Lesson 34: Joining Sentences (et, mais, parce que)
Et, mais, parce que — Joining Sentences · A0 → A1 · Part 5 · Confidence & Consolidation
You will join two short sentences into one longer, natural sentence. You will say why (parce que), what for (pour), when (quand), if (si) and so (donc / alors). By the end you will be able to build a paragraph of 6 to 8 connected sentences.
In this lesson
- basic conjunctions
- because / so / when / if
- longer sentences
Vocabulary
| French | Meaning | Say it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| et | and | ay اے | The t is silent. It simply adds one idea to another. |
| ou | or | oo اُو | Two ideas, you choose one. Careful: 'où' with an accent means 'where'. |
| mais | but | meh مے | The s is silent. It adds the opposite idea. |
| parce que | because | pars-kuh پارس کُہ | Answers the question pourquoi ? Before a vowel it becomes parce qu': parce qu'il pleut. |
| car | for / because (more formal) | kar کار | Same meaning as parce que but more written and formal. The r is pronounced. |
| donc | so / therefore | donk دوںک | The c is pronounced as a k. It gives the result. |
| alors | so / then | a-lor الور | Very common in speech. It can also mean 'then' in a story. |
| aussi | also / too | o-see اوسی | For positive sentences: J'aime le thé aussi. |
| non plus | neither / not either | non plü * نوں پلُو * | The negative twin of aussi. It needs ne… pas in the sentence: Je n'aime pas le café non plus. |
| quand | when | kan کاں | The 'an' is nasal and the d is silent. It introduces the time of the action. |
| si | if | see سی | For real conditions: Si tu veux, on va au cinéma. Do not mix it up with 'oui, si' (yes, on the contrary). |
| puis | then / next | pwee پوِی | The s is silent. It puts actions in order, like 'then' in a list. |
| ensuite | then / afterwards | an-sweet اں سوِیت | Like puis but slightly more formal. Both are used in writing. |
| pour | in order to / for | poor پُور | Before an infinitive it means 'in order to': pour parler français. It can also mean 'for' + a noun: pour toi. |
| avec | with | a-vek اوِک | The final c is pronounced as a k. It joins people or things. |
| sans | without | san ساں | The 'an' is nasal and the s is silent. Sans is the opposite of avec: sans sucre. |
Pronunciation
| Word | Sounds like | Slowly | How to make the sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| parce que | pars-kuh | pars ... kuh | In real fast French you will hear 'pas-kuh'. Learn 'pars-kuh' first, then let it relax. |
| parce qu'il pleut | pars-kil pluh | pars ... kil ... pluh | The final e disappears before a vowel: que + il = qu'il, one single sound 'kil'. |
| donc | donk | donk | Say the k clearly. The 'on' is nasal, then a light k at the end. It is not the English 'dunk'. |
| quand | kan | kan | The d is completely silent. Nasal 'an', no real n and no d at the end. |
| non plus | non plü * | non ... plü | Both vowels are hard for learners: 'non' is nasal, 'plus' has the tight French u. No honest English spelling exists for that u. |
| avec / sans | a-vek / san | a-vek / san | avec ends with a real k sound (the C-R-F-L rule). sans ends with a nasal 'an', and its s is silent. |
The conjunctions are tiny and get swallowed in fast speech — but if you swallow them too much, nobody understands the link between your ideas. Say them clearly and link them to the following word.
Grammar
The fifteen little words that join ideas
A beginner writes short, separate sentences. A speaker joins them. Each conjunction below does one specific job, and the table shows the same two short sentences joined in the correct way. Read the pairs out loud — this is the fastest way to feel how French flows. Notice that parce que becomes parce qu' before a vowel (parce qu'il pleut) and that donc is pronounced with a k sound.
PARCE QUE (why) versus POUR (in order to) — and quand / si
Parce que explains a reason. It is followed by a real sentence with a verb: 'Je reste à la maison parce que je suis malade.' Pour explains a purpose, and it is followed by an infinitive (the -er, -ir, -re form), never by a full sentence: 'Je reste à la maison pour travailler.' So: parce que + une phrase complète, pour + un infinitif. For time, use quand with the present or the futur proche: 'Quand j'arrive à la gare, je téléphone' and 'Quand je vais arriver, je vais téléphoner' — the simple present form is the safest at A1. For real conditions, use si + present: 'Si tu veux, on va au cinéma.' Remember: si never takes a future or a conditional in that clause at A1. The conditional (je voudrais venir) is A2 and is NOT part of this course.
