what is it?
Coordinators are short words that join two words, phrases, or clauses of equal grammatical weight. Spanish has five basic coordinators at this level: y (and), o (or), pero (but), the correlative pair ni...ni (neither...nor), and the correlative pair unos...otros (some...others). Each one signals a different logical relationship — addition, alternation, contrast, double negation, or group contrast — between the elements it connects.
when to use it
y — use to add one item or clause to another. It becomes e before a word that starts with the sound /i/ (spelled i- or hi-), e.g. «padre e hijo» (father and son).
o — use to present two alternatives. It becomes u before a word that starts with the sound /o/ (spelled o- or ho-), e.g. «siete u ocho» (seven or eight).
pero — use when the second clause contrasts with or limits the first. The two clauses must have opposite or unexpected directions.
ni...ni — use to negate two items together. The verb must already be negative (with no) or the sentence must begin with ni itself. You cannot use ni after an affirmative verb.
unos...otros — use to split a group into two contrasting parts (some...others). Both words agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.
formation
Most coordinators are invariable single words placed between the elements they join. The table below summarises each coordinator, its spelling variant (if any), and its position.
| coordinator | variant | position | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| y | e (before i-, hi-) | between two elements | and |
| o | u (before o-, ho-) | between two elements | or |
| pero | — | between two clauses | but |
| ni...ni | — | before each negated element | neither...nor |
| unos...otros | unas...otras (feminine) | one before each part of the group | some...others |
For ni...ni, place no before the verb and then put ni before each negated item: «no como ni carne ni pescado». For unos...otros, the two halves are separated by a comma: «unos vecinos son simpáticos, otros no».
examples in context
common pitfalls
ni without a preceding negative. ni requires a negative context. Saying «*como carne ni pescado» is incorrect because the verb is affirmative. Always add no before the verb: «no como ni carne ni pescado».
o instead of unos...otros for group contrast. When you want to split a group into two contrasting parts, o is the wrong tool. «*Unos vecinos son simpáticos o no» sounds like a yes/no question about all neighbours. Use the correlative pair: «Unos vecinos son simpáticos, otros no».
pero confused with y when ideas contrast. y simply adds; it does not signal opposition. «*Quiero salir y llueve mucho» reads as two unrelated facts. When the second clause limits or contradicts the first, use pero: «Quiero salir, pero llueve mucho».
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Unos días de verano son muy calurosos, ___ son frescos.
Fill in the blank with the correct word to complete the sentence.