{"id":119764,"date":"2023-04-30T18:41:48","date_gmt":"2023-04-30T22:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/french-conjunctions\/"},"modified":"2025-01-03T07:24:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T12:24:41","slug":"french-conjunctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-conjunctions\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Common French Conjunctions (Plus Example Sentences)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Conjunctions are important to make your sentences connect and make sense when they’re more complex. And French requires a lot of them.<\/p>\n

In this post, we\u2019ll look at three types of French conjunctions: coordinating, correlative <\/strong>and subordinating<\/strong>.\u00a0By the end, you\u2019ll know how to use each type of conjunction and understand why conjunctions are so important to the soul of the French language.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What is a Conjunction?<\/h2>\n

A conjunction is a word that joins together two or more clauses into one sentence (or, minimally, two or more words together into a phrase). In English, this includes words like “and,” “or,” “then” and “since.”<\/p>\n

The same sorts of words serve as conjunctions in French as well. Conjunctions are divided into three types: coordinating, correlative and subordinating.<\/p>\n

Now we’ll define each of these types, and demonstrate specific conjunctions from each one!<\/p>\n

French Coordinating Conjunctions<\/h2>\n

A coordinating conjunction is used to combine two equal words or clauses, where neither word or clause relies on the other.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, here is the coordinating conjunction \u201cand\u201d combining two equally important words:<\/p>\n

“Sarah likes books and<\/strong> hot chocolate.”<\/p>\n

There are ten coordinating conjunctions in French: car <\/em>(because), parce que<\/em> (because), or <\/em>(but\/yet), ensuite <\/em>(then),\u00a0 et <\/em>(and), ou <\/em>(or), ou bien <\/em>(or), puis <\/em>(then), mais<\/em> (but) and donc<\/em> (therefore\/so).<\/p>\n

1. Car<\/em> \u2014 Because<\/h3>\n

Car<\/em> means “because” but it is used more in writing than in everyday conversation.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Il mange car<\/strong> il a faim.<\/em> (He’s eating because he’s hungry.)<\/p>\n

2. Parce que<\/em> \u2014 Because<\/h3>\n

Though parce que<\/em> (because) has a few subtle differences from car<\/em> (because), it has become nearly the same in meaning and use.<\/p>\n

Parce que<\/em> is typically spoken whereas car<\/em> is typically written.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Il mange parce qu<\/strong>\u2019il a faim.\u00a0<\/em>(He’s eating because he’s hungry.)<\/p>\n

3. Or<\/em> \u2014 But \/ yet<\/h3>\n

Though many websites will say that or<\/em> means \u201cnow,\u201d it’s more often used to mean \u201cbut\u201d or \u201cand yet\u201d when used as a conjunction.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Il faudrait arriver au travail avant 8h30, or<\/strong>, il y a trop de traffic<\/a>.<\/em> (It’s required to be at work before 8:30, but\/and yet, there’s too much traffic.)<\/p>\n

4. Ensuite<\/em> \u2014 Then<\/h3>\n

When used as a French coordinating conjunction, ensuite<\/em> (then) is typically preceded by another conjunction,\u00a0et<\/em> (and), as seen above. They are, however, two separate conjunctions.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Je vais aller au travail et ensuite<\/strong> au magasin.<\/em> (I’m going to go to work and then to the store.)<\/p>\n

5. Et<\/em> \u2014 And<\/h3>\n

Et<\/em> (and) is one of the most common coordinating conjunctions and is used to join two sentences or words together.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> J\u2019aime ma maman et<\/strong> mon papa.<\/em> (I love my mom and my dad.)<\/p>\n

It can also be used to combine two separate clauses:<\/p>\n

Example: <\/strong>J\u2019aime ma maman et<\/strong> j\u2019adore mes amis.<\/em> (I love my mom and I really like my friends.)<\/p>\n