Examples
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Je suis fatigué, mais je vais au travail. | I am tired, but I am going to work. | zhuh swee fa-tee-gay, meh zhuh veh o tra-vaiy |
| Je n'ai pas d'argent, donc je reste à la maison. | I have no money, so I am staying at home. | zhuh neh pa dar-zhan, donk zhuh rest a la may-zon |
| Tu veux du thé ou du café ? | Do you want tea or coffee? | tü vuh dü tay oo dü ka-fay |
| Je prends le bus parce qu'il pleut. | I am taking the bus because it is raining. | zhuh pran luh büss pars-kil pluh |
| J'étudie le français pour travailler en France. | I study French in order to work in France. | zhay-tü-dee luh fran-seh poor tra-vaiy ay frans |
| Quand je suis à la maison, je regarde la télé. | When I am at home, I watch TV. | kan zhuh swee za la may-zon, zhuh ruh-gard la tay-lay |
| Si tu veux, on va au restaurant samedi. | If you want, we are going to the restaurant on Saturday. | see tü vuh, on va o res-to-ran sam-dee |
| D'abord je prends une douche, puis je prends le petit déjeuner, et ensuite je vais au bureau. | First I take a shower, then I have breakfast, and then I go to the office. | da-bor zhuh pran tün doosh, pwee zhuh pran luh pü-tee day-zhuh-nay, eh an-sweet zhuh veh o bü-ro |
| Elle aime la musique et la danse. | She likes music and dancing. | el em la mü-zeek eh la dans |
| Je n'aime pas la chimie et je n'aime pas la physique non plus. | I do not like chemistry and I do not like physics either. | zhuh nem pa la shee-mee eh zhuh nem pa la fee-zeek non plü |
| Il est tard, alors je vais dormir. | It is late, so I am going to sleep. | il eh tar, a-lor zhuh veh dor-meer |
| Je vais au mariage avec ma famille. | I am going to the wedding with my family. | zhuh veh o ma-ree-yazh a-vek ma fa-meey |
| Je bois le thé sans sucre. | I drink tea without sugar. | zhuh bwa luh tay san sükr |
| Karim est en retard, car son train est en retard. | Karim is late, for his train is late. | ka-reem eh tan ruh-tar, kar son tran eh tan ruh-tar |
| Je veux venir à la fête, mais je ne peux pas. | I want to come to the party, but I cannot. | zhuh vuh vuh-neer a la fet, meh zhuh nuh puh pa |
| Je ne sors pas avec mes amis parce que j'ai un examen demain. | I am not going out with my friends because I have an exam tomorrow. | zhuh nuh sor pa a-vek may za-mee pars-kuh zheh un leg-za-man duh-man |
Dialogue: Pourquoi tu ne viens pas ?
Listen to how the two friends link everything: parce que gives the reason, donc gives the result, si gives the condition, mais gives the contrast. No sentence stands alone.
| French | English | Say it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Salut ! On va au cinéma samedi, tu viens ? | Hi! We are going to the cinema on Saturday, are you coming? | sa-lü, on va o see-nay-ma sam-dee, tü vyan |
| B | Je veux bien, mais je ne peux pas, parce que je travaille le samedi. | I would like to, but I cannot, because I work on Saturdays. | zhuh vuh byan, meh zhuh nuh puh pa, pars-kuh zhuh tra-vaiy luh sam-dee |
| A | Ah mince ! Et dimanche ? On va au restaurant, et après on va au parc. | Oh no! And Sunday? We are going to the restaurant, and afterwards to the park. | a mans, eh dee-mansh, on va o res-to-ran, eh a-preh on va o park |
| B | Dimanche, c'est bon, donc je viens avec ma sœur, si tu veux. | Sunday is fine, so I am coming with my sister, if you want. | dee-mansh, seh bon, donk zhuh vyan a-vek ma sur, see tü vuh |
| A | Super ! Mais je n'ai pas de voiture, alors on prend le bus ? | Great! But I do not have a car, so shall we take the bus? | sü-pehr, meh zhuh neh pa duh vwa-tür, a-lor on pran luh büss |
| B | D'accord, on prend le bus parce que c'est moins cher. À samedi ! | OK, we take the bus because it is cheaper. See you Saturday! | da-kor, on pran luh büss pars-kuh seh mwan shehr, a sam-dee |
| A | Et sans oublier l'argent pour le film ! À bientôt ! | And without forgetting the money for the film! See you soon! | eh san oo-blee-ay lar-zhan poor luh film, a byan-to |
Say it out loud
- Je suis fatigué, mais je travaille. — I am tired, but I am working. Link 'mais je' smoothly: meh-zhuh.
- Je prends le bus parce qu'il pleut. — I am taking the bus because it is raining. parce qu'il = pars-kil, one block.
- J'étudie pour parler français. — I study in order to speak French. pour + infinitive. Never 'pour je parle'.
- Quand j'arrive, je téléphone. — When I arrive, I phone. quand j'arrive links to 'kan-zha-reev'.
- Si tu veux, on va au restaurant. — If you want, we are going to the restaurant. si = see. It never takes a future after it at A1.
- Il est tard, alors je vais dormir. — It is late, so I am going to sleep. alors is the spoken 'so'. Stress it lightly.
