Contudo

You usually place contudo at the start of a second sentence. You can also place it after a semicolon or a comma. It creates a pause that builds anticipation for your counter-point. In writing, it often has a comma right after it. For example: "The food was expensive; contudo, it was delicious."

Use it when you want to sound polished. It is perfect for business emails or academic essays. Use it during a job interview to show off your vocabulary. It also works well in serious conversations with friends. It helps you sound balanced and thoughtful rather than impulsive.

Avoid contudo at a loud, rowdy football match. Don't use it while shouting to a friend across the street. It is too heavy for very casual texting with your best friend. In those cases, just stick to mas. Using contudo while ordering a hot dog might get you some funny looks.

Portuguese speakers take pride in their rich vocabulary. Using words like contudo shows you have moved beyond basic survival Portuguese. It reflects a culture that values formal education and eloquent speech. It has roots in Latin, which gives it that timeless, intellectual weight. It hasn't changed much over centuries of use.

You will often hear no entanto or todavia. These are direct synonyms for contudo. No entanto is very common in spoken European Portuguese. Todavia feels even more literary and old-fashioned. If you want to be super casual, just use mas or porém.