Conjonctions de coordination
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Coordinating conjunctions are small words that connect two or more grammatically equivalent words or phrases. The connected words might be adjectives, nouns, adverbs, verbs, or even independent clauses; the important thing is that they’re equal and each one serves the same function in the sentence.
Par exemple…
Il est jeune et beau. | He’s young and handsome | |
> Et connects two adjectives: jeune and beau | ||
Veux-tu un café, un thé ou un chocolat ? | Do you want coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? | |
> Ou is joining three nouns: café, thé, and chocolat | ||
Je l’ai lu, mais je n’ai rien compris. | I read it, but I didn’t understand a thing | |
> Mais is the connection between two equal clauses: je l’ai lu and je n’ai rien compris |
French coordinating conjunctions
car | for, because | |
donc | so | |
ensuite | next | |
et | and | |
mais | but | |
ni* | nor | |
or | now, yet | |
ou | or | |
ou bien | or else | |
puis | then |
Mais | où | est | donc | Ornicar ? | ||
mais | ou | et | donc | or | ni | car |
Emphatic coordinating conjunctions
Some coordinating conjunctions are used in pairs to emphasize the connection.
et … et | both … and | |
ni … ni* | neither … nor | |
ou … ou | either … or | |
ou bien … ou bien | either … or | |
soit … soit | either … or |
Par exemple…
– Avez-vous un chat ou un chien ? – J’ai et un chat et un chien. |
– Do you have a cat or a dog? – I have both a cat and a dog. |
|
Tu peux prendre soit un chocolat soit une boule de glace. | You can have either hot chocolate or a scoop of ice cream. |
* Ni and ni … ni are negative coordinating conjunctions. They can only be used along with a negative marker such as pas or ne.
Par exemple…
Je n’ai pas de chat, ni de chien. | I don’t have a cat or a dog. | |
Je n’ai ni chat, ni chien. | I have neither a cat nor a dog. | |
Je ne vois ni le chat, ni le chien. | I see neither the cat nor the dog. |
Coordinating Conjunctions Quiz |
Think you’ve got it? Test yourself on the French coordinating conjunctions with this fill-in-the-blank exercise: À la télevision
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Am I imagining it, or does it seem to be OK in French to omit additive coordinating conjunctions (and, as well as, etc.) between phrases or clauses?
Hmm, interesting question. I don’t think they’re omitted more than in English, but if you share a few examples I’ll get a better sense of what you’re seeing.