Spanish clauses are divided into two main types: main (independent) clauses and subordinate (dependent) clauses.
Main Clauses
Main clauses can stand alone as complete sentences. They express a complete thought.
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| Vivo en Madrid. |
| English Example |
Subordinate Clauses
Subordinate clauses cannot stand alone and depend on a main clause. They add extra information.
Subordinate clauses are introduced by conjunctions or relative pronouns.
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| porque llueve. |
| English Example |
Types of Subordinate Clauses
1. Adverbial Clauses
Explain when, why, how, or under what conditions something happens.
| Spanish Word |
|---|
| porque |
| English Translation |
| Usage |
| reason |
2. Relative Clauses
Describe or give more information about a noun.
| Spanish Word |
|---|
| que |
| English Translation |
| Usage |
| general relative pronoun |
3. Noun Clauses
Function as the subject, object, or complement in a sentence.
| Spanish Word |
|---|
| que |
| English Translation |
| Usage |
| introduces noun clause |
Examples of Subordinate Clauses
| Spanish Example |
|---|
| No fui porque estaba enfermo. |
| English Example |
| Type |
| Adverbial (cause) |
Summary
- Main clauses express complete ideas and can stand alone.
- Subordinate clauses add meaning and depend on main clauses.
- Subordinate clauses include adverbial (time, cause, condition), relative (describe nouns), and noun clauses (serve as sentence parts).
- Spanish conjunctions and pronouns signal the type of subordinate clause.
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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025