ademais / en cambio / pola contra
Everyday Connectors
Connectors show how two ideas fit together: ademais (besides) adds, en cambio (on the other hand) contrasts, pola contra (on the contrary) gives the opposite, and de feito (in fact) confirms: É bonito e, ademais, barato.
How It Works
Adding: ademais
Ademais (besides, also) adds a new point to the same line of thought: É bonito e, ademais, barato. With a noun or an infinitive, use ademais de: Ademais de falar galego, Uxía fala inglés e francés. The shorter amais means the same.
Contrasting: en cambio
En cambio (on the other hand) sets one person or situation against another: A miña irmá é moi faladora; eu, en cambio, son bastante calado.
Reversing: pola contra
Pola contra (on the contrary) introduces the opposite of what was said or expected: Cría que o exame ía ser difícil; pola contra, foi moi doado. It is pola, feminine, because it comes from a contra. Polo contrario is also correct.
Confirming: de feito
De feito (in fact, actually) backs up what was just said with a fact: Non estaba cansa; de feito, quería saír a bailar.
Commas. Set the connector off with commas, or a semicolon or full stop before it when it starts a new clause.
Spanish look-alikes. Write ademais (not además), pola contra (not por el contrario) and de feito (not de hecho). For however, Galician uses con todo, non obstante or porén, not Spanish sin embargo; see formal contrast connectors.
Examples (5)
- É bonito e, ademais, barato.
It is pretty and, besides, cheap.
- Ademais de falar galego, Uxía fala inglés e francés.
Besides speaking Galician, Uxía speaks English and French.
Ademais de comes before a noun or an infinitive.
- A miña irmá é moi faladora; eu, en cambio, son bastante calado.
My sister is very chatty; I, on the other hand, am quite quiet.
- Cría que o exame ía ser difícil; pola contra, foi moi doado.
I thought the exam was going to be hard; on the contrary, it was very easy.
- Non estaba cansa; de feito, quería saír a bailar.
I was not tired; in fact, I wanted to go out dancing.
Common Mistakes
Using the masculine polo with contra.
Pensei que chovería; polo contra, fixo sol.Pensei que chovería; pola contra, fixo sol.The expression comes from a contra, so it is pola contra. Polo goes with contrario: polo contrario.
Writing the Spanish form además.
É bonito e, además, barato.É bonito e, ademais, barato.The Galician word is ademais.
Using Spanish sin embargo for however.
Era caro. Sin embargo, mercámolo.Era caro. Con todo, mercámolo.Galician uses con todo, non obstante or porén to mean however.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Discourse connectors add, contrast, reverse or confirm information across clauses.
Related Patterns
- porén / non obstante / con todoFormal Contrast Connectors
Formal connectors for however, the next step after en cambio.
Level 5 - así mesmo / é dicir / ou sexaAdding and Reformulating Ideas
More connectors for adding and rephrasing ideas.
Level 5 - por iso / así que / polo tantoExpressing Consequences
Connectors that introduce a consequence.
Level 3 - maisMais as but
Another way to express contrast, meaning but.
Level 4 - Avoiding Spanish Interference
Spanish forms like además and sin embargo to avoid in Galician.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice ademais / en cambio / pola contra in Bubblegum
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