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. |
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| 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 – learn more.
Coordinating Conjunctions Quiz |
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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.