The Use of the Comma in French

Enumerations

A comma must be used between words or clauses that are coordinated without a linking word. This process is called juxtaposition. In this case, the comma separates the different elements of an enumeration (it replaces the conjunctions etand or orou).

Example:

Vous aurez besoin de farine, de lait, d’oeufs, de sucre et d’huile d’olive pour faire de bonnes crêpes.You will need flour, milk, eggs, sugar and olive oil to make good crêpes.

Illusion, chimère, vanité, rêve d’une imagination blessée ! (Atala, René de Chateaubriand)Illusion, chimera, vanity, dream of a wounded imagination!

juxtaposition of words

L’orage grondait, les passants se dépêchaient de rentrer chez eux, certains s’abritaient sous les auvents des cafés et des boutiques.The storm was rumbling, passers-by hurried to get home, some sheltered under the awnings of cafés and shops.

juxtaposition of clauses

The rules for placing commas in enumerations with coordinating conjunctions are explained in the next section: commas and coordinating conjunctions.

Commas and coordinating conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions (maisbut, ouwhere, etand, doncso, orbut, nineither, carbecause) are used to link several clauses together. They are sometimes preceded by a comma, but not always. Here are the main rules to remember:

With mais, donc, or and car

• A comma is generally used between elements linked by mais, donc, or and car.
  

  Example:

  Nous sommes arrivés très en retard, car nous avons raté notre correspondance.We arrived very late because we missed our connection.

  Je pense, donc je suis. (Descartes)I think, therefore I am.

• With the conjunction mais, the comma may be omitted if the contrast between the two elements is not very strong.
  

  Example:

  Julie ne savait pas quoi penser de lui. Il était gentil, mais il avait l’air calculateur.Julie didn’t know what to think of him. He was kind, but he seemed calculating.

  J’aimerais acheter ces chaussures vertes mais j’hésite encore.I’d like to buy these green shoes but I’m still hesitating.

• Or may be preceded by a comma, but it is often preceded by stronger punctuation (a full stop or a semicolon).
  

  Example:

  Le facteur n’est toujours pas passé, or j’attends une lettre d’une grande importance.The postman still hasn’t come, yet I am expecting a letter of great importance.

  Le facteur n’est toujours pas passé. Or, j’attends une lettre d’une grande importance.The postman still hasn’t come. Yet I am expecting a letter of great importance.

With et, ou and ni

• Normally, commas are not used with the conjunctions et, ou and ni.
  

  Example:

  Monique fait du théâtre et de la danse.Monique does theatre and dance.

  J’achète du vin blanc ou du vin rouge ?Should I buy white wine or red wine?

  Simon n’aime ni les romans policiers ni la science-fiction.Simon likes neither detective novels nor science fiction.

• However, a comma must be used if these conjunctions coordinate at least three elements and are repeated each time.
  

  Example:

  Ma sœur est en colère. Elle ne veut ni me parler, ni m’écouter, ni même me voir.My sister is angry. She doesn’t want to talk to me, listen to me, or even see me.

  Nous n’avons pas encore décidé où nous partirons cet été. Ce sera ou le Brésil, ou Madagascar, ou la Nouvelle-Zélande.We haven’t yet decided where we will go this summer. It will be either Brazil, Madagascar, or New Zealand.

• It is also necessary to use a comma if et coordinates two elements that do not have the same grammatical nature.
  

  Example:

  Elle prépare ses affaires silencieusement, et quand le soleil sera couché, elle sortira par la petite porte de derrière.She quietly prepares her things, and when the sun has set, she will leave through the small back door.

  et links two elements with different grammatical functions: silencieusement is an adverb, while quand is a subordinating conjunction

• It is recommended to place a comma before et if the repeated use of this word affects the clarity of the sentence.
  

  Example:

  Le vent soufflait dans les pins et les grands chênes, et la forêt semblait vouloir lui dire quelque chose.The wind was blowing through the pines and the tall oaks, and the forest seemed to want to tell him something.

  a comma is placed before the second et to show that la forêt is not part of the previous enumeration (les pins et les grands chênes).

• Finally, et and ou may be followed by a comma in an enumeration if it is interrupted by a parenthetical element (additional information).
  

