What is the difference between quamquam and quamvis?

Mood first, meaning behind it. Quamquam takes the indicative and concedes a real fact: quamquam dives est, non est beatus - although he is rich (and he is), he is not happy. Quamvis is literally quam vis, as much as you like, and it takes the subjunctive because it concedes a supposition rather than a fact: quamvis dives sit, however rich he may be. Classical prose keeps the division fairly cleanly, and it is the same fact-versus-supposition line that Spanish draws with aunque plus indicative or subjunctive. Poets blur it; you should not.

How do you say however in Latin?

Tamen, and its favourite trick is standing second in its clause rather than first: ille tamen venit, he however came. It marks that the main clause holds in spite of what came before, which is why it turns up as the answering word after quamquam, quamvis and concessive cum: cum fortis esset, tamen fugit - although he was brave, he nevertheless fled. Nihilominus (nonetheless) is the heavier synonym. For however plus an adjective (however rich), Latin uses quamvis with the adjective directly: quamvis dives.

What is the difference between ergo, igitur and itaque?

All three mean therefore, and the differences are of weight and position. Ergo is the strongest logical marker, the QED word - cogito, ergo sum - and often stands first. Igitur is the workaday therefore of connected prose and prefers second position: hoc igitur dico. Itaque leans towards and so, introducing what followed rather than what is proved, and it stands first. In practice: proof wants ergo, discourse wants igitur, narrative consequence wants itaque.

How do you say even if in Latin?

Etsi, or the more emphatic etiamsi (also tametsi). They are compounds of si and take their moods from the conditional system: indicative for an open or admitted case (etsi difficile est, even if it is difficult - and it is), subjunctive for an imagined one (etiamsi omnes consentiant, even if everyone were to agree). The main clause very often carries an answering tamen: etsi nihil habet, tamen dat - even if he has nothing, he still gives.

How do you say despite or in spite of in Latin?

You do not, at least not with a preposition; classical Latin has no word-for-word equivalent of despite. The idea is rebuilt as a concession: quamquam or quamvis with a clause (quamquam pluebat, exiimus - despite the rain, literally although it was raining, we went out), cum plus the subjunctive with tamen, or an ablative absolute given a concessive twist by tamen in the main clause: multis impedientibus, tamen perrexit - despite many obstacles, he pressed on.

Latin Connectors: tamen, quamquam, ergo, igitur and autem

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 5 September 2026

The short version

However or nevertheless is , and it loves second position in its clause: . Although splits by mood, and the split carries meaning: takes the indicative and concedes a fact ( dives , although he is rich - he really is), while takes the subjunctive and concedes a supposition, literally as much as you like ( dives sit, however rich he may be). Even if is or the stronger etiamsi, behaving like : indicative for open conditions, subjunctive for imagined ones. with the subjunctive can also mean although, and a in the main clause is the signpost that tells you it does. Therefore is (the punchy, logical one), (which prefers second position) and (which stands first and means and so). But is at its plainest; is a gentle turn that never stands first; at is the sharp objection. Despite has no Latin preposition: rebuild with a concession clause or an ablative absolute. The connectors never inflect - the moods around them do all the work.

Latin prose runs on its connectors. A page of Cicero is a chain of , , and , each one telling you how the new sentence leans on the last, and the concession words carry a the big languages of this site keep making you learn: a mood split between conceded fact and entertained supposition. If you have met Spanish aunque with the indicative against aunque with the subjunctive, the - line will feel like an old friend in a toga.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Fill in the blank

0/3

Supply the missing connector. The English cue tells you which one is wanted.

I think, therefore I am: Cogito, sum. (The QED word.)
Although he is rich (a fact), he is not happy: dives est, non est beatus. (The indicative est tells you which although this is.)
However rich he may be, he is not happy: dives sit, non est beatus. (The subjunctive sit points at the supposition word.)

Latin connectors at a glance

English	Latin	Mood or position	Example
however, nevertheless		often second word
although (a fact)		+ indicative	`dives`
although, however much (a supposition)		+ subjunctive	`dives`
even if	, `etiamsi`, `tametsi`	like : indicative or subjunctive
therefore (logic)		usually first	`cogito,`
therefore (prose)		usually second word
and so		first word
but		first word
however, but		always second word
but (objecting)		first word
for (giving a reason)	/	first, second

The short version: the connectors themselves never change form. What changes is the mood of the verb after the concession words, and the slot the postpositives (, , , ) insist on.

tamen: however, nevertheless

Tamen marks that the main clause stands in spite of what came before. Its signature habit is second position in its clause, though first is also correct:

. - He, however, came.
; temptabimus. - It is not easy; nevertheless we shall try.

