Declarative Coordinating Conjunctions in Italian introduce an elaboration or an explanation of a previously mentioned topic. In other words, the information that follows a conjunction of this type helps paint a clearer picture of something stated earlier in the sentence:
In the example above, the conjunction ossia introduces information about the speaker’s mother and his/her relationship with her.
The set of declarative coordinating conjunctions we will explore in this lesson is as follows:
cioè = that is, that is to say, i.e., namely
infatti = indeed, in fact, as a matter of fact
ovvero = that is, in other words
ossia = that is, namely, or rather
| Ho parlato del problema con mia madre, ossia l'unica persona al mondo di cui mi fido. I spoke of the problem with my mother, or rather/namely, the only person in the world whom I trust. |
In the example above, the conjunction ossia introduces information about the speaker’s mother and his/her relationship with her.
The set of declarative coordinating conjunctions we will explore in this lesson is as follows:
cioè = that is, that is to say, i.e., namely
infatti = indeed, in fact, as a matter of fact
ovvero = that is, in other words
ossia = that is, namely, or rather