6. Ou<\/em> \u00a0\u2014 Or<\/h3>\n

Ou<\/em> (or) is another common French conjunction that allows a speaker to provide two options of equal importance.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Veux-tu un verre du vin ou une baguette\u2026 ou<\/strong> peut-\u00eatre les deux ?<\/em> (Do you want a glass of wine or a baguette\u2026 or perhaps both?)<\/p>\n

Note: This is not to be confused with o\u00f9,<\/em> which means \u201cwhere\u201d and is distinguished by an accent grave<\/em> (grave accent).<\/p>\n

7. Ou bien <\/em> \u2014 Or else \/ otherwise<\/h3>\n

This one can be tricky to master: In most resources<\/a> you\u2019ll find the translation for ou bien<\/em> as \u201cor else,\u201d however in practical use, I\u2019ve found that it more often means something closer to \u201cor otherwise\u201d (as in the example below).<\/p>\n

This is particularly true since the English phrase \u201cor else\u201d can have a threatening connotation which it doesn\u2019t have in French.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Vous pouvez utiliser une carte de cr\u00e9dit, ou bien<\/strong>, nous acceptons aussi les ch\u00e8ques.<\/em> (You can use a credit card, or otherwise, we’ll also accept checks.)<\/p>\n

8. Puis<\/em> \u2014 Then<\/h3>\n

Puis<\/em> (then) is nearly synonymous with ensuite<\/em> (then), though there is an important difference!<\/p>\n

Puis<\/em> is strictly used as a conjunction to join two sentences together and can never be placed at the end of a phrase.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Je me suis habill\u00e9, puis<\/strong> je suis all\u00e9 dehors.<\/em> (I got dressed, then I went outside.)<\/p>\n

Ensuite,<\/em> however, can be used as a conjunction (as seen above) but can also be used as an adverb and placed at the end of a sentence.<\/p>\n

For example, you can say, “Qu\u2019est-ce qu\u2019il a fait ensuite ?”<\/em> (“What did he do then\/next?”), but you can never say, “Qu\u2019est-ce qu\u2019il a fait puis ?”<\/em><\/p>\n

9. Mais<\/em> \u2014 But<\/i><\/h3>\n

This French conjunction simply means \u201cbut\u201d and is used just as in English: when you have two equal clauses but the second phrase adds information that contradicts the first.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong>\u00a0Je veux aller au spectacle,\u00a0mais<\/strong>\u00a0je n\u2019ai pas assez d\u2019argent.<\/em>\u00a0(I want to go to the concert, but I don\u2019t have enough money.)<\/p>\n

10. Donc<\/em> \u2014 Therefore \/ so<\/h3>\n

Donc<\/em> (therefore\/so) connects two related clauses and shows a cause and effect. In other words, X is true donc<\/em> (therefore) Y is true.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> J\u2019ai fait le m\u00e9nage, donc<\/strong> je peux aller au cin\u00e9ma.<\/em> (I cleaned so I can go to the movies.)<\/p>\n

French Correlative Conjunctions<\/h2>\n

In some cases, you can join coordinating conjunctions to expand your ideas and express even more complex thoughts.<\/p>\n

Below is a list of French correlative conjunctions.<\/p>\n

11. Ou… ou \u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Either… or<\/h3>\n

You can also use ou bien… ou bien<\/em> (or… or), though the simple ou… ou<\/em> construction is most typically heard in spoken French.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Vous avez deux choix pour les desserts, ou (bien)<\/strong> du g\u00e2teau ou (bien)<\/strong> de la cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e.<\/em> (You have two choices for dessert, either cake or cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e.)<\/p>\n

12. Ni… ni <\/em>\u2014 Neither… nor<\/h3>\n

This French conjunction is used in exactly the same way as you would say \u201cneither… nor\u201d in English.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Ni<\/strong> lui ni<\/strong> elle m\u2019aime trop.<\/em> (Neither he nor her like me very much.)<\/p>\n

Though ni<\/em> isn\u2019t technically considered a coordinating conjunction (although it’s sometimes improperly used that way), it’s a powerful tool when expressing multiple things in the negative<\/a>.<\/p>\n

