A conjunction is a word whose only job is to glue two pieces of language together. Et glues two nouns or two clauses; parce que glues a reason onto a main clause; quand glues a time clause onto an action; bien que glues a concession onto a fact. French divides conjunctions into two large families that behave very differently.
Coordinating conjunctions link equal partners — two main clauses, two nouns, two adjectives. Both pieces could stand alone. Subordinating conjunctions introduce a dependent clause that cannot stand alone — it leans on the main clause for completeness. The distinction matters because subordinators come with extra obligations: many of them require the subjunctive, and the choice of subordinator carries information about register, presupposition, and information flow that English handles with intonation or word order.
This page maps the whole landscape: the seven coordinators (memorized as mais où est donc Ornicar?), the main subordinators sorted by meaning, and the indicative-vs-subjunctive split that the more advanced pages will unpack in detail.
Two families, one job
| Family | Links | Mood after it | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordinating | two equal partners | (does not select mood) | et, ou, mais, donc, car, or, ni |
| Subordinating | main clause + dependent clause | indicative or subjunctive (depends on the conjunction) | que, parce que, quand, si, bien que, pour que, avant que… |
Compare:
Je suis fatigué, mais je continue.
I'm tired, but I'm carrying on.
The two clauses are independent. Mais coordinates them.
Je continue, bien que je sois fatigué.
I'm carrying on, although I'm tired.
The second clause is now subordinate — it cannot stand alone (*bien que je sois fatigué on its own is a fragment). And note the verb: sois, the subjunctive of être, because bien que triggers it.
The seven coordinators
French has seven coordinating conjunctions. French school children memorize them with a sentence-mnemonic: Mais où est donc Ornicar? (But where is Ornicar then?) — the seven sounds mais, où, est, donc, or, ni, car match the seven coordinators mais, ou, et, donc, or, ni, car. (The trick relies on the homophones: où ≈ ou, est ≈ et.)
| Coordinator | Meaning | Function |
|---|---|---|
| et | and | addition |
| ou | or | alternative |
| mais | but | contrast |
| donc | so, therefore | consequence |
| car | for, because (formal) | justification |
| or | now, yet (literary) | turn / new info |
| ni | nor | negative coordination |
J'ai appelé Marie et Sophie.
I called Marie and Sophie.
Tu prends du thé ou du café?
Are you having tea or coffee?
Il fait froid, mais le soleil brille.
It's cold, but the sun is shining.
Le train est annulé, donc je rentre à pied.
The train is cancelled, so I'm walking home.
The dedicated coordinating conjunctions page goes through each one with usage notes, register, and punctuation.
Subordinators sorted by meaning
Subordinating conjunctions come in semantic families. Knowing the family helps you predict both the kind of clause it introduces and whether the verb will be indicative or subjunctive.
Cause
These conjunctions answer why? They all take the indicative.
| Conjunction | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| parce que | because | neutral, most common |
| puisque | since (you know that) | presupposed reason |
| comme | as, since | sentence-initial |
| car | for, because | formal / written |
| vu que | given that, seeing as | informal |
| étant donné que | given that | formal |
Je rentre tôt parce que je suis crevée.
I'm going home early because I'm exhausted.
Comme il pleut, on annule le pique-nique.
Since it's raining, we're cancelling the picnic.
Time
These answer when? Most take the indicative; avant que and jusqu'à ce que require the subjunctive.
| Conjunction | Meaning | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| quand | when | indicative |
| lorsque | when (formal) | indicative |
| pendant que | while | indicative |
| dès que | as soon as | indicative |
| depuis que | since (time) | indicative |
| avant que | before | SUBJUNCTIVE |
| jusqu'à ce que | until | SUBJUNCTIVE |
| après que | after | indicative (debated) |
Quand je rentre, je prépare le dîner.
When I get home, I make dinner.
Pars avant qu'il pleuve.
Leave before it rains.
Concession
These mean although, even though — granting a contrast. Most require the subjunctive.
| Conjunction | Meaning | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| bien que | although | SUBJUNCTIVE |
| quoique | although (slightly literary) | SUBJUNCTIVE |
| même si | even if, even though | indicative |
Bien qu'il soit jeune, il a beaucoup d'expérience.
Although he is young, he has a lot of experience.
Même si tu pars maintenant, tu vas être en retard.
Even if you leave now, you'll be late.
Purpose
These mean so that, in order that. They always take the subjunctive — the purpose has not yet been achieved at the moment of speaking.
| Conjunction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pour que | so that |
| afin que | so that (slightly more formal) |
| de peur que | for fear that |
| de crainte que | for fear that (formal) |
Je t'écris pour que tu saches la vérité.
I'm writing so that you know the truth.
Parle plus fort afin qu'elle t'entende.
Speak louder so that she hears you.
Condition
These introduce a condition. Si itself is the workhorse and takes the indicative. The others — à condition que, à moins que, pourvu que, sans que — take the subjunctive.
Si tu veux, on peut sortir ce soir.
If you want, we can go out tonight.
Je viendrai à condition que tu sois là.
I'll come provided that you're there.
On y va, à moins que tu sois fatigué.
We're going, unless you're tired.
Opposition
These mean whereas, while. They take the indicative.
Lui adore le sport, tandis que sa sœur préfère lire.
He loves sports, whereas his sister prefers reading.
Elle est arrivée à l'heure, alors que les autres étaient en retard.
She arrived on time, while the others were late.
Comparison
The classic comparison conjunction is comme (as, like) and que after a comparative.
Il chante comme son père chantait.
He sings the way his father used to.
Elle est plus grande que je ne le pensais.
She's taller than I thought.