  Example:

  Cette idée me paraît fantasque et, excuse-moi de le dire ainsi, irréalisable.This idea seems fanciful and, forgive me for putting it this way, unrealistic.

Additional information

Additional details or explanations can be added to a sentence in the form of a word or group of words separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. These additional elements often follow the noun they refer to, but not always.

Detached adjective (épithète détachée)

A detached adjective is a descriptive adjective separated from the noun it modifies by commas.

Example:

Anna, fatiguée de sa longue journée, enleva ses chaussures et se jeta sur le canapé.Anna, tired from her long day, took off her shoes and threw herself onto the sofa.

Le Comte, impatient, déchira l’enveloppe d’une main tremblante.The Count, impatient, tore open the envelope with a trembling hand.

Apposition

An apposition is a noun or noun phrase that describes or renames another noun. It is often separated from the noun it refers to by commas.

Example:

Une colombe, symbole de la paix, était peinte sur le mur.A dove, a symbol of peace, was painted on the wall.

Louis XIV, le Roi-Soleil, est né en 1638.Louis XIV, the Sun King, was born in 1638.

Participle phrase and participle clause

A participle phrase is a group of words whose head is a participle. It can sometimes be set off by commas.

Example:

Le randonneur, marchant à grandes enjambées, jetait parfois un coup d’œil sur sa carte.The hiker, walking with long strides, occasionally glanced at his map.

A participle clause is a subordinate clause with its own subject and is separated from the main clause by a comma.

Example:

La cité détruite, les guerriers se dirigèrent vers la mer.The city destroyed, the warriors headed towards the sea.

Les années passant, le manoir tombait en ruine.As the years passed, the manor fell into ruin.

Visit this page for more information about the participle clause.

Nuance and explanation

Words that introduce a nuance or an explanation must be preceded by a comma.
Nuance : cependant, toutefois, pourtant, malheureusement, néanmoins, seulement…
Explanation : par exemple, c’est-à-dire, à savoir, donc…

Example:

Les rues sont bien silencieuses, pourtant on est samedi soir.The streets are very quiet, yet it’s Saturday evening.

Il était sérieux, c’est-à-dire, pour un ouvrier, ni feignant, ni buveur, ni noceur. (La place, Annie Ernaux)He was serious—that is to say, for a worker, neither lazy, nor a drinker, nor a partygoer.

See also: Subordinate clauses

Subordinate clauses

As a general rule, a circumstantial subordinate clause is not separated from the main clause by commas.

Example:

Nous sortirons quand la pluie aura cessé de tomber. (circumstantial clause of time)We will go out when the rain has stopped falling.

Je ne t’ai pas répondu parce que j’étais en réunion. (circumstantial clause of cause)I didn’t reply to you because I was in a meeting.

Catherine met de la crème pour que le coup de soleil guérisse. (circumstantial clause of purpose)Catherine applies cream so that the sunburn heals.

However, in some cases a comma is used between the main clause and the circumstantial subordinate clause.

• When the subordinate clause comes at the beginning of the sentence
  

  Example:

  Quand tu auras terminé tes devoirs, tu pourras rejoindre tes amis.When you have finished your homework, you can join your friends.

  Puisque l’inspecteur n’a pas trouvé de preuves, ils ont décidé de classer cette affaire.Since the inspector found no evidence, they decided to close the case.

• With tandis que, no comma is used when the conjunction means “while / during the time that.” A comma is used when it means “whereas / while”.
  

  Example:

  Elle lit tranquillement devant la cheminée tandis que la tempête fait rage. (tandis que meaning “while”)She is reading quietly by the fireplace while the storm is raging.

  Mon frère est sage comme une image, tandis que ma sœur fait toujours des bêtises. (tandis que meaning “whereas”)My brother is very well behaved, whereas my sister is always getting into trouble.

• A comma is placed before a consequence clause (introduced by si bien que, de manière que, etc.).
  

  Example:

  Madame Chatelaine se fit beaucoup de soucis, si bien qu’elle ne dormit pas pendant trois nuits.Madame Chatelaine worried a great deal, so much so that she did not sleep for three nights.

• In general, a circumstantial subordinate clause can be set off by commas if its meaning is not closely linked to that of the main clause. In this case, it is called an explanatory clause (it is not essential for understanding the sentence).
  

