Conjunctive Phrases

French conjunctive phrases
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Locutions conjonctives

Two or more words often join to create a conjunctive phrase, which just means a series of words that acts like a conjunction.

Par exemple…

On mangera maintenant afin que tu partes de bonne heure. We’ll eat now so that you can leave early.
Bien que je sois fatigué, je vais finir ce travail. Even though I’m tired, I’m going to finish this work.

 Most conjunctive phrases end in que; the rest in où, si, or même. Regardless, they are all are subordinating conjunctions.

French conjunctive phrases

   Notes
à condition que provided that*
afin que so that*
ainsi que just as, so as 
alors que while, whereas 
à mesure que as (progressively) 
à moins que unless**
après que after, when***
à supposer que assuming that*
au cas où in case 
au fur et à mesure que as 
afin que so that*
au lieu que rather than*
aussitôt que as soon as***
avant que before**
bien que although*
c’est-à-dire que meaning, that is to say 
comme si as if 
dans la mesure où inasmuch/insofar as 
dans le cas où   
dans l’hypothèse où in the event that 
de crainte que for fear that**
de façon que in such a way that, so that 
de manière que so that*
de même que just as 
de peur que for fear that**
depuis que since 
de sorte que so that, in such a way that*
dès que as soon as***
en admettant que assuming that*
en attendant que while, until*
en même temps que at the same time that 
en supposant que while, until*
encore que even though*
jusqu’à ce que until*
même si even if/though 
parce que because 
pendant que while 
plutôt que rather than*
pour que so that*
pourvu que provided that*
quand bien même even though/if 
quoi que whatever, no matter what*
sans que without**
sauf que except that 
selon que according to, depending on 
sitôt que as soon as 
suivant que according to, depending on 
supposé que supposing*
tandis que while, whereas 
tant que as long as 
une fois que once***
vu que seeing as/that 

Notes

* Requires subjunctive

** Requires subjunctive and triggers ne explétif

*** May require the future

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French conjunctive phrases

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3 Responses

  1. Johnny 10 August 2018 / 15:45

    I can learn anything in french except these. I can’t never remember which one to use when I need it. Any tips to learn them?

    • lkl 11 August 2018 / 3:34

      I’d say come up with 2 or 3 sentences for each one, and work on memorizing those.

    • Randy 23 October 2018 / 19:22

      I have the same problem. I think it’s due to the fact that the meanings in English are so similar: I’d be hard pressed to tell you the difference between “although,” “even though,” “whereas,” etc. So, maybe the best approach is the group them by similar meaning, and master one group at a time.