Its heavyweight synonym is nihilominus (nonetheless). You will meet constantly as the answering word of a concession - the signpost planted in the main clause after , , or concessive :

, . - Although he was brave, he nevertheless fled.

That is precisely what tells you the clause is concessive rather than causal - the cum clauses page has the full sorting rule.

quamquam and quamvis: the although split

Here is the money distinction. Latin has two main words for although, and the mood decides between them because the mood carries the meaning.

quamquam + indicative concedes a fact. The thing is real, and Latin says so with a real mood:

dives , . - Although he is rich, he is not happy. (He really is rich.)
pluebat, . - Although it was raining, we went out.

quamvis + subjunctive concedes a supposition. The word is literally , "as much as you like": pile the quality as high as you please, the main clause still holds. Because nothing is asserted, the verb goes subjunctive:

dives sit, avarus . - However rich he may be, he stays a .
consentiant, cedam. - Even though everyone may agree, I shall not yield.

That is the same line Spanish draws inside one word (aunque + indicative against subjunctive). Latin gives each side its own conjunction and lets the mood confirm the choice - which makes unseen translation kinder than it looks: read the verb first, and the conjunction tells you nothing the mood has not already said. + subjunctive ("granted that") does the same job as in later and livelier prose.

etsi and etiamsi: even if

Etsi, etiamsi and tametsi are with reinforcements, and they behave exactly like conditions with (set out in the conditionals article): indicative for an open or admitted case, subjunctive for an imagined one.

, . - Even if he has nothing, he still gives.
Etiamsi consentiant, cedam. - Even if everyone should agree, I shall not yield.

Note the turning up again in the main clause. Latin likes the concession answered, the same instinct as Mandarin's partner words, just optional rather than required.

ergo, igitur, itaque: three therefores

All three mean therefore, and choosing between them is a matter of weight and position rather than grammar.

Ergo is the logical clincher - the word of proofs and verdicts, and of the most quoted sentence in philosophy:

Cogito, . - I think, therefore I am.

Igitur is the workaday therefore of connected prose, and its habit is second position:

. - This, therefore, is what I say.

Itaque stands first and shades towards and so - the consequence in a narrative rather than the conclusion of an argument:

. - And so the soldiers returned home.

Rule of thumb: proof wants , discourse wants , story wants . For hence or for that reason, , idcirco and fill out the formal register; and (the latter always second position) attach the reason the other way round, like English for.

sed, autem, at: three buts

Sed is the plain but, first word of its clause:

, . - I wanted to come, but I could not.

Autem is the gentle turn - however, on the other hand - and it never stands first; it slots into second position like and :

; . - I am staying; you, however, are leaving.

is the sharp objection, the debater's but: - but that is false. (indeed, but in fact) rounds out the set, another second-position word.

These little second-position words - , , , - are called postpositives, and their placement is not optional decoration: is simply wrong. Park them one word in. ( usually goes second too, but it is the loosest of them: Cicero keeps it second, while Sallust and later writers sometimes put it first.) Why Latin can shuffle everything else so freely is covered in Latin word order.

Despite: the gap in the dictionary

Classical Latin has no preposition for despite, and the best advice is to stop looking for one. Rebuild the sentence as a concession:

With a clause: pluebat, - despite the rain (literally: although it was raining), we went out.
With concessive + subjunctive and : , perrexit - despite lacking everything, he pressed on.
With an ablative absolute answered by : impedientibus, perrexit - despite many obstacles, he carried on.

The ablative absolute version is the most Latin of the three: two words of scene-setting, a , and the job is done.

Common mistakes

The first is ignoring the mood line: with a subjunctive or with an indicative turns up in poetry and in silver-age prose, and will fail in your classical prose composition. Fact takes + indicative; supposition takes + subjunctive.

The second is putting a postpositive first. , and stand second without exception worth learning, and should too if Cicero is your model.

The third is hunting for a preposition meaning despite and settling on something like , which means against and says the wrong thing. Concession clause or ablative absolute plus .

The fourth is missing concessive because no although word is visible. The in the main clause is the flag; when you see it, -read the .

Latin Connectors: tamen, quamquam, ergo, igitur and autem

Quick check

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Latin connectors at a glance

tamen: however, nevertheless

quamquam and quamvis: the although split

etsi and etiamsi: even if

ergo, igitur, itaque: three therefores

sed, autem, at: three buts

Despite: the gap in the dictionary

Common mistakes

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