What is a subordinate clause in French?

A clause that depends on another one and cannot stand alone. Parce qu'il pleut, quand tu arriveras, and que tu aies raison are all subordinate. They are introduced by a conjunction such as que, quand, si, or parce que, or by a relative pronoun such as qui or dont.

How do I know how many clauses a French sentence has?

Count the conjugated verbs. Je pense qu'elle est partie has two, pense and est partie, so two clauses. Infinitives and participles do not create clauses, which is why je veux partir counts as one.

Which conjunctions take the subjunctive?

The main ones are bien que, quoique, avant que, jusqu'à ce que, pour que, afin que, à condition que, à moins que, and de peur que. They all describe something hypothetical, intended, or not yet realised: bien qu'il fasse froid, even though it's cold.

Why does après que take the indicative when avant que takes the subjunctive?

Because an event after which something happened has actually occurred, while an event something happens before has not yet. Après qu'il est parti, j'ai fermé la porte, but je suis parti avant qu'il arrive. Careful speakers keep the distinction; in practice you will hear the subjunctive after après que too.

Can I ever leave out que in a French clause?

No. English drops that freely, but French keeps que in every equivalent sentence: je sais qu'il vient, il dit qu'il est prêt. The only thing that changes is the spelling, since que elides to qu' before a vowel.

French grammar · Intermediate

French Clauses: Main, Subordinate, Relative, and What Mood Each Takes

Written by Camille Laurent, Lead French Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

A French clause, or proposition, is a group of words built around one conjugated verb. Clauses either stand on their own, sit side by side as equals joined by et or mais, or depend on another clause through que, qui, quand, or parce que. Which conjunction you choose also decides whether the verb goes in the indicative or the subjunctive.

Je sais qu'elle viendra parce qu'elle me l'a promis.

I know she'll come because she promised me.

What it is

Count the conjugated verbs in a French sentence and you have counted its clauses. One verb means one clause and nothing more to worry about. Two or more verbs means you have to decide how they relate: as equal partners, or with one depending on the other, in which case the linking word determines both the word order and the mood.

Je reste ici parce qu'il pleut. — I'm staying here because it's raining. (two verbs, so two clauses)

How to spot it

Locate each conjugated verb, then look at the word immediately in front of its group. That word tells you what kind of clause you are in.

Il pleut et je reste. — It's raining and I'm staying. (two equal clauses)
Je reste parce qu'il pleut. — I'm staying because it's raining. (one depends on the other)
la pluie qui tombe — the rain that's falling (a clause describing a noun)
Je crois qu'il pleut. — I think it's raining. (a clause completing the verb)

A subordinate clause can never be a sentence on its own. Parce qu'il pleut answers a question but does not state one.

Clauses Quick Reference

The clause types you will meet

Clause	Introduced by	Example	What it does
indépendante	nothing	Il fait beau.	stands alone as a sentence
principale	nothing	Je crois qu'il pleut.	carries the main statement
relative	qui, que, dont, où	la femme qui parle	describes a noun
conjonctive	que	Je crois qu'il pleut.	completes the main verb
circonstancielle	parce que, quand, bien que	Je reste parce qu'il pleut.	gives a circumstance
interrogative indirecte	si, ce que, pourquoi	Je me demande s'il viendra.	reports a question
infinitive	no conjunction at all	Je l'entends chanter.	compresses a whole clause

Common Clauses Examples in French

Clauses combining in the four commonest ways:

Equal Clauses Side by Side

Il fait beau et nous sortons.: It's nice out and we're going out.
Je voudrais venir, mais je travaille.: I'd like to come, but I'm working.
Elle est fatiguée, donc elle se couche tôt.: She's tired, so she's going to bed early.
Il ne mange ni ne boit.: He neither eats nor drinks.

Coordinating conjunctions join clauses that could each stand alone, so nothing about the verbs changes.

Relative Clauses Describing a Noun

la femme qui habite en face: the woman who lives opposite
le livre que j'ai lu hier: the book I read yesterday
le film dont tout le monde parle: the film everyone's talking about
la ville où je suis né: the town where I was born

The relative pronoun is chosen by its job inside the clause: qui for the subject, que for the object, dont for de.

Que Clauses After a Verb

Je crois qu'il a raison.: I think he's right.
Elle dit qu'elle est prête.: She says she's ready.
J'espère que tu viendras.: I hope you'll come.
Il faut que tu partes maintenant.: You need to leave now.

Some verbs in this position take the indicative and some the subjunctive, and the verb in the main clause is what decides.

Clauses of Circumstance

Je reste parce qu'il pleut.: I'm staying because it's raining.
Quand tu arriveras, appelle-moi.: When you arrive, call me.
Bien qu'il soit malade, il travaille.: Even though he's ill, he's working.
Je te le dis pour que tu comprennes.: I'm telling you so that you understand.

These clauses can move to the front of the sentence, in which case a comma separates them from the main clause.

How French Clauses Fit Together

The grammar of a clause is decided almost entirely by the word that introduces it, so that word is the one to look at first.

One Conjugated Verb, One Clause

Infinitives and participles do not count, only conjugated verbs. Je veux partir has one clause because partir is an infinitive; je veux que tu partes has two, because partes is conjugated.

