I always get confused when I have to choose between these two. I know one is an adversative conjunction and the other is causal, but in practice I mix them up. Can you explain to me with simple examples when to use one or the other?
Does this happen to you when you write in a rush or even when you're reading? 'Però' introduces an idea that clashes with the previous one: "Volevo uscire, però piove" - the second thing goes against the first. 'Perciò' instead explains a consequence: "Piove, perciò resto a casa" - the second thing is the result of the first. Remember that 'però' is almost a synonym for 'ma' (contrast), while 'perciò' is like 'quindi' (consequence). A trick: if you can swap it with 'quindi', you use 'perciò'; if the swap doesn't work, then it's 'però'.
The difference is clear-cut: 'però' flips things around, 'perciò' explains the consequence. I remember I used to get confused too when I had to dash off a quick message on my phone, until I linked it to two mental images. With 'però' there's a clash: "I finished my homework, però I don't want to go out" - the second part contradicts what you'd expect. With 'perciò' instead one thing flows from the other: "I finished my homework, perciò I can go out" - going out is a logical consequence.
Try thinking of it this way: 'però' is when the second fact surprises you compared to the first, 'perciò' is when it concludes naturally. "He was very tired, però he kept working" - you'd expect rest, but no. "He was very tired, perciò he stopped working" - the conclusion was obvious. If you read the sentence and hear a "but..." in your head, you need 'però'; if you hear a "so..." or "therefore...", you need 'perciò'.
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