Basic Conjunctions in Russian

In Brief

Use и for “and,” или for “or,” а for a comparison or contrast, and но for a stronger “but.” The words что, потому что, когда, если, and чтобы introduce a dependent part of a sentence, and Russian normally separates that part with a comma: Я знаю, что он здесь. “I know that he is here.”

Overview

A conjunction is a linking word. It can connect individual words—кофе и чай “coffee and tea”—or clauses, meaning parts of a sentence that have their own subject and verb: Он работает, а я отдыхаю. “He is working, while I am resting.” Conjunctions let you turn isolated facts into explanations, choices, conditions, and connected thoughts.

These words belong to the A1 foundation of Russian. Four coordinating conjunctions connect elements of equal importance: и “and,” а “and/but/whereas,” но “but,” and или “or.” Five subordinating conjunctions introduce a dependent clause, a part that supports the main statement: что “that,” потому что “because,” когда “when,” если “if,” and чтобы “so that/in order to.”

For an English-speaking learner, translation alone is not enough. English “but” may be either а or но, while English “and” sometimes becomes а when two people or situations are compared. English can omit “that” in “I know he is here,” but standard Russian normally needs что. Russian commas are also more grammatical than English commas: the boundary between a main clause and a dependent clause is generally marked even when the dependent clause is short.

How It Works

Connecting equal elements: и, а, но, или

Russian conjunction	Basic meaning	Main job	Short example
и	and	addition or combination	мама и папа — mother and father
а	and, but, whereas	comparison, contrast, or topic switch	Он дома, а она на работе. — He is at home, while she is at work.
но	but	contradiction, limitation, or unexpected result	Дорого, но вкусно. — Expensive, but tasty.
или	or	choice or alternative	Чай или кофе? — Tea or coffee?

И: adding information

Use и to join words, phrases, or events that belong together:

• Я и ты — you and I
• новая и интересная книга — a new and interesting book
• Я открыл дверь и вошёл. — I opened the door and went in.

A single и does not take a comma when it joins two words or two verbs belonging to the same subject. When it joins two complete clauses with different grammatical centers, a comma is normally used: Я читаю, и брат смотрит телевизор. “I am reading, and my brother is watching television.” Some exceptions appear under Advanced Use.

А and но: two kinds of contrast

This is the most important distinction in the set.

Use а when you place two facts side by side, compare them, or correct one item by replacing it with another. The facts can both be true; one does not necessarily block the other:

• Я люблю чай, а он любит кофе. — I like tea, while he likes coffee.
• Это не книга, а журнал. — It is not a book but a magazine.
• Он работает, а я отдыхаю. — He is working, whereas I am resting.

Use но when the second idea conflicts with an expectation created by the first:

• Книга трудная, но интересная. — The book is difficult but interesting.
• Я хотел пойти, но заболел. — I wanted to go, but I became ill.
• Он устал, но работает. — He is tired, but he is working.

English “but” covers both relationships. A useful test is to ask whether you are mainly comparing A with B (а) or saying “despite that” (но). The test is helpful, not mechanical: context and the speaker’s intended emphasis still matter.

A comma normally comes before а and но, whether they connect full clauses or contrasting items: маленький, но удобный “small but convenient”; не сегодня, а завтра “not today but tomorrow.”

Или: presenting alternatives

Use или between alternatives:

• в субботу или в воскресенье — on Saturday or Sunday
• Ты будешь чай или кофе? — Will you have tea or coffee?
• Мы останемся дома или пойдём гулять? — Will we stay home or go for a walk?

There is no comma between simple alternatives joined by one или. A comma is normally used when или joins independent clauses: Позвони мне, или я буду волноваться. “Call me, or I will worry.”

Introducing a dependent clause

A dependent clause cannot carry the whole message in that context; it explains what is known, why something happens, when it happens, under what condition, or for what purpose.

Conjunction	Meaning	Pattern
что	that	statement/thought + что + content
потому что	because	result + потому что + reason
когда	when	event + когда + time situation
если	if	result + если + condition
чтобы	so that, in order to	action + чтобы + purpose or desired result

The dependent clause may follow or precede the main clause. Put a comma at the boundary:

• Я останусь дома, потому что идёт дождь. — I will stay home because it is raining.
• Потому что идёт дождь, я останусь дома. — Because it is raining, I will stay home.
• Если будет время, я позвоню. — If there is time, I will call.

Что: giving the content of a thought or statement

Use что after verbs such as знать “know,” думать “think,” говорить/сказать “say,” понимать “understand,” and видеть “see” when the following clause tells us the content:

• Я знаю, что он здесь. — I know that he is here.
• Она говорит, что всё хорошо. — She says that everything is fine.