- Je n'aime pas le café non plus. — I do not like coffee either. Non plus is the negative 'too'. The sentence needs ne… pas.
- D'abord je me lève, puis je prends le petit déjeuner, et ensuite je vais au bureau. — First I get up, then I have breakfast, and then I go to the office. This is a full paragraph sentence — keep the rhythm even.
- Je bois le thé sans sucre, car je n'aime pas le sucre. — I drink tea without sugar, for I do not like sugar. car is the written 'because'. The r is pronounced.
Listening practice: A monologue with connectors
Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Yassine. Je travaille dans un bureau, mais je n'aime pas beaucoup mon travail, donc je vais changer. Je vais étudier l'informatique parce que j'aime les ordinateurs. D'abord, je vais suivre un cours le soir. Ensuite, si j'ai de bonnes notes, je vais chercher un nouveau travail. Quand je travaille à la maison, je suis content, car je n'aime pas le bus. Et le week-end, je ne travaille pas non plus : je vais au parc avec mes amis.
Hello! My name is Yassine. I work in an office, but I do not like my job much, so I am going to change. I am going to study computer studies because I like computers. First, I am going to take an evening course. Then, if I get good marks, I am going to look for a new job. When I work at home, I am happy, for I do not like the bus. And at the weekend I do not work either: I go to the park with my friends.
Questions
- Where does Yassine work now? In a restaurant / In an office / At the hospital → In an office
- Why is he going to change? Because he does not like his job much / Because he is late / Because he has an exam → Because he does not like his job much
- What is he going to study? History / Computer studies / Physics → Computer studies
- When is he going to follow the course? In the morning / In the evening / At the weekend → In the evening
- What does he do at the weekend? He works / He studies at the university / He goes to the park with his friends → He goes to the park with his friends
Remember this
- et = and, ou = or, mais = but: the three basic joiners.
- parce que / car = because (reason + full sentence). pour = in order to (purpose + infinitive).
- donc / alors = so, therefore — they introduce the result.
- aussi = also (positive), non plus = neither / not either (negative, needs ne… pas).
- quand = when (time). si = if (real condition, followed by the present).
- puis / ensuite = then, next — they put actions in order. Finally: enfin.
- avec = with, sans = without (sans sucre, avec ma famille).
- Before a vowel, que becomes qu': parce qu'il pleut, quand il arrive.
- Because you already know the vocabulary, conjunctions are what turn 6 short sentences into one real paragraph.
- At A1, never use the conditional after si. 'Si tu veux, on va au cinéma' is the correct level.
Common mistakes
| Instead of | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| J'étudie parce que parler français. | J'étudie pour parler français. | Parce que needs a full sentence with a verb. Pour is the one that takes an infinitive. |
| Je suis en retard parce que il y a du trafic. | Je suis en retard parce qu'il y a du trafic. | Before a vowel, que becomes qu': parce qu'il. |
| Je n'aime pas le café aussi. | Je n'aime pas le café non plus. | Aussi is for positive sentences. A negative sentence needs non plus. |
| Il pleut, et je prends mon parapluie. | Il pleut, donc je prends mon parapluie. | Et only adds. When one thing causes the next, French prefers donc or alors. |
| Si je voudrais venir, je vais venir. | Si je veux venir, je viens. | After si, A1 French uses the present, never the conditional. The conditional is A2 and is not part of this course. |
Practice questions
- Complete: 'Je suis fatigué ___ je travaille.' (I am tired BUT I am working.) et / mais / parce que / ou — mais
- Which word means 'because'? pour / parce que / donc / mais — parce que
- Complete: 'J'étudie ___ parler français.' parce que / pour / car / quand — pour
- Complete: 'Il pleut, ___ je prends mon parapluie.' (result) parce que / donc / mais / ou — donc
- Complete: 'Tu veux du thé ___ du café ?' et / mais / ou / car — ou
- Complete: '___ tu veux, on va au cinéma.' Quand / Si / Pour / Donc — Si
- What does 'car' mean? because (more formal and written) / a car / but / therefore — because (more formal and written)
- Complete: 'Je n'aime pas la chimie. Je n'aime pas la physique ___.' aussi / non plus / donc / pour — non plus
- Which form is correct before a vowel? parce que il pleut / parce qu'il pleut / parce qui il pleut / parce que l'pleut — parce qu'il pleut
- 'Quand' is used to introduce… a condition / a time / a reason / a contrast — a time
Homework (15 minutes)
1) Take these six short sentences and join them with the right connectors: Je me lève. Je prends une douche. Je vais au travail. Je suis fatigué. J'aime mon travail. Demain je vais dormir. 2) Write a paragraph of 7-8 connected sentences about your weekend, using at least six different connectors (d'abord, ensuite, puis, parce que, donc, mais, si, quand). 3) Say the paragraph out loud twice and record it.
Lesson 34 of 45 · Part 5 · Confidence & Consolidation · See the full A0 → A2 roadmap · Français A0 → A2