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Learning to speak French isn’t the easiest task. One of the best ways to sound more fluent in conversation is to add transition words. These words and phrases allow you to connect your thoughts and ideas more effectively. From simple conjunctions to more complex connectors, read on to learn which French transition words you can use in conversation to sound more natural.
Basic French transition words: simple (coordinating) conjunctions
A coordinating conjunction is a part of speech in French that connects two phrases. Simple words like “and”, “or”, and “but” are all coordinating conjunctions. These words can do a lot to transform your French!
| French | English |
| et | and |
| mais | but |
| ou | or |
A key component of a coordinating conjunction is that the phrases on either side could live independently from each other as simple sentences:
- J’ai faim et j’ai soif. = I’m hungry and I’m thirsty.
- Il pleut mais je vais y marcher. = It’s raining but I’m going to walk there.
In both of these examples, the phrases on either side of “and” and “but” could exist as their own sentences. These are the easiest to add to any conversation. If you want more, explore all the words in the French Dictionary!
Transition words to list things in order
Whether you’re telling a story or describing your morning routine, this list of French transition words can help you be more specific in your conversations. Words like “first”, “next”, and “then” can help you better describe the order of events.
| French | English |
| d’abord | first/first of all |
| pour commencer | to start |
| en premier | first/firstly |
| puis | then |
| ensuite | then/next |
| après | after |
| enfin | finally/lastly |
| finalement | finally |
In Canadian French, they often shorten puis to pis. This is very commonly used in Quebec with spoken French but not written French.
Linking words for expressions of similarity
While it is essential to start with basic French words, it can be helpful to know more than just the words “and” and “also”. Knowing more of these transition words and phrases to add to your conversations can help you sound more fluent.
| French | English |
| aussi | also |
| de la même façon | similarly/in the same way |
| de plus | furthermore/in addition |
| également | also/equally |
| en outre | moreover |
In Quebec, they often use the word avec (with) instead of aussi to mean “also”:
- Il va à l’école avec ? = Is he going to school also?
French transition words to express opinions and opposition
A cornerstone of communicating in French is being able to have lively (and respectful) debates on a variety of topics. It’s important to know how to express your own opinions and give opposing views. Beyond using the word mais (but), you can do this in French by trying one of the transition words below:
| French | English |
| à mon avis / dans mon opinion | in my opinion |
| à savoir | namely |
| c’est-à-dire | that is to say |
| cependant | however |
| considérons | let’s consider |
| d’ailleurs | besides |
| d’une part, d’autre part | on one hand, on the other hand |
| de temps en temps | every so often |
| en revanche | on the other hand |
| occasionnellement | occasionally |
| or | but/yet |
| par contre | however |
| par exemple | for example |
| pourtant | yet/however |
| sans doute | without a doubt |
| selon moi / d’après moi | according to me |
Words to express causation beyond “because”
In everyday conversations and arguments alike, expressing causation is a key component of communication. These French linking words can help you explain the “why” behind a variety of topics.
| French | English |
| à cause de | because of |
| ainsi | thus |
| car / parce que | because |
| c’est pourquoi | that’s why |
| en effet | as/since |
| grâce à | thanks to |
| par conséquent | as a result/consequently |
| puisque | since/because |
Note that while puisque means “since”, it is not used to mark time. It is only used for causation:
- Puisque j’ai raté le bus, je serai en retard. = Since I missed the bus, I’m going to be late.
Filler transition words in French like “so”
Although sometimes also used to express causation, “so” can be used in many ways in conversation. You can sprinkle in some other French transition words that mean the same thing but make you sound more natural.
| French | English |
| alors | well/so then |
| bref | in short |
| de toute façon | in any case/anyway |
| donc | so/therefore |
| du coup | so |
| en fait | in fact |
In Canadian French, it is common to hear fait que in place of du coup to mean “so”. Alors and donc are both commonly used in France and Quebec.
Informal transition words in French
Just as in English, there are many words that come up in conversation that do not necessarily have grammatical purpose. In English, “like” and “you know” are often used in informal conversations without the original meanings (I’m like, where are you?). Add in some of these transition words in French to sound like you’ve been speaking it your whole life!
| French | English |
| ben | well/um |
| bon | literally “good”, used as “alright” |
| d’accord | OK |
| tu sais | you know (informal) |
| tu vois | you see (informal) |
It is also common to combine bon and ben at the beginning of a sentence:
- Bon, ben, j’ai la dalle ! = Alright, well, I’m starving!
Ben is often used with quoi (what) as a question between friends:
- Ben quoi ? Qu’est-ce qu’il y a ? = So? What is it?
Ben can also be used with oui / non (yes/no) to emphasize your answer.
- Tu veux sortir ce soir ? = Do you want to go out tonight?
- Ben oui ! = Of course!
- Ben non ! = Of course not!
Additionally, in Quebec, tu sais (you know) is shortened to tsé, most often at the end of a sentence. This is only to be used in spoken, informal conversations.
Expressions that require the subjunctive (and some that don’t)
There are a wide variety of transitions that are extremely useful in French conversations; however, there is a catch. You need to be able to use the French subjunctive! While not impossible, the subjunctive mood in French can be tricky for English speakers at first. Use the following phrases in French with le subjonctif to really sound fluent.
| French | English |
| à condition que | provided that / as long as |
| afin que | so that |
| bien que | although |
| encore que | even though / although |
| jusqu’à ce que | until |
| pour que | so that |
| pourvu que | provided that |
| quoi que | no matter what |
Be aware that not every expression that ends in que is followed by the French subjunctive. Below are some common French transitions that end in que but do not need the subjunctive:
| French | English |
| alors que / lorsque | while / when |
| dès que | as soon as |
| peut-être que | perhaps |
| plutôt que | rather than / instead of |
| tandis que | whereas / while |
Transition words to conclude a thought
Wrap up your French conversations neatly with a variety of phrases to conclude your thoughts. Whether you are finishing a story or summarizing an opinion, level up your French speaking skills with the following phrases:
| French | English |
| à la fin | in the end |
| au total | in total |
| autrement dit | in other words |
| en conclusion | in conclusion |
| en somme | in short/all in all |
| pour conclure | in conclusion/to conclude |
| tout bien réfléchi | all things considered |
Practice using French transition words with Rosetta Stone
Using transition words in French is a great way to sound more fluent in any conversation. Whether you’re ordering coffee or conversing with French-speaking friends, adding these phrases will help you sound like a natural no matter where you travel.
Transition words are just one piece of speaking French more fluently. Rosetta Stone also offers its TruAccent speech recognition engine to help you improve your French pronunciation. It’s easy to build confidence and speak French with ease using the Rosetta Stone App.