When you don’t want to answer the question Почему?[pachiMOO](why) in Russian, or simply don’t know the answer, don’t just say “because,” instead say, По кочану — a funny rhyming response with a similar effect to English “Why? - Because the day of the week ends in -y!”
Russian Articles
How to use conjunctions of reason, purpose, result, and concession in Russian?
By: Anna Classing Fri Feb 28 2025
Conjunctions of reason, purpose, result, and concession are types of subordinating conjunctionsNo definition set for subordinating conjunctionsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. We use these in Russian when there is a real or intended cause-and-effect relationship between the main clause and the dependent clause. The type of subordinating conjunction you use determines what kind of relationship the two clauses have. Here are some examples.
main clause
Я изучал русский...
ya izooCHAL ROOSkiy
I studied Russian...
- conjunction of reason
потому что у меня есть друзья в России.
pataMOO shta oo miNYA yest droozYA v raSEEi.
because I have friends in Russia.
- conjunction of purpose
чтобы работать переводчиком.
SHTOby raBOtat piriVOchikam.
in order to work as a translator.
- conjunction of result
поэтому мне не нужен перевод.
paEtamoo vnye ni NOOzhen piriVOT.
that’s why I don’t need translation.
- conjunction of concession
хотя это было очень трудно.
khaTYA Eta BYla Ochen TROODna.
although it was very difficult.
So, what conjunctions can you use to talk about reason, purpose, result, or concession? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
Conjunctions of reason: How to say “because” in Russian?
Conjunctions of reason (sometimes called conjunctions of cause) are words like “because” that are used at the beginning of a dependent clause that gives a reason for what happens in the main clause.
causeeffect
Я изучал русский, потому что у меня есть друзья в России.
ya izooCHAL ROOSkiy pataMOO shta oo miNYA yest droozYA v raSEEi.
I studied Russian because I have friends in Russia.
The most common Russian conjunctions of reason are listed below.
потому что[pataMOO shta](because) is the most common conjunction of reason and is stylistically neutral.
Я купил новый телефон, потому что старый сломался.
ya kooPEEL NOvyi tiliFON pataMOO shta STAryi slaMALsya.
I bought a new phone because the old one got broken.
Normally this cannot be used at the beginning of a sentence, but only after the main clause. So, you can’t translate a sentence like, “Because I was hungry, I ate some cake,” unless you reorder it to “I ate some cake because I was hungry.”
You can only use потому что at the beginning of a sentence if it’s a response to the question “why?”
Speaker A:Почему ты купил новый телефон?
pachiMOO ty kooPEEL NOvyi tiliFON?
Why did you buy a new phone?
Speaker B:Потому что старый сломался.
pataMOO shta STAryi slaMALsya.
Because my old one got broken.
Tip
Так как[TAK kak] and поскольку[paSKOLkoo] have the same meanings “as,” “since,” “because” or “given.” These are both more formal than потому что.
Телефон не подлежит гарантийному ремонту, так как срок гарантии истёк.
tiliFON ni padliZHYT garanTEEYnamoo riMONtoo TAk kak srok gaRANtii isTYOK.
The phone is not subject to warranty repair because the warranty period has expired.
Поскольку срок гарантии истёк, телефон не подлежит гарантийному ремонту.
paSKOLkoo srok gaRANtii isTYOK tiliFON ni padliZHYT garanTEEYnamoo riMONtoo.
Since the warranty period has expired, the phone is not subject to warranty repair.
Notice that clauses of reason introduced by так как or поскольку can be placed either before or after the main clause!
Important
We use a conjunction of reason only when the reason is a whole clause. If the reason is just a noun, as in a sentence like “He was absent from work due to illness” or “I brought an umbrella because of the storm,” then we use prepositions of cause or reason instead.
Very formal Russian conjunctions of reason
The following conjunctions of reason are used mostly in official documents, formal writing, scientific literature, and other high-register genres. All of them may come before or after the main clause.
оттого что
ataVO shto
because
ввиду того что
viDOO taVO shto
taking into account that
благодаря тому, что
blagadaRYA taMOO shto
due to the fact that
в связи с тем, что
f sviZEE s tyem shto
whereas; considering that
в силу того, что
f SEEloo taVO shto
inasmuch as; by virtue of
Here are some examples. Notice the subordinate clause can come first or second:
Многие услуги стали доступнее благодаря тому, что мобильный телефон теперь есть у каждого.
MNOgiye ooSLOOgi STAli daSTOOpnyeye blagadaRYA taMOO shto maBEELnyi tiliFON tiPYER yest oo KAZHdava.
Many services have become more accessible thanks to the fact that everyone has a mobile phone.
В связи с тем, что мобильные телефоны стали общедоступны, необходимость в стационарных телефонах практически отпала.
f sviZEE s tyem shto maBEELnyie tiliFOny STAli apshchidaSTOOPny niapkhaDEEmast f statsiaNARnykh tiliFOnakh prakTEEchiski atPAla.