  Example:

  En été, on ouvrait grand les fenêtres du salon, parce que la chaleur était insupportable. (explanatory clause, not essential)In summer, we opened the living room windows wide, because the heat was unbearable.

  Je ne peux pas partir en randonnée avec vous parce que mon vélo est cassé. (determining clause, essential)I can’t go hiking with you because my bike is broken.

Relative clauses

It is important to determine whether a relative clause is necessary for understanding the overall sentence or whether it only provides additional information that does not change its meaning. This distinction affects punctuation.

Restrictive (defining) relative clauses

These relative clauses provide information that is essential to understanding the sentence. They are never separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

Example:

Ce sont les amis avec lesquels je passe mon temps.These are the friends I spend my time with.

it is impossible to remove the relative clause without affecting the overall meaning of the sentence

Non-restrictive (non-defining) relative clauses

These relative clauses provide additional but non-essential information. They are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

Example:

Lucas, que je connais depuis longtemps, est très drôle.Lucas, whom I have known for a long time, is very funny.

the relative clause can be removed without affecting the overall meaning of the sentence

Fronting at the beginning of a sentence

A word, a group of words, or even a whole clause is often placed at the beginning of a sentence. This frequently happens when giving information about time or place, but it can also be used to emphasise a word or part of the sentence.

In this case, the element placed at the beginning of the sentence is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.

Example:

Hier, il y a eu une coupure d’électricité.Yesterday, there was a power outage.

La nuit, tous les chats sont gris. (proverb)At night, all cats are grey

Si je m’étais levé, elle m’aurait suivi ; si j’avais enlevé mon châle, elle aurait voulu le porter. (L’immoraliste, André Gide)If I had stood up, she would have followed me; if I had taken off my shawl, she would have wanted to wear it.

Naturellement, pas d’autre choix que l’usine. Au sortir de la guerre, Y… commençait à s’industrialiser. (La place, Annie Ernaux)Naturally, there was no other choice but the factory. After the war, Y… was beginning to industrialise.

Émerveillée, Shéhérazade visita toutes les salles du palais.Amazed, Scheherazade visited all the rooms of the palace.

Moi, j’aurais préféré aller à la plage.Personally, I would have preferred to go to the beach.

A comma is also used in the structure “ce que …, c’est …”, which emphasises the second element.

Example:

Ce que j’aime par-dessus tout, c’est la mousse au chocolat.What I love above all is chocolate mousse.

Commas and parenthetical clauses

A parenthetical clause (incise), which is always placed between commas, is a clause inserted into a sentence to indicate that we are reporting someone’s words or thoughts. It is therefore an important element of direct speech.

It can be placed in the middle of a sentence:

Example:

« Vous voyez, lui dit le notaire, il n’y a aucune raison de se faire du souci. »“You see,” the notary said to him, “there is no reason to worry.”

C’est vrai, pensa-t-elle, j’ai été bien bête.“It’s true,” she thought, “I’ve been very foolish.”

When the parenthetical clause appears at the end of the sentence, the second comma is absorbed by the full stop.

Example:

Tout cela est fort inquiétant, pensait-il.All this is very worrying, he thought.

If the first part of the sentence, placed before the parenthetical clause, ends with an exclamation mark or a question mark, this punctuation mark replaces the comma.

Example:

« Eh bien oui ! dit-il, je veux être franc avec vous. » (Victor Hugo, Han d’Islande)“Well yes!” he said. “I want to be honest with you.”

« Quoi ? s’exclama-t-elle, tu veux me faire croire que tu ne l’as pas fait exprès ? »“What?” she exclaimed. “You want to make me believe you didn’t do it on purpose?”

When the speech is enclosed in quotation marks, the parenthetical clause is placed inside them (still between commas).

Example:

« – Voulez-vous un café ? me demanda le professeur.“Would you like a coffee?” the professor asked me.
– Non merci, lui répondis-je, je n’en bois jamais en soirée. »“No thank you,” I replied to him, “I never drink it in the evening.”

Commas and interjections

Interjections or interjective expressions placed at the beginning of a sentence are generally separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma, an exclamation mark, or a question mark.