Unlike English, which readily says “I think he is right,” standard Russian normally retains что: Я думаю, что он прав. Do not confuse this conjunction with the question word что? “what?” In Что ты читаешь?, it asks for information; in Я знаю, что ты читаешь, it links “I know” to “you are reading.”

Потому что: giving a reason

Use потому что to answer Почему? “Why?” It introduces the reason, while the other clause gives the result or situation:

• Я дома, потому что я устал. — I am at home because I am tired.
• Мы опоздали, потому что автобус не пришёл. — We were late because the bus did not come.

Treat потому что as one conjunction at beginner level. The normal comma comes before the whole expression, not between its two words.

Когда: locating one event in time

Use когда when one situation provides the time for another:

• Позвони мне, когда будешь дома. — Call me when you are home.
• Когда я работаю, я слушаю музыку. — When I work, I listen to music.

Russian uses an ordinary present or future verb form according to its own tense system. English often uses a present form after “when” for a future event, but Russian commonly has future будешь in когда будешь дома.

Если: stating a condition

Use если for a real or possible condition:

• Я приду, если будет время. — I’ll come if there is time.
• Если ты устал, отдохни. — If you are tired, rest.

Russian may use future forms in both parts: Если будет тепло, мы пойдём в парк. Literally, “If it will be warm, we will go to the park,” but natural English says “If it is warm, we will go.” This is a major difference from English conditional patterns.

The main clause can optionally begin with то “then”: Если будет время, то я позвоню. At A1, understand то but do not feel obliged to add it.

Чтобы: expressing purpose

Use чтобы when one action is intended to produce another result:

• Я пришёл, чтобы поговорить. — I came in order to talk.
• Говорите медленнее, чтобы я понял. — Speak more slowly so that I understand.

When the same person performs both actions, Russian often uses чтобы + infinitive, the dictionary form of a verb: Я учусь, чтобы работать здесь. “I study in order to work here.” When the subjects differ, use a full clause. Its verb commonly has a past-tense-looking form: Я хочу, чтобы Анна пришла. “I want Anna to come.” Here пришла does not mean that Anna already came; after чтобы, this form presents a desired or intended action. Match it to gender and number: чтобы он пришёл, чтобы она пришла, чтобы они пришли.

Examples in Context

Russian	English	Note
Я и ты хорошо работаем вместе.	You and I work well together.	и joins two people.
Купи хлеб и молоко.	Buy bread and milk.	No comma between simple objects.
Я готовлю ужин, а Олег моет посуду.	I’m making dinner, while Oleg is washing the dishes.	Two roles are compared.
Это не мой ключ, а твой.	This is not my key but yours.	не … а … replaces one answer with another.
Комната маленькая, но светлая.	The room is small but bright.	The second quality offsets the first.
Я спешил, но всё равно опоздал.	I hurried, but I was still late.	The result goes against expectation.
Мы поедем на автобусе или на метро?	Shall we go by bus or by metro?	Choice between alternatives.
Я думаю, что магазин уже закрыт.	I think that the shop is already closed.	Content of a thought.
Она сказала, что позвонит вечером.	She said that she would call in the evening.	Content of reported speech.
Мы ушли, потому что было поздно.	We left because it was late.	Gives the reason.
Когда начинается фильм?	When does the film start?	Here когда is a question word.
Напиши мне, когда приедешь.	Write to me when you arrive.	Here it links a time clause.
Если завтра будет снег, мы останемся дома.	If it snows tomorrow, we will stay home.	Possible future condition.
Я открыл окно, чтобы проветрить комнату.	I opened the window to air the room.	Same subject, so an infinitive follows.
Закрой дверь, чтобы дети не проснулись.	Close the door so that the children do not wake up.	Different subjects, so a full clause follows.

Common Mistakes

Using но for every English “but”

• Wrong: Я люблю чай, но сестра любит кофе. (intended as a neutral comparison)
• Better: Я люблю чай, а сестра любит кофе.
• Why: The two preferences are being compared. Но would frame the sister’s preference as an obstacle or unexpected contradiction.

Leaving out что because English allows it

• Wrong: Я думаю, он дома. (as a neutral beginner sentence)
• Right: Я думаю, что он дома.
• Why: English can omit “that,” but standard neutral Russian normally marks the content clause with что. Asyndetic patterns without it exist in speech and particular styles, but they are not the safe default.

Putting the comma inside потому что

• Wrong: Я ушёл потому, что устал. (for a neutral “because” statement)
• Right: Я ушёл, потому что устал.
• Why: At beginner level, потому что is one unit and the comma normally goes before it. Splitting it is possible only when the sentence specifically emphasizes потому; see Advanced Use.

