Home page / page d'accueil
[ENGLISH]Have you found an error or do you want to add more information to these pages?
You can contact me at the bottom of the home page.
[FRANÇAIS]Avez-vous trouvé une erreur?
Vous pouvez m'envoyer un message au bas de ma page d'accueil

Conjunctions

These connect various parts of a sentence together, words, phrases and clauses within a sentence (don't get them confused with prepositions which are words used in front of a noun or pronoun to relate it to the rest of the sentence - sometimes the infinitive is used after prepositions e.g. pour aller ...)
These may be easily confused with prepositions as some are related e.g.
après (preposition)
après que (conjunction)

Some have to use the future tense where you would use the present tense in English:
Dès que le magasin ouvrira, je l'achèterai = As soon as the shop opens, I will buy it
or even if the first verb is the future tense (the 'will' tense) then you use the future perfect for the other (the "will've tense")
Je vous dirai quand il sera parti = I will tell you when he has gone (when he will've gone)
That is not to say you can not use these with past tenses because you can.

I don't believe it's important to remember the three names for the conjunctions except "subordinate conjunctions" may be useful to remember. There are three types:

Subordinate

Remember that a subordinate clause develops more fully the ideas expressed in the previous clause. Here is a list of them showing whether they need the subjunctive following them (the "doubt" tense). The ones that are marked + PossibleSub means that you use the subjunctive if the event hasn't happened at that time (because it may not have happened which implies doubt), otherwise use the indicative (all other factual tenses).
Conjunction Notes
à condition que provided that (on the condition that) + subjunctive
à moins que (... ne) unless + subjunctive
the 'ne' (without 'pas') is not spoken in informal speech and the use is slowly disappearing
à supposer que assuming that + subjunctive
afin que so that (in order that) + subjunctive
ainsi que just as / so as
alors que whereas
après que after + indicative but people frequently the subjunctive informally. You hear journalists or authors use the indicative.
I believe this uses the future tense where we would expect the present but I'm unsure of this useage. Have you any information on this?
aussi so, therefore
Swap the verb around if you are using a subject pronoun
il s'ennuyait aussi est-il parti = He was bored so he left
but donc would be used without an inversion:
il s'ennuyait donc il est parti = He was bored so he left

aussi bien ... que is a conjunctive phrase:
vous savez aussi bien que moi = you know as well as I do

but it can mean 'also' or 'as well as' (it can be used as an adverb)
moi aussi = me too
J'y vais aussi = I'm going too
Note that it is used in comparisons too (aussi ... que = as ... as, like she isn't as tall has him)
aussitôt que as soon as
When starting sentences with this, use the future tense when we use the present (but past tenses can be used for both verbs)
avant que (... ne) before + subjunctive
the 'ne' is not spoken in informal speech.
je le ferai avant que vous ne soyez prêt = I'll do it before you are ready
'avant' is also a preposition, meaning 'before'
bien que although + subjunctive
car since, because
de crainte que (... ne) for fear that + subjunctive
the 'ne' is not spoken in informal speech
de façon que so that
+ subjunctive when indicating a purpose e.g. do something in order that something else happens
+ indicative when indicating a result e.g. something happens and as a result, something else happens
de manière que so that
+ subjunctive when indicating a purpose e.g. do something in order that something else happens
+ indicative when indicating a result e.g. something happens and as a result, something else happens
de peur que (... ne) for fear that + subjunctive
the 'ne' is not spoken in informal speech
de sorte que so that
+ subjunctive when indicating a purpose e.g. do something in order that something else happens
+ indicative when indicating a result e.g. something happens and as a result, something else happens
depuis que since
depuis without que is a preposition
dès que as soon as
When starting sentences with this, use the future tense:
Dès que le magasin ouvrira, je l'achèterai = As soon as the shop opens, I will buy it
en admettant que assuming that + subjunctive
en attendant que until + subjunctive
en même temps que at the same time that
encore que although / even though + subjunctive
jusqu'à ce que until + subjunctive
lorsque when
When starting sentences with this, use the future tense (when we would use the present in English)
when / where / that
Use this with definite expressions of time
l'instant où il s'est allé = the moment he went
parce que because
pendant que while / during
Il est arrivé pendant que je cuisinais = He arrived while I was cooking.
Use the future tense when we would use the present tense.
Pendant is also a preposition
pour que so that (in order that) + subjunctive
remember that you don't need to use the subjunctive if the subjects are the same:
Je suis venu pour vous voir = I've come (in order) to see you
pourvu que provided that (on the condition that) + subjunctive
puisque since / as
quand when
Quand j'habitais à Paris, j'allais souvent à la bibliothèque = When I lived in Paris, I used to go the library a lot
This uses the future tense where we would expect the present tense:
Mangeons quand il arrivera = Let's eat when he arrives

But with an indefinite expression of time (not expressing exactly when), que is used:
un jour qu'il faisait du vent = one day when it was windy
que This has many meanings. It can mean 'that' ...
it can mean whether + subjunctive
que je parte ou non = whether I leave or not
it can replace 'si':
Comme il neigeait et que je n'avais pas d'argent ... = As it was snowing and I didn't have any money ...
It is used in replacement of a conjunction to avoid repeating it such as when you ... and when you ...
It can be used in comparisons, and indefinite expressions of time:
un jour qu'il faisait du vent = one day when it was windy
also:
que ... que = whether ... whether
soit que ... soit que (this is literary)
qui que whoever + subjunctive
quoi que whatever + subjunctive (note the possible confusion with quoique)
quoique (al)though / even though + subjunctive (note the possible confusion with quoi que)
sans que (... ne) without + subjunctive
the 'ne' is not spoken in informal speech
je suis parti sans qu'il m'ait vu = I left without him seeing me
sans is also a preposition e.g. sans effort = without effort, sans dire un mot = without saying a word
also:
sans frère ni sœur = without brother or sister
si if
si + il(s) = s'il(s) Je ne sais pas s'il est possible = I don't know if it's possible
s'il vous plaît = please (literally: if it pleases you)
si ... que however + subjunctive
tandis que while / whereas
tant que as long as
Use the future tense for the verbs where we would use the present tense
une fois que once
This uses the future tense where we would expect the present tense

Coordinate


Conjunction Notes
et and - note there is no 'liason' with this (the t makes no difference in speaking)
mais but
ou or



Correlative

These are pairs of conjunctions
Conjunctions Notes
et ... et both ... and
on m'a pris et mon portefeuille et mes clés
but in speaking, a simple 'et' is used more
ni ... ni ... ne neither ... nor
Ni lui ni elle ne ont me parler = Neither he nor she had spoken to me
non seulement ... mais encore not only ... but also
ou (bien) ... ou (bien) either ... or (else)
Il est ou courageux ou stupide = he is either brave or stupid
but in speaking, a simple 'ou' is used more
soit ... soit either ... or
Je veux choisir soit l'un soit l'autre = I want to choose either one or the other
but in speaking, a simple 'ou bien' is used more


[ENGLISH]Have you found an error or do you want to add more information to these pages?
You can contact me at the bottom of the home page.

[FRANÇAIS]Avez-vous trouvé une erreur?
Vous pouvez m'envoyer un message au bas de ma page d'accueil

Home page / ma page d'accueil