French connector words are the small but powerful words that make your speech flow naturally. They link ideas, bridge thoughts, and help you sound smooth and confident when speaking French. Most lessons focus on individual verbs or vocabulary, but to truly speak fluently, you need these “glue words” — the ones that hold sentences together.
Common examples include et (and), mais (but), and donc (therefore). More advanced ones like cependant (however), en revanche (on the other hand), and d’abord (firstly) help you express contrast, sequence, and cause more naturally.
In this lesson, you’ll find the most useful French connector words and linking expressions, grouped by purpose — addition, contrast, cause, consequence, and more — to help you communicate clearly and sound fluent in any conversation.
Most Useful French Linking Words for Everyday Conversation
🔤 Basic connectors (A1–A2)
- et – and
- mais – but
- ou – or
- donc – so / therefore
- alors – then / so
- aussi – also
- parce que – because
- car – because / for
- ensuite – next / then
- puis – then
⚖️ Contrast & opposition
- cependant – however
- pourtant – yet / however
- néanmoins – nevertheless
- au contraire – on the contrary
- en revanche, par contre – on the other hand
- malgré – despite
- tandis que – while / whereas
- même si – even if
- bien que – although
- quoique – even though
➕ Adding or emphasizing
- de plus – moreover
- en plus – in addition
- d’ailleurs – by the way / moreover
- en effet – indeed
- surtout – especially
- non seulement… mais aussi – not only… but also
- encore – still / yet / again
- d’un côté… de l’autre – on one hand… on the other
🧭 Ordering & explaining
- d’abord – first
- premièrement – firstly
- enfin – finally
- par la suite – afterwards / subsequently
- en résumé – in summary
- autrement dit – in other words
- c’est-à-dire – that is to say
- par exemple – for example
- notamment – notably / especially
- en général – generally
💡 Cause & consequence
- grâce à – thanks to
- à cause de – because of
- par conséquent – consequently
- du coup – so / as a result
- ainsi – thus
- de ce fait – therefore
- pour que – so that
- afin que – in order that
🏁 Conclusion & summary
- en conclusion – in conclusion
- pour finir – to finish
- tout compte fait – all things considered
- bref – in short
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🗂️ Connector Word Reference Card
Save this visual list for your future reference — it’s a quick guide to the most useful French connector words and their meanings.
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