What are the main conjunctions in French?

The seven coordinating ones are et, ou, mais, donc, or, ni, and car. The commonest subordinating ones are que, quand, si, comme, puisque, and the many phrases ending in que such as parce que, bien que, and pour que.

What's the difference between a coordinating and a subordinating conjunction?

A coordinating conjunction joins two clauses that could each stand alone: il pleut, donc je reste. A subordinating conjunction makes one clause depend on the other, so it can no longer stand by itself: je reste parce qu'il pleut. Only the subordinate clause can be moved to the front of the sentence.

Which French conjunctions take the subjunctive?

Purpose and concession phrases (pour que, afin que, bien que, quoique), anteriority (avant que, jusqu'à ce que, en attendant que), and most conditions except si (à moins que, à condition que, pourvu que, sans que). Bien qu'il soit tard, we say, not bien qu'il est tard.

Can I drop que the way English drops that?

No. Je pense qu'il a raison cannot become je pense il a raison. Que is the only thing marking the second clause as subordinate, and French keeps it even after the most ordinary verbs like dire, croire, and espérer.

Is car the same as parce que?

They both mean because, but car is a coordinating conjunction and sounds formal or written, while parce que is subordinating and neutral. Only parce que can answer a direct question: Pourquoi ? — Parce qu'il pleut. Car would sound odd there, and traditionally it does not start a sentence.

French grammar · Intermediate

French Conjunctions: The Words That Join Clauses Together

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

French conjunctions are the words that hold clauses together: et, mais, ou, donc, car for equal partners, and que, quand, si, parce que for a clause that depends on another. Two things make them harder than their English equivalents: que can never be left out, and several of them force the verb after them into the subjunctive.

Je pense qu'il a raison, mais je ne suis pas sûr.

I think he's right, but I'm not sure.

What it is

A conjunction links two pieces of a sentence. French sorts them into two families by what kind of link they make: coordinating conjunctions join two equals, so either half could stand alone, while subordinating conjunctions attach a clause that cannot survive by itself. Knowing which family a word belongs to tells you where it can sit and what it does to the verb.

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.

How to spot it

Ask whether you could delete the conjunction and still have two sentences. If yes, it coordinates; if the second half collapses into a fragment, it subordinates.

Elle chante et il joue du piano. — She sings and he plays the piano. (two equals)
Je sais qu'elle chante bien. — I know that she sings well. (dependent clause)
Nous sortirons quand la pluie s'arrêtera. — We'll go out when the rain stops. (dependent clause)
Il est tard, mais je n'ai pas sommeil. — It's late, but I'm not sleepy. (two equals)

Almost every subordinating conjunction in French either is que or ends in que. That final que is the clearest signal that a dependent clause is coming.

Conjunctions Quick Reference

The two families of French conjunctions

Family	Members	What follows
Coordinating	et, ou, mais, donc, or, ni, car	an independent clause
Time	quand, lorsque, dès que, pendant que	the indicative
Cause	parce que, puisque, comme, vu que	the indicative
Result	si bien que, de sorte que, à tel point que	the indicative
Purpose	pour que, afin que, de peur que	the subjunctive
Concession	bien que, quoique, encore que	the subjunctive
Condition	si, à condition que, pourvu que, à moins que	si takes the indicative, the rest the subjunctive
Reporting	que	the indicative, and it is never optional

Common Conjunctions Examples in French

Conjunctions doing each of their main jobs:

Joining Equals

J'ai lu le livre et j'ai vu le film.: I read the book and I saw the film.
Elle voulait venir, mais elle était malade.: She wanted to come, but she was ill.
Le magasin est fermé, donc nous rentrons.: The shop is closed, so we're going home.
Il n'a pas répondu, car il dormait.: He didn't answer, for he was asleep.

These seven are traditionally learned through the sentence Mais où est donc Ornicar ?, which contains them all.

Reporting with Que

Je crois qu'elle est déjà partie.: I think she's already left.
Il dit que le train est en retard.: He says the train is late.
On m'a promis que ce serait prêt.: I was promised it would be ready.
J'espère que tu vas mieux.: I hope you're feeling better.

English lets you drop that. French never lets you drop que, and the sentence is ungrammatical without it.

Situating in Time

Je te préviendrai quand j'aurai les résultats.: I'll let you know when I have the results.
Il lisait pendant que les enfants dormaient.: He was reading while the children slept.
Appelle-moi dès que tu arrives.: Call me as soon as you get there.
Depuis qu'elle travaille ici, tout va mieux.: Since she's been working here, everything is better.

After quand and dès que, a future action takes the future tense in French, where English uses the present.

Giving Reasons and Conditions

Je pars tôt parce que la route est longue.: I'm leaving early because the drive is long.
Puisque tu insistes, je vais essayer.: Since you insist, I'll give it a try.
Si tu as le temps, passe me voir.: If you have time, come and see me.
Bien qu'il soit fatigué, il continue.: Although he's tired, he keeps going.

Parce que answers a why question; puisque presents the reason as something both speakers already know.

How French Conjunctions Behave

Five structural facts explain most of the trouble English speakers have with them.

Que Is Compulsory

In English, that is optional after verbs like think, say, and hope. In French, que carries the whole subordination on its own, so removing it leaves two clauses with nothing joining them. It elides to qu' before a vowel.

Je trouve qu'elle a bien travaillé.

I think she worked well.

No que, no sentence.

A Preposition Plus Que Makes a Conjunction

French keeps prepositions and conjunctions strictly apart. Avant, après, pendant, pour, and sans introduce a noun; add que and they can introduce a clause instead. English uses the same word for both jobs, which is why the que gets forgotten.

