além disso

Furthermore/Besides

Level 5

Além disso is the standard way to say 'furthermore' or 'besides' in Portuguese. It links two ideas, signaling that the second point adds to or reinforces the first.

How It Works

Além disso is an additive connector (conector aditivo) used to expand on a previous statement. Unlike the simple conjunction e (and), além disso gives more weight to the added information, framing it as a distinct point.

1. Syntactic Placement and Punctuation:
In standard Portuguese, it is almost always set off by commas. It usually appears at the start of a new sentence or after a semicolon:

  • O projeto é caro. Além disso, levará muito tempo. (The project is expensive. Furthermore, it will take a long time.)

It can also be placed parenthetically after the subject for a more elegant flow:

  • A empresa, além disso, oferece ótimos benefícios. (The company, besides that, offers great benefits.)

2. Morphology:
It is formed by the adverb além (beyond) and the contraction disso (of + that). Because it contains the demonstrative isso, it refers back to the entire idea mentioned previously.

3. Register:
It is highly frequent and versatile. While it is the 'workhorse' for academic and business contexts, it is also common in daily speech when someone wants to structure their thoughts clearly. In very informal settings, speakers might use 'e também' or 'e ainda' instead.

Examples (4)

  1. O carro é muito econômico. Além disso, o seguro é barato.

    The car is very economical. Furthermore, the insurance is cheap.

    Word by Word: The car is very economical. Beyond of-that, the insurance is cheap.

    Here, 'além disso' starts a new sentence to add a second positive attribute to the car.

  2. Não basta ter talento; é preciso, além disso, ter disciplina.

    It is not enough to have talent; it is necessary, besides that, to have discipline.

    Word by Word: Not suffices to-have talent; is necessary, beyond of-that, to-have discipline.

    In this example, the connector is used parenthetically in the middle of the clause for emphasis.

  3. Ela fala três línguas e, além disso, tem experiência internacional.

    She speaks three languages and, moreover, has international experience.

    Word by Word: She speaks three languages and, beyond of-that, has experience international.

    Using 'e' followed by 'além disso' is a common way to strongly link two related qualifications.

  4. O hotel era sujo. Além disso, os funcionários eram grosseiros.

    The hotel was dirty. Besides that, the staff were rude.

    Word by Word: The hotel was dirty. Beyond of-that, the employees were rude.

    It can be used to stack negative points just as easily as positive ones.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'além disso' with 'além de'.

    Além disso estudar, ele também trabalha.
    Além de estudar, ele também trabalha.

    'Além disso' is a standalone connector. If you want to follow the expression with a specific noun or verb, you must use 'além de'.

  • Omitting the mandatory comma.

    Além disso ele não veio.
    Além disso, ele não veio.

    In written Portuguese, 'além disso' should be followed by a comma when it starts a sentence.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

além dissoLevel 5Furthermore/Besides

Learn This First

To understand 'além disso', a learner needs to be familiar with the neuter demonstrative pronoun 'isso' and how it functions as a discourse marker to refer back to whole ideas. Additionally, knowledge of the contraction 'disso' (de + isso) is necessary to parse the phrase correctly.

Words in This Pattern

além disso