Discourse Connectors in Catalan

In Brief

Catalan discourse connectors show how one idea relates to another: d'altra banda introduces another perspective, tanmateix and no obstant això mark contrast, a més a més adds information, en definitiva sums up, and pel que fa a sets the topic. They often stand at the beginning of a sentence and are separated from the rest by a comma, but their meaning—not just their position—determines which one fits.

Overview

Discourse connectors are words or phrases that guide a reader or listener through a text. They do not usually add a new fact of their own. Instead, they signal a relationship such as contrast, addition, topic change, or conclusion. Compare two disconnected statements—El pis és petit. És molt lluminós (“The apartment is small. It is very bright”)—with El pis és petit. Tanmateix, és molt lluminós (“The apartment is small. However, it is very bright”). The connector tells us to interpret the brightness as a counterpoint to the apartment's small size.

At B2, the goal is not simply to make longer sentences. It is to build a coherent argument, email, report, presentation, or conversation in which the listener can follow your line of thought. English has many direct-looking equivalents, but they are not interchangeable word for word. In particular, en definitiva does not mean “definitely,” and pel que fa a needs the preposition a even where English can use a single word such as “regarding.”

These expressions build on basic conjunctions such as i (“and”), però (“but”), and perquè (“because”). A conjunction directly links grammatical units, while a discourse connector often links complete statements or larger parts of a text. You do not need to memorize that distinction to use them well, but it explains why these connectors are frequently set off with punctuation.

How It Works

Choose the relationship first

The safest method is to decide what the new statement is doing before choosing a connector.

Function	Main Catalan connector	Usual English sense	What it signals
Another perspective	d'altra banda	on the other hand; from another angle	A different side of the same issue
Unexpected contrast	tanmateix	however; nevertheless	The second point remains true despite the first
Unexpected contrast	no obstant això	however; nevertheless	A clear, often fairly formal concession
Addition	a més a més	furthermore; in addition	A further supporting point
Conclusion or summary	en definitiva	in short; all in all; ultimately	A condensed conclusion from what came before
Topic framing	pel que fa a	regarding; as for; with regard to	The topic about which the next statement is made

A concession is an idea that remains true despite something that might have led you to expect the opposite. In Plovia. Tanmateix, vam sortir, the rain could have stopped the outing, but it did not.

Contrast: d'altra banda, tanmateix, and no obstant això

These three expressions all move away from the previous statement, but they do different jobs.

D'altra banda introduces another side, consideration, or viewpoint. It is especially natural when weighing advantages and disadvantages:

El tren és més còmode. D'altra banda, l'autobús és més barat. (“The train is more comfortable. On the other hand, the bus is cheaper.”)

The paired structure d'una banda ... de l'altra makes the two-sided organization explicit:

D'una banda, necessitem més espai; de l'altra, no volem pagar més lloguer. (“On the one hand, we need more space; on the other, we do not want to pay more rent.”)

Tanmateix and no obstant això indicate that the next fact contrasts with an expectation created by the previous one:

La proposta és arriscada. Tanmateix, pot donar bons resultats. (“The proposal is risky. However, it may produce good results.”)

Ens van avisar tard. No obstant això, hi vam arribar a temps. (“They warned us late. Nevertheless, we got there on time.”)

In many contexts the two are interchangeable. Tanmateix is compact and characteristic of careful written Catalan. No obstant això is longer and makes the concessive relationship very explicit. Neither one is simply a more sophisticated replacement for però: però normally joins the contrasting clauses directly, while these connectors can organize separate sentences.

Addition: a més a més

A més a més introduces another point in the same direction as the previous one. It may reinforce an argument, add another advantage, or list a further problem:

L'hotel és cèntric. A més a més, té habitacions molt tranquil·les. (“The hotel is centrally located. Furthermore, it has very quiet rooms.”)

The shorter a més is also extremely common and usually sufficient. A més a més gives the addition slightly more emphasis. In tightly edited formal prose, repeating the longer form in every paragraph can sound heavy; vary it with a més, també, or the more formal així mateix when the meaning permits.

Do not confuse a més (“in addition”) with a més de (“in addition to”). The latter must introduce a noun phrase (a group of words built around a thing or person) or an infinitive:

• A més, treballa els dissabtes. — “In addition, she works Saturdays.”
• A més de treballar els dissabtes, estudia a la nit. — “In addition to working Saturdays, she studies at night.”

