[Originally posted on 12/16/18 on the Duolingo French for English speakers forum by CommeuneTexane]
Conjunctions function by hooking up words, phrases, and clauses. This unit focuses on coordinating conjunctions, which link two or more similar elements in a sentence. For instance, et may be used to link two nouns together.
- Je mange une pomme et une orange. — I am eating an apple and an orange.
- Elle a un chien et un chat. — She has a dog and a cat.
It may also link two adjectives or even two clauses.
- La robe est grande et jolie. — The dress is big and pretty.
- Le chat est noir et le chien est blanc. — The cat is black and the dog is white.
For the most part, French coordinating conjunctions behave very similarly to their English counterparts.
| Conj. | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| et | and | Elle a un chien et un chat. — She has a dog and a cat. |
| mais | but | Mais pas maintenant. — But not now. |
| ou | or | Oui ou non ? — Yes or no? |
| comme | as/like | Je suis comme ça. — I am like that. |
| donc | so/thus | Il est jeune, donc il est petit. — He is young, so he is small. |
| car | because | Je lis, car j’aime ce livre. — I read because I like this book. |
The conjunction car means “because”, and it’s usually reserved for writing. The subordinating conjunction parce que is preferred in speech; you’ll learn this in “Conjunctions 2”.
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