13. Soit… soit <\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Either… or<\/h3>\n

This combined conjunction is nearly identical to ou… ou<\/em>, and is regularly used in spoken French. However, soit… soit<\/em> is arguably preferable in French writing.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Il faut choisir soit<\/strong> le rouge soit<\/strong> le bleu.<\/em> (You need to choose either red or blue.)<\/p>\n

French Subordinating Conjunctions<\/h2>\n

Sometimes when you want to join two phrases together, one of your clauses is entirely dependent on the other (hence why it\u2019s formally known as a \u201cdependent clause\u201d).<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ll give you a ride to the grocery store if<\/strong> you give me $5.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this case, the second part creates a condition to the main clause, so we use the appropriate conjunction \u201cif.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are many other instances where you would want to join two unequal phrases. Let’s take a look at them in French.<\/p>\n

14. Que<\/em> \u2014 That<\/h3>\n

This French conjunction is incredibly common. It introduces a second clause that compliments the first or adds some necessary information to the main clause.<\/p>\n

It’s most often translated as \u201cthat\u201d in English, as in \u201cI think that…\u201d or \u201cIt\u2019s a good thing that\u2026\u201d and is used as a segue into a dependent clause.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Je pense que<\/strong> finalement il ne viendra pas.<\/em> (I think that, in the end, he isn\u2019t going to come.)<\/p>\n

15. Lorsque<\/em> \u2014 When<\/h3>\n

This French conjunction comes from the phrase lors que<\/em> (once) and has come to mean \u201cwhen.\u201d You typically won\u2019t hear lors que<\/em> in everyday conversation, as it’s more formal.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Je fais toujours mes devoirs le vendredi soir lorsque<\/strong> je veux sortir le samedi.<\/em> (I always do my homework on Friday night when I want to go out on Saturday.)<\/p>\n

16. Quand<\/em> \u2014 When<\/h3>\n

Another conjunction meaning \u201cwhen,\u201d quand<\/em> is more popularly used than lorsque<\/em> (when). The two are practically interchangeable but, honestly, you\u2019re always safer to stick with quand.<\/em><\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Je nageais beaucoup quand<\/strong> j’\u00e9tais jeune.<\/em> (I swam a lot when I was young.)<\/p>\n

17. Comme<\/em> \u2014 Like \/ as \/ since<\/h3>\n

Comme<\/em> (like\/as\/since) is used to compare two things or to indicate the cause of something. Above, it’s used in the comparative form, but consider the following sentence indicating causality:<\/p>\n

Comme elle a beaucoup d\u2019argent, elle peut acheter n\u2019importe quoi.<\/em> (Since she has lots of money, she can buy anything.)<\/p>\n

In this example, the fact that she has lots of money results in (or causes) the fact that she can buy anything.<\/p>\n

More often than not, however, comme<\/em> will be used as a comparison<\/a>, as seen in the example below.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Ses yeux brillaient comme<\/strong> des diamants.<\/em> (Her eyes shine like diamonds.)<\/p>\n

18. Puisque<\/em> \u2014 As \/ since<\/h3>\n

Similar to comme<\/em> (like\/as\/since), puisque<\/em> also means \u201cas\/since.\u201d However, it’s strictly used to indicate cause. Oftentimes, puisque<\/em> can be translated more loosely as \u201cbecause\u201d in English, but the formal use and definition is \u201csince.\u201d<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Mon ami est all\u00e9 au restaurant puisqu<\/strong>‘il avait faim.<\/em> (My friend went to the restaurant since he was hungry.)<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that you can also start a sentence with puisque,<\/em> making the above example look like this:<\/p>\n

Puisqu<\/strong>‘il avait faim, mon ami est all\u00e9 au restaurant.<\/em> (Since he was hungry, my friend went to the restaurant.)<\/p>\n