Conclusion: en definitiva

En definitiva gathers previous details into a final judgment, a practical conclusion, or a shorter restatement:

El termini és massa curt, el pressupost és insuficient i falten dues persones. En definitiva, el projecte no és viable ara mateix. (“The deadline is too short, the budget is insufficient, and two people are missing. In short, the project is not viable right now.”)

It does not mean English “definitely.” For certainty, Catalan uses expressions such as sens dubte (“without a doubt”), segur que (“surely / it is certain that”), or definitivament in appropriate contexts. En definitiva looks backward and draws together what has already been said.

Topic framing: pel que fa a

Pel que fa a marks the subject that the following comment is about. The structure is:

pel que fa a + topic, + statement

Pel que fa a la data, encara no hem pres cap decisió. (“As for the date, we have not made a decision yet.”)

When a is followed by the definite article el or els, normal Catalan contractions apply:

Before the topic	Combined form	Example
a + el	al	pel que fa al pressupost
a + els	als	pel que fa als horaris
a + la	a la	pel que fa a la feina
a + les	a les	pel que fa a les vacances
a + l'	a l'	pel que fa a l'allotjament

This connector is useful for moving through a list of topics: Pel que fa al preu... Pel que fa a la ubicació... Because it frames a topic rather than expressing contrast or cause, it should not be used as a generic replacement for “however” or “therefore.”

Position and punctuation

At the beginning of a sentence, these connectors are normally followed by a comma:

Tanmateix, no tothom hi està d'acord.

Several can also appear parenthetically inside a sentence, with a comma on each side:

La segona opció, tanmateix, costaria massa.

A semicolon can keep two closely related clauses in one sentence:

La ruta és més llarga; no obstant això, és molt més segura.

Do not join two complete sentences with only a comma. Use a full stop or semicolon before a sentence-level connector. In speech, intonation may do some of the work that commas do in writing, but a brief pause after an initial connector is still natural.

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
D'altra banda, hi ha avantatges.	On the other hand, there are advantages.	Introduces another side of the issue.
D'una banda, el curs és exigent; de l'altra, s'hi aprèn molt.	On the one hand, the course is demanding; on the other, you learn a lot in it.	Explicit two-part structure.
El sou és bo. Tanmateix, l'horari no em convé.	The salary is good. However, the schedule does not suit me.	Contrasts with an expectation.
Havia dormit poc; tanmateix, va treballar tot el matí.	She had slept little; nevertheless, she worked all morning.	A semicolon links two close statements.
No obstant això, continuarem.	However, we will continue.	The plan survives an unstated or previous obstacle.
La primera prova va fallar. No obstant això, l'equip no es va rendir.	The first test failed. Nevertheless, the team did not give up.	Clear concessive relationship.
A més a més, és barat.	Furthermore, it is cheap.	Adds another positive point.
El barri està ben comunicat i, a més a més, hi ha molts comerços.	The neighborhood has good transport links and, in addition, there are many shops.	Adds support inside the same sentence.
A més de ser pràctic, ocupa poc espai.	Besides being practical, it takes up little space.	A més de introduces an infinitive.
Hem reduït les despeses i han augmentat les vendes. En definitiva, l'any ha estat positiu.	We have reduced expenses and sales have increased. All in all, it has been a positive year.	Draws a judgment from two facts.
En definitiva, caldrà començar de nou.	In short, we will have to start again.	States the practical conclusion.
Pel que fa a la feina, tot va bé.	Regarding work, everything is fine.	Frames la feina as the topic.
Pel que fa al pressupost, en parlarem demà.	As for the budget, we will discuss it tomorrow.	a + el contracts to al.
Pel que fa a les dates, encara hi pot haver canvis.	With regard to the dates, there may still be changes.	No contraction with feminine plural les.
El pis necessita reformes; ara bé, el preu és negociable.	The apartment needs renovation; that said, the price is negotiable.	Ara bé introduces a reservation or counterweight.

Common Mistakes

Translating “definitely” as en definitiva

• Wrong: En definitiva vindré demà.
• Right: Segur que vindré demà. / Sens dubte, vindré demà.
• Why: En definitiva summarizes or concludes. It does not express certainty just because it resembles “definitively.”

Dropping a after pel que fa

• Wrong: Pel que fa el pressupost, ja està aprovat.
• Right: Pel que fa al pressupost, ja està aprovat.
• Why: The fixed expression is pel que fa a. Before el, a + el contracts to al.

Using an addition connector for a contrast

• Wrong: És car. A més a més, el comprarem igualment.
• Right: És car. Tanmateix, el comprarem igualment.
• Why: Buying it despite the price is an unexpected contrast, not another supporting fact. A més a més should add a point in the same direction.