Je veux que tu partes avant midi.

I want you to leave before noon.

Count the conjugated verbs.

Coordination Joins Equals, Subordination Creates a Dependant

Et, mais, ou, donc, car, and ni link clauses that keep their independence. Que, quand, si, comme, and the whole parce que family create a clause that cannot survive on its own.

Il pleut, donc je reste ; je reste parce qu'il pleut.

It's raining, so I'm staying; I'm staying because it's raining.

Equal partners, or one dependent.

Que Cannot Be Dropped

English says I think he's right with no conjunction at all. French requires que every time, and it elides to qu' in front of a vowel, which makes it easy to miss when listening.

Elle m'a dit qu'elle arriverait en retard.

She told me she'd be late.

Always que, always written.

The Introducing Word Chooses the Mood

Parce que, puisque, pendant que, and quand take the indicative. Bien que, avant que, pour que, and à condition que take the subjunctive. There is no reasoning your way to it from the meaning; the conjunction carries the requirement.

Bien que tu aies raison, je ne suis pas d'accord.

Even though you're right, I don't agree.

Learn the conjunction with its mood.

Punctuation Follows the Order

A subordinate clause placed in front of the main clause is followed by a comma. Put it after the main clause and the comma usually disappears, and a comma never goes in front of que introducing a clause.

Quand j'aurai fini, je t'appellerai.

When I've finished, I'll call you.

Front position, comma; que, never.

Common Mistakes with Clauses

Incorrect: l'homme que parle au téléphone — the man who's talking on the phone

Correct: l'homme qui parle au téléphone — the man who's talking on the phone

Inside the relative clause, l'homme is doing the talking, so it is the subject and the pronoun is qui. Que is only for the object.

Incorrect: Bien qu'il est malade, il travaille. — Even though he's ill, he's working.

Correct: Bien qu'il soit malade, il travaille. — Even though he's ill, he's working.

Bien que always takes the subjunctive, whatever the sentence means. Because the fact is perfectly real, English speakers reach for the indicative and get caught.

Incorrect: Je veux que je parte demain. — I want to leave tomorrow.

Correct: Je veux partir demain. — I want to leave tomorrow.

A que clause needs a different subject from the main verb. When the subject is the same, French uses an infinitive with no clause at all.

Incorrect: Je me demande qu'est-ce qu'il veut. — I wonder what he wants.

Correct: Je me demande ce qu'il veut. — I wonder what he wants.

Qu'est-ce que only works in a direct question. Once the question is embedded in a clause, it becomes ce que and the inversion disappears.

Mood, and How to Avoid Choosing It

The mood of a subordinate clause is where most of the difficulty lives, and often you can sidestep the question entirely.

Conjunctions that require the subjunctive

These express something unrealised: a concession, an aim, a condition, or an event that has not happened yet.

bien que tu aies raison: even though you're right
avant qu'il ne parte: before he leaves
pour que nous puissions comprendre: so that we can understand
à condition que tu sois là: provided you're there

The ne in avant qu'il ne parte is decorative rather than negative, and can be left out in speech.

Conjunctions that keep the indicative

These present their clause as a fact, whether it is a cause, a simultaneous event, or something already finished.

parce qu'il pleut: because it's raining
puisque tu insistes: since you insist
pendant que je travaille: while I'm working
après qu'il est parti: after he left

Après que takes the indicative even though avant que takes the subjunctive, which is the pair most often confused.

Collapsing a clause into an infinitive

When both verbs share the same subject, French usually drops the clause altogether and uses an infinitive.

Je veux partir tôt.: I want to leave early.
avant de partir: before leaving
pour comprendre la question: in order to understand the question
Je l'entends chanter.: I can hear him singing.

Je veux que je parte is not merely clumsy, it is ungrammatical. With one subject, the infinitive is compulsory.

Clauses FAQs

What is a subordinate clause in French?: A clause that depends on another one and cannot stand alone. Parce qu'il pleut, quand tu arriveras, and que tu aies raison are all subordinate. They are introduced by a conjunction such as que, quand, si, or parce que, or by a relative pronoun such as qui or dont.
How do I know how many clauses a French sentence has?: Count the conjugated verbs. Je pense qu'elle est partie has two, pense and est partie, so two clauses. Infinitives and participles do not create clauses, which is why je veux partir counts as one.
Which conjunctions take the subjunctive?: The main ones are bien que, quoique, avant que, jusqu'à ce que, pour que, afin que, à condition que, à moins que, and de peur que. They all describe something hypothetical, intended, or not yet realised: bien qu'il fasse froid, even though it's cold.
Why does après que take the indicative when avant que takes the subjunctive?: Because an event after which something happened has actually occurred, while an event something happens before has not yet. Après qu'il est parti, j'ai fermé la porte, but je suis parti avant qu'il arrive. Careful speakers keep the distinction; in practice you will hear the subjunctive after après que too.
Can I ever leave out que in a French clause?: No. English drops that freely, but French keeps que in every equivalent sentence: je sais qu'il vient, il dit qu'il est prêt. The only thing that changes is the spelling, since que elides to qu' before a vowel.