Considering that mobile phones have become ubiquitous, the need for landlines practically doesn’t exist any longer.
Important
Note that the comma is located in the middle of some of these more formal conjunctions, showing up before что rather than before the entire conjunction. You can refer to our guide to using commas in Russian for more details about how to use commas with conjunctions like this.
Conjunctions of purpose: How to say “in order to” in Russian?
Conjunctions of purpose introduce clauses that describe a desired outcome. Because of that, you need to use the subjunctive moodNo definition set for subjunctive moodLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in the subordinate clause of purpose.
causedesired outcome
Я изучал русский, чтобы работать переводчиком.
ya izooCHAL ROOSkiy SHTOby raBOtat piriVOchikam.
I studied Russian in order to work as a translator.
Tip
The subjunctive mood in Russian, is used for actions you wish or hope for, or that are otherwise uncertain or imaginary. To form a subjunctive of a verb, you usually need to use бы (by) / б (p) + past tense verb. But, as you'll see, бы has actually become part of each of these conjunctions of purpose, so just adding the past tense (or infinitive) of the verb is enough.
Here are the most important Russian conjunctions of purpose:
Чтобы[SHTOby], для того чтобы[dlya taVO SHTOby], and чтоб[shtop] are all fairly basic conjunctions of purpose, and can be translated as “to,” “in order to,” “so,” or “so that.”
Мы взяли кредит, чтобы / для того чтобы / чтоб сын мог учиться.
my VZYAli kriDEET SHTOby / dlya taVO SHTOby / shtop syn mok ooCHEEtsa.
We took out a loan so that our son could study.
Чтобы is the most common conjunction of purpose and is stylistically neutral while для того чтобы is slightly more formal and чтоб is a colloquial variant of чтобы.
лишь бы[LEESH by] and только бы[TOLka by] are used when maximum effort might be needed to achieve the goal described in the dependent clause. They’re usually translated with phrases like “as long as,” “just so that,” or “I just hope.”
Мы взяли кредит, лишь бы / только бы заплатить за обучение.
my VZYAli kriDEET LEESH by / TOLka by zaplaTEET za abooCHEniye.
We took out a loan in an effort to / just so that we could pay for the education.
Important
As with conjunctions of reason, we only use a conjunction of purpose if the desired outcome is a whole clause. If the desired outcome is just a noun, as in sentences like “He swept the house for the party” or “He went to the store for bread,” then we use prepositions of purpose instead.
Conjunctions of result: How to say “therefore” in Russian?
These conjunctions are used at the beginning of a dependent clause which describes the consequences of the events in the main clause.
causeeffect
Я изучал русский, поэтому мне не нужен перевод.
ya izooCHAL ROOSkiy paEtamoo vnye ni NOOzhen piriVOT.
I studied Russian, that’s why I don’t need translation.
The following are the most important Russian conjunctions of result. Normally, they only come after the main clause.
поэтому[paEtamoo](that's why; so) is the most common word acting as conjunction of result. It is technically considered an adverb or connective word in Russian grammar.
В комнате было темно, поэтому я не видел лица людей.
f KOMNatye BYla timNO paEtamoo ya nye VEEdyel LEEtsa lyuDYEY.
It was dark in the room, that's why I didn’t see people’s faces.
потому[pataMOO](that's why; so) is synonymous with поэтому, but less common. Like “so” it is often preceded by the Russian conjunctions и[i](and) or а[a](and).
В комнате было темно, и потому я не видел лица людей.
f KOMNatye BYla timNO pataMOO ya nye VEEdyel LEEtsa lyuDYEY.
It was dark in the room, and so I didn’t see people’s faces.
так что[ tak shto](therefore; and so; thus) is often used to introduce a summary or a major/general conclusion.
В комнате было темно, так что я едва видел лица людей.
f KOMNatye BYla timNO tak shto ya yidVA VEEdyel LEEtsa lyuDYEY.
It was dark in the room so I could barely see people’s faces.
This conjunction can be split into pieces as так/такой… , что…[tak/taKOY shto](so/such… that…), to add some intensity. For example:
В комнате было так темно, что я едва видел лица людей.
f KOMNatye BYla tak timNO shto ya yidVA VEEdyel LEEtsa lyuDYEY.
It was so dark in the room that I could barely see people’s faces.
→ Notice that что introduces the result.а то[a TO] and а не то[a ni TO] both introduce threatened or undesirable results, and translate to “or” or “or else.”
Выключи свет, а то / а не то он нас увидит!
VYklyuchi svyet a to / a ni to on nas ooVEEdit!
Turn the light off, or he’ll see us!
в силу чего[f sEEloo chVO](by virtue of; whereby) and вследствие чего[FSLYEtstvii chiVO](which is why), literally, “in consequence of which” are less common, and aremostly found in academic writing or official documents.