Treating tanmateix like the conjunction però

• Awkward: És difícil tanmateix ho intentarem.
• Right: És difícil, però ho intentarem.
• Also right: És difícil. Tanmateix, ho intentarem.
• Why: Però directly joins the clauses. Sentence-level tanmateix needs appropriate punctuation and is normally followed by a comma when placed first.

Starting every sentence with a connector

• Heavy: En primer lloc... A més a més... D'altra banda... Tanmateix... En definitiva...
• Better: Use a connector only when the relationship is not already obvious, and vary sentence structure.
• Why: Connectors improve coherence, but too many make speech and writing sound mechanical. A paragraph should carry an argument, not display a memorized list.

Usage Notes

Register matters. Tanmateix and no obstant això are common in edited prose, presentations, news, academic work, and formal correspondence. In spontaneous conversation, speakers often choose però (“but”), tot i això (“even so”), or en canvi (“whereas / by contrast”). This does not make the B2 connectors unnatural; it means that polished writing typically uses a wider range than casual speech.

Contrast has several shades. Use en canvi to compare different people, things, or situations: Jo treballo al matí; ella, en canvi, treballa a la tarda. Use per contra for a strong opposing point, especially in argumentative writing. Use ara bé to introduce a qualification or reservation: a point that limits what has just been said. Use tanmateix or no obstant això when the key meaning is “despite that.”

Do not assume every English “also” needs a formal connector. Inside a simple clause, també is usually natural: La Marta també vindrà. Use a més or a més a més when adding a new reason, fact, or section of the argument.

Connector choice does not normally control the verb mood. The indicative states information as fact; the subjunctive presents it through meanings such as wish, doubt, or non-factual possibility. The connectors taught here generally link statements without themselves requiring one mood. Choose the verb form according to the clause's meaning, not because tanmateix or en definitiva appears nearby.

Beyond the Basics: Building a Whole Argument

Advanced coherence depends on using connectors as a system rather than as isolated translations. A well-organized paragraph may announce its structure, develop it, qualify it, and close it:

En primer lloc, cal reduir el consum d'aigua. A més, convé revisar les instal·lacions. Ara bé, aquestes mesures requereixen una inversió inicial. En definitiva, estalviarem recursos a llarg termini, però caldrà planificar bé la despesa.

“First, water consumption must be reduced. In addition, the facilities should be checked. That said, these measures require an initial investment. All in all, we will save resources in the long term, but the expenditure will have to be planned carefully.”

The connectors create a visible line of reasoning:

Stage in the argument	Useful Catalan forms	Purpose
Ordering	en primer lloc, en segon lloc, finalment	Marks the sequence of points
Adding	a més, a més a més, així mateix	Adds supporting information
Explaining or reinforcing	de fet, en efecte	Supplies confirmation or a stronger explanation
Contrasting or qualifying	tanmateix, no obstant això, ara bé	Introduces an obstacle, exception, or reservation
Giving a result	per tant, així doncs, en conseqüència	Presents a consequence
Concluding	en definitiva, en resum, en conclusió	Closes or condenses the argument

These sets overlap, but they are not freely interchangeable. Per tant draws a consequence: No hi ha places; per tant, no ens hi podem inscriure. En definitiva summarizes a broader discussion and may include an overall judgment. Likewise, en resum mainly shortens what was said, while en conclusió explicitly marks the closing inference in formal argument.

Position can also shape emphasis. Beginning with Tanmateix, makes the contrast the lens through which the whole new sentence is read. Inserting it—La mesura és, tanmateix, insuficient—gives the sentence a more written, parenthetical rhythm. At C1 and beyond, the challenge is not learning longer connector lists; it is choosing the lightest expression that makes the relationship precise.

Practice Tips

1. Label the relationship before filling the gap. Take a short text, cover each connector, and decide whether the missing meaning is addition, contrast, topic framing, result, or conclusion. Only then choose the Catalan form.
2. Rewrite one paragraph three ways. Join ideas first with basic i and però, then revise with tanmateix, a més, or en definitiva. Check whether the revised connector changes the logic rather than merely sounding more formal.
3. Build topic-and-contrast pairs aloud. Practice frames such as Pel que fa a X... D'altra banda... En definitiva... with real topics—work, rent, travel, or study—so punctuation knowledge becomes natural spoken phrasing too.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Conjunctions and Connectors — reviews basic links such as i, però, perquè, si, and encara que before you organize longer arguments.