Basic Conjunctions: et, ou, mais

Conjunctions are "connectors." Their job is to link two parts of a sentence. This could be two words, like pomme et orange. It could be two actions, like je mange et je bois. It could even be two complete ideas. Imagine you have two Lego bricks. One is "I like coffee." The other is "I like tea." A conjunction is the little bump that snaps them together. In French, these words usually stay exactly where they are. They don't change based on gender or number. They are reliable friends. You just drop them between the things you want to connect. It is that simple! Think of them as the traffic lights of your sentence. They tell the listener if you are adding more info, offering a choice, or throwing in a surprise.

1. 1Using these words follows a very consistent pattern. You don't need to overthink it. Just follow these three steps:
2. 2State your first idea or object. (e.g., J'aime le café)
3. 3Place the conjunction immediately after it. (e.g., mais)
4. 4State your second idea or object. (e.g., je n'aime pas le sucre)
5. 5For lists with et or ou, the pattern is slightly different. You use commas for the first few items. You only use the conjunction for the very last one. It’s like a drumroll for the end of the list!
6. 6Example: Un chat, un chien, et un lapin.

Use et when you want to add things together. It is the mathematical plus sign (+) of French. Use it for lists of friends, ingredients in a recipe, or things you did today. Use it when both things are true.

• Scenario: You are at a job interview. You say, "I speak English et I speak French." Both are great facts!

Use ou when you are offering a choice. It is the "either/or" word. It is essential for menus and travel plans. Use it when only one option is possible, or when you are asking someone to decide.

• Scenario: You are at a café. The waiter asks, "Tea ou coffee?" You can't have both in the same cup (usually)!

Use mais when you want to show a contrast. It’s the "Wait, there's a catch" word. Use it when the second part of your sentence is surprising or different from the first. French people love mais. It adds drama and detail.

• Scenario: You see a beautiful dress. You say, "It is pretty, mais it is expensive." The price is the contrast to the beauty.

Don't get too "conjunction-happy." You don't need a connector every three words. If you have a very long list, don't put et between every single item. That sounds like a toddler telling a story. J'ai vu un ours et un lion et un tigre... Stop! Use commas instead.

Also, be careful with mais at the very start of a sentence. While people do it in speech, it's better to keep it in the middle when you are writing. In French, we also don't usually put et at the start of a sentence in formal writing. Think of these words as bridges. A bridge needs two sides to hold onto. If it’s just hanging off the start of a sentence, it might collapse! Finally, don't confuse ou (or) with où (where). That tiny accent mark changes everything. One is a choice, the other is a map!

One big mistake is the "Comma Drama." In English, we often put a comma before "and." In French, we rarely put a comma before et unless the sentence is very long and complex. If you add a comma before et in a simple list, it looks a bit messy.

Another mistake is forgetting the comma before mais. In French, mais almost always wants a little comma buddy before it if it connects two full thoughts.

• ✗ C'est bon mais c'est chaud.
• ✓ C'est bon, mais c'est chaud.

Many learners also mix up ou and et when they are tired. If you say "I want water et wine" at a fancy dinner, you might get two drinks! If you only wanted one, use ou. Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they haven't had their morning croissant yet.

You might hear ainsi que or ou bien. Don't panic! Those are just fancy versions of et and ou. For now, stick to the basics. Et is your everyday hammer. Ainsi que is a gold-plated screwdriver. You don't need the gold-plated version to hang a picture!

Compare et with aussi (also). Et connects things inside one sentence. Aussi usually starts a new thought or adds a separate point. Think of et as a staple and aussi as a paperclip. They both hold things together, but in different ways. Also, watch out for mais versus pourtant (however). Mais is much more common for A1 learners. It's the quick, sharp turn in a conversation. Pourtant is a bit more formal and slow.