Avant le repas nous avons attendu ; avant qu'il arrive, nous avons attendu.

Before the meal we waited; before he arrived, we waited.

Noun after the preposition, clause after preposition + que.

The Conjunction Chooses the Mood

Whether the following verb is indicative or subjunctive is decided by the conjunction, not by what you mean. Parce que states a fact and takes the indicative; bien que concedes something and takes the subjunctive. The list has to be learned, but it is short.

Bien qu'il fasse froid, nous sortons.

Although it's cold, we're going out.

The conjunction, not the meaning, sets the mood.

Coordinating Conjunctions Stay Between the Clauses

Et, ou, mais, car, and ni cannot move: they sit at the join. Donc is the exception, since it can also slide inside the clause. Subordinating conjunctions, by contrast, can bring their whole clause to the front of the sentence.

Comme il pleuvait, nous sommes restés.

Since it was raining, we stayed in.

Coordinators are fixed, subordinate clauses can move.

Same Subject? Use an Infinitive Instead

When both halves of the sentence have the same subject, French prefers a preposition plus infinitive to a full subordinate clause. Pour que becomes pour, avant que becomes avant de, sans que becomes sans. This also lets you sidestep the subjunctive.

Je suis venu pour te parler, et non pour que tu me parles.

I came to talk to you, not so that you'd talk to me.

One subject, one verb: use the infinitive.

Common Mistakes with Conjunctions

Incorrect: Je pense il a raison. — I think he's right.

Correct: Je pense qu'il a raison. — I think he's right.

English drops that freely, so learners drop que. French has nothing else marking the subordination, so the sentence falls apart without it.

Incorrect: Bien qu'il est fatigué, il travaille. — Although he's tired, he's working.

Correct: Bien qu'il soit fatigué, il travaille. — Although he's tired, he's working.

Bien que always takes the subjunctive. The tiredness may well be a fact, but the conjunction decides the mood, not the truth of the clause.

Incorrect: Avant il arrive, prépare la salle. — Before he arrives, get the room ready.

Correct: Avant qu'il arrive, prépare la salle. — Before he arrives, get the room ready.

Avant on its own is a preposition and needs a noun. To introduce a clause with its own verb you need avant que.

Incorrect: Quand j'arrive, je t'appellerai. — When I arrive, I'll call you.

Correct: Quand j'arriverai, je t'appellerai. — When I arrive, I'll call you.

After quand, French puts a future action in the future tense. English uses the present after when, and that habit transfers straight into French.

The Conjunctions That Force the Subjunctive

This is the part of the system worth memorising, because getting it wrong is audible in every sentence.

Always subjunctive

Conjunctions of purpose, concession, condition, and anteriority describe something not established as fact, so the verb goes into the subjunctive.

Je t'écris pour que tu comprennes.: I'm writing so that you understand.
Bien qu'elle soit jeune, elle dirige l'équipe.: Although she's young, she runs the team.
Attends jusqu'à ce que je revienne.: Wait until I come back.
Nous sortirons à moins qu'il ne pleuve.: We'll go out unless it rains.

Avant que, à moins que, and de peur que often add a ne that means nothing at all, called the ne explétif.

Always indicative, however uncertain they feel

Cause, time, and result conjunctions take the indicative, even when the event is in the future or the speaker is guessing.

Parce qu'il est parti, la réunion est annulée.: Because he's left, the meeting is cancelled.
Après qu'il est arrivé, tout s'est calmé.: After he arrived, everything settled down.
Il a tellement crié qu'il a perdu la voix.: He shouted so much that he lost his voice.

Après que is the famous trap: it looks like avant que but takes the indicative, and even native speakers slip here.

Si is a category of its own

Si meaning if never takes the subjunctive and never takes the future. It pairs a present with a future, or an imperfect with a conditional.

Si tu viens, je serai content.: If you come, I'll be happy.
Si j'avais le temps, je viendrais.: If I had time, I'd come.
Je ne sais pas s'il viendra.: I don't know whether he'll come.

Si also means whether, and in that meaning the future is allowed: je me demande s'il acceptera.

Conjunctions FAQs

What are the main conjunctions in French?: The seven coordinating ones are et, ou, mais, donc, or, ni, and car. The commonest subordinating ones are que, quand, si, comme, puisque, and the many phrases ending in que such as parce que, bien que, and pour que.
What's the difference between a coordinating and a subordinating conjunction?: A coordinating conjunction joins two clauses that could each stand alone: il pleut, donc je reste. A subordinating conjunction makes one clause depend on the other, so it can no longer stand by itself: je reste parce qu'il pleut. Only the subordinate clause can be moved to the front of the sentence.
Which French conjunctions take the subjunctive?: Purpose and concession phrases (pour que, afin que, bien que, quoique), anteriority (avant que, jusqu'à ce que, en attendant que), and most conditions except si (à moins que, à condition que, pourvu que, sans que). Bien qu'il soit tard, we say, not bien qu'il est tard.
Can I drop que the way English drops that?: No. Je pense qu'il a raison cannot become je pense il a raison. Que is the only thing marking the second clause as subordinate, and French keeps it even after the most ordinary verbs like dire, croire, and espérer.
Is car the same as parce que?: They both mean because, but car is a coordinating conjunction and sounds formal or written, while parce que is subordinating and neutral. Only parce que can answer a direct question: Pourquoi ? — Parce qu'il pleut. Car would sound odd there, and traditionally it does not start a sentence.