Connectors do just what their name says: they connect thoughts and ideas in writing and in speech. They can be used to connect ideas within a sentence, or they can be the link between a sentence and the next one.
Today we will look at some sequence connectors in Spanish. These words are used to describe the order of concepts, ideas or actions.
Sequence Connectors in Spanish
This type of connectors are used to organize the events in a story. They let us know in which order actions happen.
Antes and después (before, after)
Llega a la ciudad. Después, nos llama por teléfono y nos cuenta sus aventuras.
She arrives at the city. After that, she calls us on the phone and tells us her adventures.
La cena con tu madre es a las diez en punto. Antes vamos a visitar a mi hermana.
The dinner with your mother is at ten o’clock. Before, we are visiting my sister.
Please do not confuse them with
Elena estudia antes del examen.
Elena studies before the exam.
Me cepillo los dientes después de la cena.
I brush my teeth after dinner.
Primero (first)
Primero la profesora habla con el estudiante y después con su madre.
The teacher first talks to the student and then to his mother.
Primero elegimos la ciudad. Después podemos buscar un apartamento.
First we choose the city. Then, we can look for an apartment.
Luego (then)
Se enchufa el microondas y luego se calienta la comida del abuelo.
Plug in the microwave and then heat grandpa’s food.
Juan picó las cebollas y luego cortó las zanahorias y las patatas.
Juan chopped up the onions, and later he cut the carrots and the potatoes.
Finalmente (finally)
Primero vamos al supermercado. Después vamos a la farmacia. Finalmente, vamos a casa.
First, we go to the supermarket. Afterward, we go to the drugstore. Finally, we go home.
Cuando ese chico viene a España, primero visita Valencia, luego va a Barcelona y, finalmente, viene aquí.
When that boy comes to Spain, first he visits Valencia, then he goes to Barcelona, and finally he comes here.
Examples
Here are some more examples of using sequence connectors in Spanish. The first paragraph describes what Tomás does every Wednesday.
Los miércoles, Tomás primero va a la escuela. Luego come en casa y duerme la siesta. Después va a clase de baloncesto y, finalmente, cena en su casa con su madre y su padre.
On Wednesdays Tomás goes to school first. Later, he eats at home and takes a nap. Next, he goes to basketball classes and, finally, he dines at home with his mother and father.
Listen and pay attention to the use of sequence connectors in Spanish. Imagine it’s a memo that a head manager has just sent to her assistant with instructions for setting up a meeting with other employees.
Primero, vamos a hablar de los clientes nuevos. Luego, vamos a hablar de los productos de nuestros competidores. Después, vamos a terminar la reunión con una actividad en grupos. Finalmente, vamos a tomar un café en la sala de reuniones.
First, we are going to talk about the new clients. Then, we’re going to talk about our rivals’ products. After that, we’re going to end the meeting with an activity in groups. Finally, we’re going to have a coffee in the meeting room.
Exercises
In our blog you can learn how to use many Spanish linkers and connectors. Today we have covered some popular sequence connectors in Spanish. Let’s do some exercises to practice them all.
Gracias. I know that verb conjugation is very important and vocabulary in general. But connector words often don’t seem to get the emphasis they need (at least in my view).