French Linking Terms
The following terms will help you polish your written and spoken French. Use them when describing an event or retelling a story. These are necessary to ​MEMORISE​ because not only do they elevate your French, but they improve your overall fluency in the language. Please note this list will be available for download in PDF format. A link will be available later this week.
When you are about to recount an event, the following terms are important to know:
à priori: to begin with (used in conversation)
This phrase is often used when recounting an event.
Example: A priori, je ne pensais pas que le problème soit très grave mais je ne sais pas si les choses vont changer.
Example: A priori les deux petites filles semblaient perdues, mais elles ont retrouvé le bon chemin
pour commencer: to begin with
d’abord: first
au commencement: in the beginning
au début de l’histoire: at the beginning of the story
il était une fois: once upon a time
To proceed from one even to the next, the following terms are important to remember:
et puis: and then
ensuite: then, afterward, next
soudain: suddenly, all of the sudden
tout à coup: all of the sudden
alors: then, so
To conclude your story, remember the following terms:
à la fin: at the end
enfin: finally
pour finir: all in all, to conclude
pour terminer: to finish
bref: in short
en somme: to sum it up
To express an opposition use the following terms:
Cependant: however, yet
Example: Personne n’a cru Jean-Pierre; il disait cependant la vérité.
pourtant: but, yet
Example: La mer rest très froid; pourtant je veux nager.
néanmoins: nevertheless
en revanche: however
par contre: however
bien que: although
malgré que: although
malgré: despite, in spite
même si: even though, even if
When you want to link a general idea to a specific example use:
d’ailleurs: as a matter of fact
To insist on an idea, to confirm something, or to give a reason, use the following terms:
en plus: moreover, in addition
en fait: in fact, actually
afin que: so that
pour que: in order to
afin de (français écrit): in order to
To give a cause for an action:
à cause de: because of
parce que: because
car (français écrit): because
Example: Le roi était bien triste, car il ne savait plus quoi faire.
To explain the effect or the result of an action, use the following terms:
sinon: otherwise
par conséquent: consequently
donc: thus, therefore
de ce fait: as a result (used when writing only)
ainsi: thus, therefore (used in French writing)
forcément: as an obvious consequence
en vain: in vain
à force de: by dint of
When you want to link or compare one idea to another:
précisément: precisely
par rapport à : in relation to, compared to
When agreeing use the following terms:
volontiers: willingly, gladly
Example: Cécile: Veux-tu m’accompagner au cinéma? Hélène:Volontiers, mais il faut que tu m’attendes quelques minutes.