Clauses in French Grammar

Propositions en français avec exemples

If adverbs and prepositions are the small connecting the words of French language, clauses are the build blocks which let you create longer, more sophisticated sentences. The clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb that expresses a complete idea. Understanding how French clauses work, and how they link together is essential for moving beyond short, simple sentences and starting to sound fluent. This article covers the main types of clauses in French; independent clauses, subordinate clauses, relative clauses, and conditional clauses'

What Is a Clause?

The clause 'une proposition' always has a subject and a conjugated verb. There are two basic types:

The Independent clause 'proposition indépendante': expresses a complete thought and can stand alone.

Je regarde la télévision > I am watching television.

The Subordinate/ dependent clause 'proposition subordonnée': cannot stand alone; it depends on a main clause for its full meaning.

...parce que j'ai colère > ...because I am angry.

Together; Tu mange une pomme parce que tu ai faim. ' You are eating an apple because you are hungry.'

1- Independent Clauses 'Propositions Indépendantes'

These can be joined using coordinating conjunctions like et 'and', mais 'but', ou 'or', donc 'so/therefore', car 'because', and ni 'nor'.

Il fait froid, mais le soleil brille. 'It's cold, but the sun is shining.'

Elle est malade, donc elle reste à la maison. 'She is sick, so she's staying home.'

Elle peux rester ici, ou elle peux partir maintenant. 'She can stay here, or She can leave now.'

These are simply two complete ideas connected with a conjunction/ neither clause depends on the other grammatically.

2- Subordinate Clauses (Propositions Subordonnées)

A subordinate clause is introduced by a subordinating conjunction and depends on the main clause to make full sense. usual subordinating conjunctions including que 'that', parce que 'because', quand 'when', lorsque 'when', bien que 'although', si 'if', puisque 'since', and pendant que 'while'.


Je pense que tu as raison. 'I think that you are right.'

Elle est restée à la maison parce qu'il pleuvait. 'She stayed home because it was raining.'

Quand le téléphone sonne, je réponds toujours. 'When the phone rings, I always answer.'

Bien qu'il soit fatigué, il continue à travailler. 'Although he is tired, he continues working.'


Notice; that bien que triggers the subjunctive mood 'soit, not est' a common tip of confusion fo students, since several subordinating conjunctions require the indicative and others require the subjunctive.

Conjunctions That Require the Subjunctive

A handful of usual subordinating conjunctions each time trigger the subjunctive in the clause that follows: bien que 'although', pour que 'so that', avant que 'before', à moins que 'unless', and afin que 'in order that'.

Je te le dis pour que tu comprennes. 'I'm telling you so that you understand.'

Nous partirons avant qu'il ne pleuve. 'We will leave before it rains.'

3- Relative Clauses 'Propositions Relatives'

A relative clause adding more extra information about a noun mentioned earlier, using a relative pronoun; qui 'who/which, as subject', que 'whom/which, as object', où 'where', and dont 'whose/of which'.

Qui > replacing subject of relative clause:

J'ai un ami qui parle quatre langues.  'I have a friend who speaks four languages.'

Que > replacing object relative clause:

Le livre que tu m'as prêté est excellent. 'The book that you lent me is excellent.'

Où > refers to the place or a time:

C'est la ville où je suis né. 'This is the city where I was born.'

Je me souviens de l'instant où tu m'as souri.  'I remember the instant when you smiled at me.'

Dont > replacing a noun connected with "de" 'often expressing possession or "about which"':

C'est la voiture dont je rêve. 'That's the car I dream of.'

Voici le livre dont je t'ai parlé. 'Here's the book I told you about.'

A frequent mistake among English language speakers is use 'que' where 'qui' is needed or forgetting don't entirely and instead trying to translate (of which) literally. Practice these four the relative's pronouns in context are one of the fastest ways to sound more natural in French language.

4- Conditional Clauses 'Propositions Conditionnelles avec "Si"'

Conditional clauses, introduced by si 'if', describe a condition and its result. French has three main patterns depending on how real or hypothetical the condition is.

Real/ possible condition; is + present, after the present or future within the main clause:

Si tu as le temps, appelle-moi. 'If you have time, call me.'

Si tu études, tu réussiras. 'If you study, you will succeed.'

Hypothetical/ unlikely condition; si + imparfait, then conditional in the main clause:

Si elle parlait anglais, elle trouverait un meilleur travail. 'If she spoke English, she would find a better job.'

Contrary-to-fact past condition; si + plus-que-parfait, then past conditional in the main clause:

Si j'avais su, je serais venu plus tôt. 'If I had known, I would have come earlier.'

The key rule to remember; si is never followed straights by the future or the conditional tense, just by the present, imparfait, or plus-que-parfait.

5- Clauses with (Que) Introducing Reported Speech or Opinion

Numerous verbs of opinion, belief, and speech are followed by que plus a subordinate clause:

Il dit que la réunion commence à 10 heures. 'He says that the meeting starts at 10 o'clock.'

Je crois qu'elle a raison. 'I believe that she is right.'

Verbs expressing doubt, desire, or necessity (douter, vouloir, falloir) followed by que typically push the subordinate clause into the subjunctive:

Je doute qu'il vienne ce soir. 'I doubt that he will come tonight.'

Il faut que tu finisses ton travail. 'You need to finish your work.'

Combining Multiple Clauses

Sophisticated French language sentences many times stack some clause types together:

Je pense que tu devrais partir si tu veux éviter la circulation, parce que les routes seront bloquées plus tard. 'I think you should leave if you want to avoid traffic, because the roads will be blocked later.'

This one sentence contains an opinion clause 'que tu devrais partir', a conditional clause 'si tu veux éviter la circulation', and a causal subordinate clause 'parce que les routes seront bloquées' / all built from the same small set of patterns covered above.

Identify the conjunction first, it tells you immediately what kind of clause is coming and which mood or tense to expect. Memorize which conjunctions trigger the subjunctive, since this is one of the most commonly tested and most commonly mistaken areas for students. Practicing the 'si' clause patterns as fixing the formulas 'present or future, imparfait, conditional, plus-que-parfait, the past conditional' rather than translating directly from English language. With relative clauses, ask yourself whether the missing word is a subject 'qui', an object 'que', a place 'où', or linked with "de" 'dont', this quickly narrows down the correct pronoun.