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15 - conjunctions

Basic conjunctions​

frenchenglishwhen to use
maisbut
parce quebecause
etand
ouor
quandwhen

parce-que​

The conjugation “parce-que” means “because,” but you also have this additional way of saying it:

  • C'est parce que: This construction emphasizes the reason.
    • Je suis en retard. C'est parce que le bus était en panne. (I am late. It's because the bus broke down.)

quand​

Quand means when, so the basic structure is:

Main Clause + quand + Subordinate Clause (time)

Example 1:

Je mange quand j'ai faim. (I eat when I am hungry.)

Here, "Je mange" is the main clause, and "j'ai faim" is the subordinate clause specifying when the speaker eats.

Example 2:

Il pleut quand il y a des nuages. (It rains when there are clouds.)

The main clause is "Il pleut," and the subordinate clause "il y a des nuages" indicates when it rains.

ou​

Here is the basic way of using “ou”

  • Tu veux du café ou du thé? = (Do you want coffee or tea?)’

either-or​

The “soit … soit” formula in french is the equivalent of “either-or” in english.

  • Soit tu travailles, soit tu pars = (Either you work, or you leave.)