Here in French: ici, plus the small words that join sentences

Here in French is ici. This page gives that word first, then the small words that join sentences and ideas: this, because, but, that, or and maybe in French. Each one comes from the Larousse French-English dictionary, with its own example sentences. For more spoken practice, see French speaking practice, and to use the words in sentences of your own, French writing practice.

Source: Larousse, Dictionnaire français-anglais and Dictionnaire de français, entries opened 23 October 2026 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].

How do you say here in French?

You say ici. Larousse transcribes it [isi] and gives “here” for a place, as in “vous êtes ici chez vous” (make yourself at home) and “c’est ici que j’ai mal” (this is where it hurts) [1]. It also covers “here, at this point” in a speech or a text [1].

Two small phrases carry more than the plain word. Par ici means “this way” or “around here” [1]. D’ici plus a time word means “by” or “between now and then”: “d’ici demain ce sera terminé” is “it will be finished by tomorrow”, and d’ici là is “in the meantime” or “by then” [1].

On the phone or the radio, ici also introduces who is speaking: “allô, ici Paul” is “hello, (it’s) Paul here”, and “ici France Culture” is “this is France Culture” [1].

How do you say this in French?

You say ceci when you point at what you are about to say or just said. Larousse translates it as “this” [2]. Its examples are “retenez bien ceci” (now, remember this) and “ceci (étant) dit” (having said this) [2].

Ceci also sets two things apart: “ceci n’explique pas cela” means “one thing doesn’t explain the other” [2]. For the plain word for “this” before a noun, such as “this book”, look up ce, cet and cette in a dictionary; this page covers the pronoun only.

How do you say because in French?

You say parce que. Larousse gives “because” and shows it answering a question: “pourquoi pleures-tu ? — parce que !” [3]. It is followed by the indicative and gives the cause, as in “je n’irai pas parce qu’il est trop tard” [4].

Two details trip people up. First, the final e drops only before à, il, elle, on, en, un and une: parce qu’il, parce qu’elle [4]. Second, do not confuse parce que with par ce que, which Larousse glosses as “par cela même que” or “du fait de” [4].

There are two near neighbours. puisque is “since” or “because”, as in “puisque vous insistez” [5]. Car is “because” or “for”, and Larousse labels the “for” sense as formal: “il est efficace, car très bien secondé” [6].

How do you say but in French?

You say mais. Larousse lists it for setting two terms against each other (“ce n’est pas bleu, mais vert”), and for an objection or restriction: “ces chaussures sont jolies mais trop chères” (these shoes are nice, but they’re too expensive) [7]. It also opens a change of subject: “mais revenons à notre sujet” (but let’s get back to the point) [7].

Mais adds force to a short answer as well. “Mais oui” is “yes, absolutely”, and “mais non” is “of course not” [7]. For the full set of yes and no words, see Yes in French.

How do you say that in French?

You say que. As a conjunction after verbs of saying or knowing, Larousse translates it “that”: “je sais que je peux le faire” is “I know (that) I can do it”, and “elle murmura qu’elle devait s’en aller” is “she whispered that she had to go” [8]. English can drop “that” in the first sentence, and Larousse puts it in brackets there [8].

Que has other jobs too. As a relative pronoun it means “that”, “which” or “whom”: “le contrat que j’ai signé” is “the contract (which) or that I signed” [8]. It also appears in the short answers “que oui !” (oh yes indeed) and “que non !” (certainly not) [8].

How do you say or in French?

You say ou. Larousse gives “or” for an alternative, “tu peux venir aujourd’hui ou demain”, for an approximation, “ils étaient cinq ou six” (there were five or six of them), and for a consequence, “rends-le moi, ou ça ira très mal” (give it back, or else there’ll be trouble) [9].

For “either… or”, use ou (bien)… ou (bien): “ou bien tu viens et tu es aimable, ou bien tu restes chez toi !” [9].

How do you say maybe in French?

You say peut-être. Larousse gives “maybe” and “perhaps” and transcribes it [pøtεtr] [10]. It sits in the sentence: “ils sont peut-être sortis” is “maybe they’ve gone out” [10]. Peut-être pas is “maybe or perhaps not” [10].

With que it opens a clause: “peut-être qu’il est malade” is “perhaps or maybe he is ill” [10]. Larousse also has “peut-être bien, mais…” for “perhaps so, but…”, which joins this word to mais [10].

How can you practise these words?

Take one sentence and change its connector. A general suggestion, not a sourced method: write “Je reste ici” and extend it five ways, with parce que, puisque, mais, ou and peut-être. Say each version aloud, then read the Larousse example beside it. If you want to hear from Lingwell when it opens, join the waitlist.

Common mistakes

• Writing par ce que for because. The two are different. Larousse glosses par ce que as “par cela même que” or “du fait de” [4].
• Dropping que after a verb. English can say “I know I can”. Larousse brackets the “that” in its translation, and the French keeps que: “je sais que je peux” [8].
• Using car in casual talk. Larousse labels the “for” sense of car as formal [6].
• Using ici for every “here” in a phone call. It is right in “allô, ici Paul”, and Larousse lists that use [1].
• Mixing up ou and où. Ou means “or”. Where is the separate entry où [9].
• Relying on a vocabulary page from a blog, including this one. Dictionary entries change. Compare each entry’s date with the date at the top of this page.

See also: French sentence structure.

See also: French adverbs.

Sources