20 French Conjunctions to Connect Your Thoughts Fluently

Conjunctions are the glue that holds sentences together, allowing you to express complex ideas and relationships between thoughts. In French, mastering these connecting words can significantly improve your fluency and help you sound more natural. Let's explore 20 essential French conjunctions that will elevate your language skills.

Simple Coordinating Conjunctions

These conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal importance:

1. et (and): "J'aime le café et le thé." (I like coffee and tea.)
2. ou (or): "Tu veux aller au cinéma ou au restaurant?" (Do you want to go to the cinema or the restaurant?)
3. mais (but): "Il est intelligent, mais paresseux." (He's intelligent but lazy.)
4. car (because, for): "Je reste à la maison car il pleut." (I'm staying home because it's raining.)

Subordinating Conjunctions

These introduce dependent clauses and establish relationships between ideas:

5. que (that): "Je pense que tu as raison." (I think that you're right.)
6. si (if): "Si tu viens, appelle-moi." (If you come, call me.)
7. quand (when): "Appelle-moi quand tu arrives." (Call me when you arrive.)
8. parce que (because): "Je suis en retard parce que j'ai manqué le bus." (I'm late because I missed the bus.)
9. bien que (although): "Bien qu'il soit riche, il vit simplement." (Although he's rich, he lives simply.)
10. pour que (so that): "Je parle lentement pour que tu comprennes." (I speak slowly so that you understand.)

Compound Conjunctions

These multi-word conjunctions add nuance to your expressions:

11. alors que (whereas, while): "Il rit alors que je pleure." (He laughs while I cry.)
12. tandis que (while, whereas): "Elle travaille tandis que son mari se repose." (She works while her husband rests.)
13. à moins que (unless): "J'irai à la fête à moins qu'il ne pleuve." (I'll go to the party unless it rains.)
14. avant que (before): "Finissons le projet avant qu'il ne soit trop tard." (Let's finish the project before it's too late.)
15. depuis que (since): "Je suis plus heureux depuis que j'ai déménagé." (I'm happier since I moved.)

Correlative Conjunctions

These work in pairs to connect ideas:

16. non seulement... mais aussi (not only... but also): "Il est non seulement intelligent mais aussi très drôle." (He's not only intelligent but also very funny.)
17. ni... ni (neither... nor): "Je ne bois ni café ni thé." (I drink neither coffee nor tea.)
18. soit... soit (either... or): "Soit tu viens maintenant, soit tu restes ici." (Either you come now, or you stay here.)
19. plus... plus (the more... the more): "Plus je pratique, plus je m'améliore." (The more I practice, the more I improve.)
20. autant... que (as much... as): "Il travaille autant que moi." (He works as much as I do.)

Tips for Using Conjunctions

• Practice using these conjunctions in context to internalize their meanings and usage.
• Pay attention to how conjunctions affect verb moods, especially with subordinating conjunctions.
• Listen for these conjunctions in French media to hear how native speakers use them naturally.

By incorporating these conjunctions into your French repertoire, you'll be able to express more complex ideas, create smoother transitions between thoughts, and sound more like a native speaker. Start with a few at a time, and soon you'll be connecting your ideas with confidence!