Copying English tense rules after если

• Wrong idea: Russian must avoid the future after если because English does.
• Right: Если завтра будет тепло, мы пойдём гулять.
• Why: Russian freely uses a future verb in a real future condition. Translate the meaning, not the English verb form word for word.

Using an infinitive when чтобы introduces a new subject

• Wrong: Я хочу, чтобы Анна прийти.
• Right: Я хочу, чтобы Анна пришла.
• Why: With a stated new subject, чтобы normally introduces a full clause. The verb takes the past-form shape appropriate to that subject.

Omitting clause-boundary commas

• Wrong: Я знаю что он здесь.
• Right: Я знаю, что он здесь.
• Why: Russian normally places a comma between the main clause and a clause introduced by что, потому что, когда, если, or чтобы.

Usage Notes

In conversation, а does more than express textbook contrast. It often opens a question or shifts the topic: А ты? “And you?”; А где Маша? “So/and where is Masha?” At the start of a reply, но can signal an objection: Но это невозможно! “But that’s impossible!” These sentence-initial uses are normal, despite old advice in some English style guides about not starting a sentence with “and” or “but.”

Russian frequently pairs these conjunctions with other words. Useful beginner patterns include и … и … “both … and …,” или … или … “either … or …,” and не … а … “not … but rather …”: И Анна, и Борис здесь. “Both Anna and Boris are here.” Repeated conjunctions commonly require commas between the coordinated elements.

In natural speech, context can shorten the sentence: Чай или кофе? needs no verb. You may also hear потому что as a complete conversational answer to Почему?—much like an unfinished “because…” in English—when the speaker refuses or playfully avoids giving a reason. Learn the complete clause pattern first.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to produce all of the following at A1, but recognizing these patterns will prevent the beginner rules from becoming misleading later.

Comma exceptions with и and или

Two full clauses joined by и or или often have a comma, but Russian can omit it when the clauses clearly share an introductory element, a dependent clause, or a single question/intonation frame:

• Когда начался дождь, дети вернулись домой и родители закрыли окна. — When the rain began, the children returned home and the parents closed the windows.
• Кто вы и что вам нужно? — Who are you and what do you need?

Punctuation here depends on sentence structure, not simply on counting verbs. For early writing, keep clauses short and consult a punctuation reference when the structure becomes layered.

потому что versus так как and splitting потому, что

Так как also means “because” and is common in explanatory writing, especially when the reason comes first: Так как было поздно, мы ушли. The core A1 conjunction потому что remains natural in both speech and writing.

The spelling потому, что is not an alternative comma style. It occurs when emphasis, contrast, or a focusing word belongs to потому, roughly “for that particular reason that…”:

• Он ушёл не потому, что устал, а потому, что рассердился. — He left not because he was tired, but because he became angry.

This is why the simple rule “comma before потому что” is the right default but not the whole story.

что and чтобы are not interchangeable

After verbs of knowing, saying, and perception, что normally reports a fact or claim: Я знаю, что он пришёл. “I know that he came.” After verbs of wanting, requesting, or requiring, чтобы presents a desired action: Я хочу, чтобы он пришёл. “I want him to come.” This contrast becomes especially important in Reported Speech.

More advanced condition and concession patterns

The A1 pattern если + real possibility later expands to unreal conditions with бы: Если бы у меня было время, я бы пришёл. “If I had time, I would come.” Do not add бы to ordinary real conditions.

At higher levels, Russian adds conjunctions such as хотя “although” and несмотря на то что “despite the fact that.” These develop the same skill taught here: identifying the relationship between two clauses, then marking their boundary clearly.

Practice Tips

1. Sort contrasts before translating. Take five English sentences with “but.” Label each one “comparison/correction” or “obstacle/unexpected result,” then choose а or но. This trains the meaning distinction instead of a one-to-one translation habit.
2. Build one sentence in layers. Start with Я дома. Add a reason, condition, or purpose: Я дома, потому что я устал; Я останусь дома, если будет дождь; Я пришёл домой, чтобы отдохнуть. Say each version aloud and pause at the comma.
3. Listen for the link word. In a short Russian video or dialogue, note every что, когда, если, and потому что. Write down the clause before and after it. This makes long sentences easier to parse without translating every word.

Related Concepts

• Next step: Relative Clauses — use linking words such as который, где, когда, and что to describe a person, thing, place, or time.
• Next step: Reported Speech — develops the use of что and чтобы when reporting statements, questions, and requests.
• Later refinement: Emphatic Particles — adds words such as же and ведь to express emphasis and attitude.
• Later refinement: Concessive Clauses — connects ideas with meanings such as “although” and “despite the fact that.”