The big indicative-vs-subjunctive split
Why do some conjunctions take the indicative and others the subjunctive? The pattern is consistent once you see it.
The indicative marks something the speaker treats as an established fact or a known event — past, present, or future. Parce qu'il pleut (because it's raining): a fact. Quand il rentre (when he gets home): a future event treated as certain. Tandis qu'elle dort (while she sleeps): a known ongoing state.
The subjunctive marks something not yet realized at the reference point of the main clause — a goal, a fear, a not-yet event, a hypothetical, or a contrast that the speaker is granting rather than asserting. Avant qu'il parte (before he leaves): not yet happened. Pour que tu comprennes (so that you understand): goal, not yet achieved. Bien qu'il soit jeune (although he is young): the fact is granted but framed as a concession, not asserted.
Multi-word conjunctions
Many subordinators are made of multiple words ending in que: parce que, bien que, pendant que, alors que, tandis que, après que, avant que, jusqu'à ce que, à condition que, à moins que, de sorte que, en attendant que. The que is the actual subordinator; the rest specifies the meaning. This is why:
- They behave like a single block — you cannot insert words between parce and que.
- The verb that follows is determined by what the whole expression means, not by que alone.
- Many of them have a same-subject equivalent with an infinitive: avant que tu partes / avant de partir; pour que tu saches / pour savoir. When subjects match across the two clauses, French strongly prefers the infinitive.
Avant que tu partes, je voudrais te parler.
Before you leave, I'd like to talk to you.
Avant de partir, je voudrais te parler.
Before leaving, I'd like to talk to you.
The first sentence has different subjects (je and tu) and uses the subjunctive; the second has the same subject (je) and uses the infinitive.
Punctuation
A short note that the dedicated coordinating page goes into more detail on. Coordinators that are short and tightly bound (et, ou, mais) usually take no comma before them in short coordinations: du pain et du vin. With longer or contrasted clauses, a comma is fine: Je suis fatiguée, mais je continue. Donc, car, or almost always have a comma before them in writing.
Subordinate clauses introduced by que, parce que, quand, si generally take no comma when they follow the main clause: Je sais que tu es là. They take a comma when they precede it: Quand tu arrives, appelle-moi; Comme il pleut, on reste.
Common Mistakes
❌ Je veux que tu viens.
Incorrect — vouloir que triggers the subjunctive.
✅ Je veux que tu viennes.
I want you to come.
❌ Bien qu'il est jeune, il sait beaucoup.
Incorrect — bien que requires the subjunctive.
✅ Bien qu'il soit jeune, il sait beaucoup.
Although he is young, he knows a lot.
❌ Je sais tu es fatigué.
Incorrect — French does not allow dropping que the way English drops that.
✅ Je sais que tu es fatigué.
I know (that) you're tired.
❌ Avant que tu pars, on va parler.
Incorrect — avant que takes the subjunctive (partes), not the indicative.
✅ Avant que tu partes, on va parler.
Before you leave, we're going to talk.
❌ Si je serai libre, je viendrai.
Incorrect — si never takes the future. Use the present.
✅ Si je suis libre, je viendrai.
If I'm free, I'll come.
Key takeaways
Coordinators link equal pieces; subordinators introduce dependent clauses. The seven coordinators — mais, ou, et, donc, or, ni, car — sit at A1 and stay productive at every level. Subordinators come in families (cause, time, concession, purpose, condition, opposition, comparison) and divide cleanly between indicative-takers and subjunctive-takers along a fact-vs-not-yet-realized line. Master that line and most conjunction-mood pairings stop feeling arbitrary. The more specialized pages drill each family individually.
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Start learning French→Related Topics
- Les Conjonctions de CoordinationA1 — The seven coordinating conjunctions of French — et, ou, mais, donc, car, or, ni — memorized as 'mais où est donc Ornicar?'. Each one links equal partners (two clauses, two phrases, two nouns) but carries a different logical relation: addition, alternative, contrast, consequence, justification, transition, or negative coordination. Choosing the right one and punctuating it correctly is one of the first things that separates fluent-sounding French from textbook French.
- Conjonctions CausalesA2 — How French expresses cause — the network of conjunctions for because, since, given that. The eight main causal conjunctions are not interchangeable: each carries information about register, what the speaker presupposes the listener already knows, and where the cause sits in the information flow. All take the indicative.
- Conjonctions TemporellesB1 — How French handles when — the conjunctions for when, while, before, after, since, until, as soon as, every time. Most take the indicative, but a small group (avant que, jusqu'à ce que, en attendant que) requires the subjunctive. The split tracks a clean logic: events that have happened or will reliably happen go in the indicative; events that have not yet happened from the main clause's reference point trigger the subjunctive.
- Conjonctions ConcessivesB1 — How French handles although, though, despite, whatever — concessive clauses that acknowledge an obstacle without letting it block the main statement. Most concessive conjunctions trigger the subjunctive, with one striking exception (même si). This page sorts the family by structure (clausal vs prepositional) and register, and untangles the trap pair quoique vs quoi que.
- Que: la conjonction la plus polyvalenteB1 — Que is the most overworked word in French — subordinator, relative pronoun, comparative marker, restrictive negation, cleft connector, subjunctive command introducer, and the second half of dozens of compound conjunctions. This page maps every job que does and shows how to tell them apart.
- Si: condition et interrogation indirecteB1 — Si is the small word that handles two unrelated jobs in French: hypothetical conditions (if it rains…) and embedded yes/no questions (I wonder whether…). The rules for tense and mood differ sharply between the two, and there is one absolute prohibition — never put a future or conditional after the conditional si.