Электричество было отключено, в силу чего / вследствие чего поиск выхода оказался затруднён.
iliktREEchistva BYla atklyuchiNO f SEEloo chiVO / FSLYEtstvii chiVO POisk VYkhada akaZALsya zatroodNYON.
The electricity was off, which is why the search for the exit turned out to be difficult.
Conjunctions of concession: How to say “even though” in Russian?
Conjunctions of concession, like “even though,” describe a potential obstacle that could have stopped or interfered with the situation in the main clause, but did not.
actiondid not prevent it
Я изучал русский, хотя это было очень трудно.
ya izooCHAL ROOSkiy khaTYA Eta BYla Ochen TROODna.
I studied Russian, although it was very difficult.
We use concession clauses to reflect back on conditional (“if-then”) sentences that were proven wrong. We had imagined that a conditional sentence of the form “if x happens, then y won’t happen,” was true, but then y happened even though x happened.
There are numerous conjunctions of concession in Russian, each slightly different in meaning and use.
хотя[khaTYA] and хоть[khot] mean “although” or “even though.” These are the most common conjunctions of concession. Хоть is colloquial, while хотя is stylistically neutral.
Они поехали в горы, хотя / хоть погода (и) была плохая.
aNEE paYEkhali v GOry khaTYA / khot paGOda (i) byLA plaKHAya.
They went to the mountains, even though the weather was bad.
→ Both хотя and хоть are often used before a clause containing и in the dependent clause.If the main clause comes after the dependent clause, it often contains phrases like всё-таки[FSYOtaki], всё же[FSYO zhe], тем не менее[tyem ni MYEniye], all of which mean “yet / nonetheless / anyway”.
Important
The situation that follows хотя or хоть must always be factual or real.
✅ хотя / хоть
real situation
“Although he was late, he charmed all the guests.”
→ This describes something that actually happened, but did not stop the main situation.❌ хотя / хоть
imaginary situation
“Although he could have been late…”
→ This describes something that did not actually happen.
несмотря на то что[nismatRYA na TO shta] and невзирая на то что[nivziRAya na TO shta] are more formal alternatives to хотя[although / despite the fact that]
Они поехали в горы, несмотря на то что погода была плохая.
aNEE paYEkhali v GOry nismatRYA na TO shta paGOda byLA plaKHAya.
They went to the mountains, despite the weather being bad.
Like хотя, these conjunctions introduce a real situation.
в то время как[f to RYEmya kak], между тем как[MYEZHdoo tyem kak], and тогда как[tagDA kak] are used in cases where something happened in defiance of a norm or the usual way that something happens.
Они поехали в горы, в то время как / между тем как / тогда как большинство людей предпочитают отдыхать на море.
aNEE paYEkhali v GOry f to RYEmya kak / MYEZHdoo tyem kak / tagDA kak balshinstVO lyuDYEY pritpachiTAyut odyKHAT na MOrye.
They went to the mountains, whereas most people prefer to spend their vacations at the sea.
Notice that the main clause is a surprise because usually something else would happen.
A couple more notes:
Тогда как and между тем как are less common and sound fancier than в то время как.
Note that the conjunction в то время как can also function as the conjunction of time meaning “while.”
Только[tagDA kak] and правда[ tagDA kak], meaning, “yet,” “but,” “mind you,” or “though” are used to show that the situation in the main clause is somewhat worsened by whatever the dependent clause describes.
Они поехали в горы, только / правда без гида.
aNEE paYEkhali v GOry TOLka / PRAVda byes GEEda.
They went to the mountains, without a guide though.
пусть[poost] and пускай[poosKAY] mean “even if” or “even though” and are used in sentences that say that something should take place regardless of the possible situation in the dependent clause.
Мы все равно хотим поехать в горы, пусть / пускай ненадолго.
my fsyo ravNO khaTEEM paYEkhat v GOry poost / poosKAY ninaDOLga.
We want to go to the mountains anyway, even if only for a short time.
Пускай is more colloquial than neutral пусть. Both are often used with a particle всё равно[fsyo ravNO](anyway) in the main clause.
Conclusion
In this post, we looked at four types of subordinating conjunctionsNo definition set for subordinating conjunctionsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.:
Conjunctions of reason, like потому что[ pataMOO shta](because), which give reasons for what happens in the main clause.
Conjunctions of purpose, like чтобы[SHTOby](to), which describe the purpose of the actions in the main clause.
Conjunctions of result, like поэтому[paEtamoo](that’s why), which connect the main clause to the dependent one describing its consequences.
Conjunctions of concession, like хотя[khaTYA](although), which describe a limitation or unfavorable condition for the events in the main clause.
To practice what you’ve learned, download our Russian cause and effect activities or the subordinating conjunctions master sheet below! Happy learning!
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