Example:

Oh non, j’ai oublié mon portefeuille à la maison !Oh no, I forgot my wallet at home!

or : Oh non ! J’ai oublié mon portefeuille à la maison.

Mathilde a eu un accident de vélo, mais, Dieu merci, il ne lui est rien arrivé de grave.Mathilde had a bicycle accident, but, thank goodness, nothing serious happened to her.

Commas and ellipsis

We speak of ellipsis when the writer omits one or more elements of a sentence (which can nevertheless be understood from the context). A comma can indicate that certain elements of the sentence have been left out. This is especially common when the omitted element is a verb.

The following examples will help you understand this better.

Example:

Mon père aime la viande et ma mère, le poisson.My father likes meat and my mother, fish.

the comma replaces the verb aime, which makes the sentence lighter by avoiding repetition (mon père aime la viande et ma mère aime le poisson)

Pour les rénovations, Marcel a acheté un marteau, Yacine, une perceuse, Gaëlle, des clous et Margaux, de la peinture.For the renovations, Marcel bought a hammer, Yacine a drill, Gaëlle nails and Margaux paint.

the comma replaces the verb a acheté, which helps avoid repeating the same verb

Commas in forms of address and polite expressions

Form of address

A form of address (apostrophe) is used to directly address the person you are speaking to. It is separated from the rest of the sentence by one or more commas.

Example:

Maman, il faut que tu viennes voir ça !Mum, you have to come and see this!

Sylvain, attends-moi !Sylvain, wait for me!

Asseyez-vous, Madame, et mettez-vous à l’aise.Please sit down, Madam, and make yourself comfortable.

Tu as rangé ta chambre, Sylvie ?Have you tidied your room, Sylvie?

Polite formulas (letters, emails, etc.)

In letters and emails, the salutation is followed by a comma.

Example:

Monsieur le Maire,Dear Mr Mayor,

Chère Madame Durand,Dear Mrs Durand,

Mesdames, Messieurs,Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mon cher Florian,My dear Florian,

Bonjour Madeleine,Hello Madeleine,

The closing formula is also followed by a comma. The signature then appears on the next line.

Example:

Cordialement,Kind regards,

Bien à toi,Yours,

Veuillez agréer, Madame, l’expression de mes sincères salutations,Please accept, Madam, the expression of my sincere regards,

Polite expressions (apologies, requests, thanks, etc.)

Polite expressions are used to thank, apologise or make a request. They are separated from the rest of the sentence by one or more commas.

Example:

Excusez-moi, pourriez-vous me laisser passer ?Excuse me, could you let me pass?

Pourriez-vous, s’il vous plaît, me laisser passer ?

Pourriez-vous me laisser passer, s’il vous plaît ?

Non merci, je ne veux pas de glace au chocolat.No thank you, I don’t want chocolate ice cream.

However, if the polite expression is linked to the rest of the sentence by the word pour, no comma is used.

Example:

Merci pour ces magnifiques fleurs !Thank you for these beautiful flowers!

Veuillez m’excuser pour les désagréments occasionnés.Please excuse the inconvenience caused.

Numbers and dates

Numbers

Decimal numbers are written with a comma to separate the whole number from its decimal part.

Example:

Ce foulard m’a coûté 7,90 €.This scarf cost me €7.90.

Pour cette recette, vous aurez besoin de 0,5 litre de lait.For this recipe, you will need 0.5 litres of milk.

Lorsqu’on divise 59 par 2, on obtient 29,5.When you divide 59 by 2, you get 29.5.

Dates

In official documents (letter headings, the end of a contract, etc.), the name of the city is written first, followed by the date, separated by a comma.

Example:

Paris, le 15 juillet 2015Paris, 15 July 2015

Adresses

When writing an address on a single line, the different elements are separated by commas.

Example:

Yvan Modèle, 36 rue de la Serpe, 75019 Paris

However, when writing the recipient’s address on an envelope, commas are not used and each element is written on a new line.

Example:

Yvan Modèle

36 rue de la Serpe

75019 Paris

Commas are also not used in sentences such as the following:

Example:

Yvan Modèle habite au 36 rue de la Serpe à Paris.Yvan Modèle lives at 36 rue de la Serpe in Paris.

A comma must not be placed between the street number and the street name.