Coordinating Conjunctions (connect words or phrases of equal grammatical weight):
* et (and): Elle est grande *et* belle. (She is tall and beautiful.)
* ou (or): Tu veux du thé *ou* du café? (Do you want tea or coffee?)
* mais (but): Il est intelligent *mais* paresseux. (He is intelligent but lazy.)
* ni... ni... (neither... nor...): Je n'aime *ni* le fromage *ni* le chocolat. (I don't like cheese nor chocolate.)
* car (because): Je suis fatigué *car* j'ai travaillé toute la journée. (I am tired because I worked all day.)
* donc (therefore): Il pleut, *donc* je reste à la maison. (It's raining, therefore I stay at home.)
* or (now): Il est tard, *or* il faut partir. (It's late, now we must leave.)
* puis (then): Elle est allée au magasin, *puis* elle est rentrée chez elle. (She went to the store, then she went back home.)
Subordinating Conjunctions (connect a dependent clause to an independent clause):
* que (that): Je sais *que* tu as raison. (I know that you are right.)
* si (if): *Si* tu viens, je serai heureux. (If you come, I will be happy.)
* quand (when): J'irai au cinéma *quand* j'aurai fini mes devoirs. (I will go to the movies when I finish my homework.)
* comme (as, like): Elle chante *comme* un ange. (She sings like an angel.)
* parce que (because): Je suis en retard *parce que* j'ai manqué le bus. (I am late because I missed the bus.)
* puisque (since): *Puisque* tu es ici, reste un peu. (Since you are here, stay a while.)
* afin que (so that): Je travaille dur *afin que* je puisse réussir. (I work hard so that I can succeed.)
* avant que (before): *Avant que* tu partes, donne-moi un baiser. (Before you leave, give me a kiss.)
Other Common Connectives:
* aussi (also): Il est intelligent *aussi*. (He is intelligent also.)
* en effet (indeed): Il est malade, *en effet*, il tousse beaucoup. (He is sick, indeed, he coughs a lot.)
* cependant (however): J'ai faim, *cependant*, je n'ai pas le temps de manger. (I am hungry, however, I don't have time to eat.)
* de même (likewise): Elle est gentille, *de même* que son frère. (She is kind, likewise her brother.)
* d'ailleurs (moreover): Il ne viendra pas, *d'ailleurs*, il n'a pas été invité. (He will not come, moreover, he was not invited.)
This list is not exhaustive, but it gives you a good starting point for understanding how to use connectives in French. Remember that the meaning of a connective can vary depending on context, so it's important to pay attention to the surrounding words and phrases.