19. Si<\/em> \u2014 If<\/h3>\n

Si<\/em> (if) is used to indicate a condition, meaning that the main clause will only be true if the dependent clause is true.<\/p>\n

It functions in the exact same way that the word \u201cif\u201d does in English.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Je t\u2019aiderai si<\/strong> tu m\u2019aides avant.<\/em> (I can help you if you help me first.)<\/p>\n

20. Quoique<\/em> \u2014 Even though<\/h3>\n

Quoique<\/em> (even though) is a conjunction that joins two related but opposing ideas.<\/p>\n

In the example below, you have the main clause (that you wake up early) and the secondary clause which goes against the first (that you would prefer to sleep later).<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Je me l\u00e8ve vers 5h00 le matin quoique<\/strong> je pr\u00e9f\u00e8re dormir plus.<\/em> (I wake up at 5:00 in the morning even though I prefer to sleep longer.)<\/p>\n

Quoique<\/em> is a slightly shorter equivalent to malgr\u00e9 que<\/em> (despite the fact that).<\/p>\n

French Conjunctions Practice Quiz<\/h2>\n

Now it’s time to put all this vocab into practice!\u00a0Replace the English word in bold with a French conjunction, and check your answers at the end.<\/p>\n

1. Je vais aller au supermarch\u00e9<\/em> (and<\/strong>) acheter des pommes.<\/em> (I\u2019m going to go to the grocery store and buy some apples.)<\/p>\n

2. J\u2019allais cuire un g\u00e2teau<\/em> (but<\/strong>) je n\u2019ai pas trouv\u00e9 de farine.<\/em> (I was going to bake a cake but I couldn\u2019t find any flour.)<\/p>\n

3. Je me suis fait beaucoup d’amis<\/em> (when<\/strong>) je suis all\u00e9 en Australie.<\/em> (I made a lot of friends when I went to Australia.)<\/p>\n

4. (Neither<\/strong>) Pierre<\/em> (nor<\/strong>) Marion ne veulent venir \u00e0 Paris avec nous.<\/em> (Neither Pierre nor Marion want to come to Paris with us.)<\/p>\n

5. Dis-moi<\/em> (if<\/strong>) tu as besoin d’aide.<\/em> (Tell me if you need any help.)<\/p>\n

6. Je ne vais pas aller \u00e0 la gym<\/em> (because<\/strong>) j’ai un examen demain.<\/em> (I\u2019m not going to go to the gym because I have an exam tomorrow.)<\/p>\n

7. Je vais passer un mois au Costa Rica et<\/em> (then<\/strong>) un mois au Mexique<\/em>. (I\u2019m going to spend a month in Costa Rica and then a month in Mexico.)<\/p>\n

8. Veux-tu partir en Italie<\/em> (or<\/strong>) en Espagne cet \u00e9t\u00e9 ?<\/em> (Do you want to travel to Italy or Spain this summer?)<\/p>\n

9. Il est all\u00e9 \u00e0 Monaco, <\/em>(then<\/strong>) il a voyag\u00e9 en Italie.<\/em> (He went to Monaco, then he traveled to Italy.)<\/p>\n

10. (As<\/strong>) ils ont amen\u00e9 leur chien, ils ne peuvent pas entrer \u00e0 l’h\u00f4pital.<\/em> (As they have brought their dog, they can\u2019t enter the hospital.)<\/p>\n

Answers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. et<\/em>
\n2. mais<\/em>
\n3. quand<\/em>
\n4. Ni… ni<\/em>
\n5. si<\/em>
\n6. parce que<\/em>
\n7. ensuite<\/em>
\n8. ou<\/em>
\n9. puis<\/em>
\n10. Comme<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Modern French conjunctions are an essential part of sounding like a native speaker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The best way to pick up on French conjunctions is to hear them used in context by native speakers\u2014pay attention to how they’re used to make ideas and sentences flow together.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you don’t have any native speakers to chat with, you can watch French videos on YouTube.<\/a> Watching French videos on FluentU is also helpful for this.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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