Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions join elements of equal syntactic value, such as two nouns, two adjectives, two clauses, or two phrases. They shape the flow of ideas and signal relationships like addition, contrast, or cause.
Key Conjunctions
The main coordinating conjunctions each serve a distinct function: et adds, mais contrasts, ou presents alternatives, donc expresses consequence, ni negates alternatives, and car gives reason. These connectors appear between parallel elements.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| et | and |
| mais | but |
| ou | or |
| donc | so / therefore |
| ni | neither / nor |
| car | for / because |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ☝️ Je veux du café, et elle veut du thé. | I want coffee, and she wants tea. |
| ⚖️ Il est fatigué, mais il travaille encore. | He is tired, but he is still working. |
| ⏳ Je finirai le rapport, donc je reste tard. | I will finish the report, so I am staying late. |
| 🌱 Elle a préparé la salade, et il a cuit le pain. | She made the salad, and he baked the bread. |
| ❌ Je n’ai pas vu le message, ni entendu l’appel. | I did not see the message, nor hear the call. |
| 🌀 Il parle vite, or je ne comprends pas tout. | He speaks quickly, yet I don’t understand everything. |
| 🔄 Tu peux partir tôt, ou rester pour la réunion. | You can leave early, or stay for the meeting. |
| 👍 Il a corrigé les erreurs, et elle a relu le texte. | He corrected the mistakes, and she proofread the text. |
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Usage
Coordinating conjunctions link elements that are grammatically parallel, such as two noun phrases, two clauses with similar structure, or two adjectives. They do not change word order or require subjunctive.
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Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ☕ Je prends un café, et je lis mes e-mails. | I have a coffee, and I read my emails. |
| 🗒️ Le rapport est long, mais il est clair. | The report is long, but it is clear. |
| 🌇 Je pars à six heures, donc je finis à cinq. | I leave at six, so I finish at five. |
| 🥪 J’ai une salade, et un sandwich. | I have a salad, and a sandwich. |
| 📴 Je ne réponds pas, ni ne lis les messages. | I do not answer, nor read the messages. |
| 🤔 Il dit une chose, or il fait une autre. | He says one thing, yet he does another. |
| 🕒 On commence maintenant, ou on attend dix minutes. | We start now, or we wait ten minutes. |
| ✔️ J’ai envoyé l’e-mail, et confirmé le rendez-vous. | I sent the email, and confirmed the appointment. |
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Special Notes
Ni pairs with negative expressions and car is more formal than parce que. Commas typically precede conjunctions like mais, donc, and car when they join clauses. Et rarely begins a sentence in formal writing.
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Summary
Coordinating conjunctions like et, mais, ou, donc, ni and car join equal elements and signal addition, contrast, choice, consequence, negation, and reason. Use them between parallel phrases or clauses to clearly connect ideas.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025