Common Conjunctions in French

Conjunctions are important in both French and English. They help connect ideas and make sentences flow better. Here are some common French conjunctions and how they work.

1. Key Conjunctions

• Et (and): This word connects similar ideas or things.
  • Example: J’aime les pommes et les oranges.
    (I like apples and oranges.)
• Mais (but): This word shows a contrast between two ideas.
  • Example: Je veux aller au cinéma, mais je n'ai pas d'argent.
    (I want to go to the movies, but I don’t have any money.)
• Ou (or): This word presents choices.
  • Example: Tu préfères le thé ou le café?
    (Do you prefer tea or coffee?)
• Donc (so): This word shows a conclusion or result.
  • Example: Il pleut, donc je reste à la maison.
    (It’s raining, so I’m staying home.)

2. Grammar Tips

• Present Tense Conjugation: Make sure to change verbs correctly in the present tense to match the subject.

  • Example: Je mange (I eat), Tu parles (You speak).

• Irregular Verbs: Irregular verbs like être (to be) and avoir (to have) are very important in sentences.

  • Example: Je suis (I am), Tu as (You have).

• Articles: Use definite (le, la, les) and indefinite (un, une, des) articles correctly.

  • Example: J’ai un chien. (I have a dog.)

• Adjective Agreement: Adjectives must match the gender and number of the nouns.

  • Example: La voiture rouge (the red car), Les voitures rouges (the red cars).

3. Building Sentences

When putting together ideas with conjunctions, keep the sentence structure clear:

• Negative Sentences: Use ne...pas to make verbs negative.

  • Example: Je ne veux pas (I do not want).

• Questions: Use question words to ask something.

  • Example: Où est-ce que tu vas? (Where are you going?)

4. Tenses and Pronouns

To talk about actions in different times:

• Passé Composé: Used for things that happened in the past.

  • Example: J’ai mangé (I ate).

• Future Proche: Used for things you plan to do soon.

  • Example: Je vais manger (I am going to eat).

• Pronouns: Use subject (je, tu), object (me, te), and reflexive (me, te) pronouns when needed.

By learning these conjunctions and grammar tips, you will improve your French communication skills a lot!