en resumen | start of the final sentence | En resumen, no nos conviene |
| an aside | por cierto | sentence start + comma | Por cierto, llamó tu madre |
| likelihood | quizás / tal vez | at the start, often + subjuntivo | Quizás venga mañana |
| likelihood | a lo mejor | at the start, ordinary form only | A lo mejor viene mañana |
By example
- El hotel era caro. Sin embargo, no había otra opciónThe hotel was expensive. Still, there was no other option
- Por un lado es más rápido; por otro lado, cuesta el dobleOn the one hand it is faster; on the other, it costs twice as much
- Por cierto, ¿al final devolviste el coche?By the way, did you end up returning the car?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Discourse connectors: how does it work in Spanish?
Sin embargo, además, por cierto, en resumen are not conjunctions. A conjunction (pero, porque, aunque) glues two halves of one sentence; a connector stands in a sentence of its own and ties it to the previous one. Everything else follows from that: its place, the comma, and the fact that a…
What does it look like in an example sentence Spanish?
“El hotel era caro. Sin embargo, no había otra opción” — The hotel was expensive. Still, there was no other option. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.