French Contrast Connectors: Saying 'However' and 'On the Other Hand'
Learn to link contrasting ideas in French with connectors such as cependant, pourtant, en revanche and par contre, and choose the right register for each.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In French, contrasting two ideas is rarely done with a single word. The connector you choose signals how strong the contrast is and how formal you want to sound. This lesson focuses only on contrast connectors: words and phrases that mean 'however', 'yet', 'on the other hand' or 'by contrast'. You will learn the five most useful ones, where they sit in a sentence, and how their register changes between careful writing and everyday speech.
By the end, you can…
- contrast two ideas in French using cependant, pourtant, en revanche and par contre.
- choose a formal or informal contrast connector to match the situation.
- place a contrast connector correctly at the start or in the middle of a French sentence.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Cependant, le train est plus rapide.
However, the train is faster.
suh-pahn-YAHN, luh tren eh plew ra-PEED
Neutral to formal. Very common at the start of a written sentence, followed by a comma.
Il pleut ; pourtant, je sors.
It's raining; yet I'm going out.
eel pluh; poor-TAHN, zhuh sor
Pourtant stresses that the second fact is surprising given the first. Common in speech and writing.
En revanche, le musée est gratuit.
On the other hand, the museum is free.
ahn ruh-VAHNSH, luh mew-ZAY eh grah-TWEE
Formal and elegant. Often used to balance a positive point against a negative one.
Par contre, c'est plus cher.
On the other hand, it's more expensive.
par KONT-ruh, say plew shehr
Very common in everyday spoken French. Some careful writers avoid it in formal prose.
Le loyer est bas. Par contre, le quartier est bruyant.
The rent is low. On the other hand, the neighbourhood is noisy.
luh lwa-YAY eh bah. par KONT-ruh, luh kar-TYAY eh brwee-YAHN
Par contre often starts a new sentence to add a counterpoint.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Contrast connectors usually introduce the second idea and are followed by a comma: Cependant, ce quartier est calme. / En revanche, il est loin du centre. Pourtant can also sit after the first clause with a semicolon or comma: Le loyer est bas ; pourtant, l'appartement est petit. Par contre behaves like cependant but belongs to a more relaxed register: C'est pratique. Par contre, c'est cher.
When to use it
Use cependant and en revanche in reports, essays and formal emails. Use pourtant when the contrast is genuinely surprising: Il est fatigué ; pourtant, il continue. Use par contre in conversation, texts and informal writing; in very formal French, prefer en revanche. Note that en revanche and par contre both mean 'on the other hand', but en revanche is more neutral in careful writing.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
J'ai trouvé un appartement pas cher.
I found a cheap flat.zhay troo-VAY uhn a-par-tuh-MAHN pah shehrPar contre, il est loin du centre, non ?
On the other hand, it's far from the centre, isn't it?par KONT-ruh, eel eh lwan duh SAHN-truh, nohnOui. Cependant, le métro est juste à côté.
Yes. However, the metro is right next door.wee. suh-pahn-YAHN, luh may-TROH eh zhewest ah ko-TAYEn revanche, le loyer va augmenter l'année prochaine.
On the other hand, the rent will go up next year.ahn ruh-VAHNSH, luh lwa-YAY va ohg-mahn-TAY lay-NAY pro-SHENA little context goes a long way
In everyday French, par contre is perfectly normal and widely used. In formal writing, exams and professional correspondence, cependant and en revanche are safer choices because some style guides consider par contre too casual. Pourtant is not a synonym for cependant in every context: it highlights an unexpected contrast, so Il est riche ; pourtant, il est malheureux sounds natural, while a simple factual contrast is better with cependant.
One thing to watch for
Using 'mais' at the start of a sentence to mean 'however': Mais, le train est plus rapide.
Try this instead: Mais usually joins two clauses inside one sentence: Le train est plus rapide, mais il est plus cher. To start a sentence with 'however', use Cependant, le train est plus rapide or Par contre, le train est plus rapide.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Choose a formal connector: 'The hotel is central. However, it is expensive.'
Show a sample answer
L'hôtel est central. Cependant, il est cher.
Cependant is neutral to formal and works at the start of a sentence. En revanche would also be correct here.
2Which connector best shows surprise: 'He is tired; yet he keeps working'?
Show a sample answer
Il est fatigué ; pourtant, il continue à travailler.
Pourtant highlights that the second fact is unexpected. Cependant would be possible but less expressive.
3Make this informal: 'On the other hand, the museum is free.'
Show a sample answer
Par contre, le musée est gratuit.
Par contre is the everyday spoken choice. En revanche is more formal but still correct.
Use cependant and en revanche for careful or formal contrast, pourtant for surprising contrast, and par contre in relaxed everyday speech. Always follow the connector with a comma when it opens a sentence.
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