French Time Connectors: Avant Que, Dès Que, Depuis Que, and More

“Before you leave.” “As soon as she arrives.” “While I’m cooking.”

These expressions help us explain how events relate to one another in time. French uses time connectors to show what happens first, what happens next, and what happens at the same time.

The challenge isn’t just translating “when” or “after.” It’s choosing the expression that describes the relationship between two events.

1. Putting Events in Order

Let’s start with connectors that tell us what happens before, after, or up to another event.

Avant Que vs. Après Que: Before or After?

Avant que means “before,” while après que means “after.”

Ferme la fenêtre avant qu’il pleuve. Close the window before it rains. avant que — before

Nous sortirons après que la pluie aura cessé. We’ll go out after the rain has stopped. après que — after

The difference is the order of events. You may notice that avant que takes the subjunctive (pleuve), while après que takes the indicative (aura cessé). We’ll come back to this in Section 6.

Two things you’ll run into: in writing, avant que is often followed by a ne that doesn’t make the sentence negative (avant qu’il ne pleuve still means “before it rains”). It’s optional. And you’ll often hear the subjunctive after après que in conversation, but standard French uses the indicative.

Jusqu’à Ce Que: Until

Jusqu’à ce que identifies the event that brings an activity or situation to an end.

Attends jusqu’à ce que je revienne. Wait until I come back. jusqu’à ce que — until

Nous resterons ici jusqu’à ce que la pluie s’arrête. We’ll stay here until the rain stops. jusqu’à ce que — endpoint

Compare:

Nous partirons après que la pluie aura cessé. We’ll leave after the rain has stopped. après que — what happens afterward

Nous attendrons jusqu’à ce que la pluie cesse. We’ll wait until the rain stops. jusqu’à ce que — how long we keep waiting

Both sentences involve the rain stopping, but one tells us when we’ll leave, while the other tells us when the waiting ends.

Une Fois Que: Once

Une fois que introduces an event that must happen before another action can follow.

Une fois que tu auras terminé tes devoirs, tu pourras sortir. Once you’ve finished your homework, you can go out. une fois que — once completed

It’s similar to après que, but it places more emphasis on the first event being completed before the next action happens.

2. As Soon As Something Happens

Some connectors describe a much closer relationship between two events.

Dès Que and Aussitôt Que: As Soon As

Both expressions mean “as soon as” and indicate that one action follows another almost immediately.

Je t’appellerai dès que j’arriverai. I’ll call you as soon as I arrive. dès que — as soon as

Aussitôt qu’elle a entendu la nouvelle, elle a téléphoné à sa mère. As soon as she heard the news, she called her mother. aussitôt que — immediately afterward

These expressions are largely interchangeable. Dès que is especially common in everyday conversation, while aussitôt que can emphasize the immediacy of the second action. Compare:

Je t’appellerai après la réunion. I’ll call you after the meeting. après — sometime afterward

Je t’appellerai dès que la réunion sera terminée. I’ll call you as soon as the meeting is over. dès que — immediately afterward

The second sentence makes the timing more precise: you won’t wait long after the meeting ends.

The Future After Quand

In English, we say “I’ll call you when I arrive,” not “when I will arrive.” French is different: when the event is still in the future, the connector is followed by the future tense.

Je t’appellerai quand j’arriverai. I’ll call you when I arrive. arriverai — future

Je partirai dès qu’il sera prêt. I’ll leave as soon as he’s ready. sera — future

This applies after quand, lorsque, dès que, aussitôt que, une fois que, and tant que. Don’t let the English present tense trick you into using the French present.

When the first event will be finished before the second one happens, French uses the futur antérieur (aura or sera + past participle):

Une fois que les invités seront partis, nous rangerons. Once the guests have left, we’ll tidy up. seront partis — futur antérieur

3. When Events Overlap

Other time connectors describe things happening simultaneously or situations that continue over a period.

Pendant Que: While

Use pendant que when two activities happen at the same time.

Je prépare le dîner pendant que tu mets la table. I’m preparing dinner while you set the table. pendant que — simultaneous actions

Elle écoutait de la musique pendant qu’elle travaillait. She was listening to music while she worked. pendant que — overlapping activities

The actions don’t have to begin or end at exactly the same moment. What matters is that they overlap.

Quand and Lorsque: When

Both quand and lorsque mean “when.” They can introduce a particular event or describe something that happens regularly.

Quand j’arrive à la maison, je me repose. When I get home, I rest. quand — repeated situation

Lorsque le professeur est entré, les élèves se sont tus. When the teacher entered, the students fell silent. lorsque — particular event

As time connectors, quand and lorsque are interchangeable. Quand is common in everyday speech, while lorsque is slightly more formal.

Tant Que: As Long As

Tant que describes a situation that continues for as long as another condition remains true.

Tu peux rester tant que tu veux. You can stay as long as you want. tant que — continuing condition

Je travaillerai tant qu’il y aura de la lumière. I’ll work as long as there’s daylight. tant que — duration tied to another situation

Compare:

Je resterai jusqu’à ce que tu reviennes. I’ll stay until you return. jusqu’à ce que — ending event

Je resterai tant que tu seras ici. I’ll stay as long as you’re here. tant que — continuing situation

The first sentence identifies the event that ends the stay. The second says the stay continues while a particular situation remains true.

4. Repeated Events and Starting Points

Chaque Fois Que: Every Time

Use chaque fois que when something happens repeatedly whenever another event occurs.

Chaque fois qu’il pleut, je prends le métro. Every time it rains, I take the subway. chaque fois que — repeated event

Chaque fois que je vois ce film, je pleure. Every time I watch this movie, I cry. chaque fois que — repetition

Depuis Que: Since

Depuis que connects a situation to the event that marked its beginning.

Je dors mieux depuis que j’ai changé de travail. I’ve been sleeping better since I changed jobs. depuis que — starting event

Elle apprend le français depuis qu’elle habite à Paris. She’s been learning French since she’s been living in Paris. depuis que — starting event

Notice the verbs dors and apprend: when the situation is still going on, French uses the present tense where English says “I’ve been sleeping” or “she’s been learning.” Compare:

Je suis ici depuis lundi. I’ve been here since Monday. depuis — starting point

Je suis ici depuis que les cours ont commencé. I’ve been here since classes started. depuis que — starting event

Use depuis before a time expression, and depuis que before a clause containing a verb.

5. Same Person, Different Construction

So far, we’ve mostly used time connectors followed by a clause with a conjugated verb. But French often uses a shorter construction when the same person performs both actions.

Avant De and Après Avoir / Être

When the subject is the same, French commonly uses avant de followed by an infinitive. Compare:

Je me lave les mains avant de manger. I wash my hands before eating. avant de + infinitive — same person

Je me lave les mains avant que tu manges. I wash my hands before you eat. avant que + subjunctive — different people

For an action completed before another, French often uses après avoir or après être followed by a past participle.

Après avoir mangé, nous sommes sortis. After eating, we went out. après avoir + past participle

Après être arrivée, elle a appelé sa mère. After arriving, she called her mother. après être + past participle

You’ll also see avant and après followed by a noun, like après le déjeuner (after lunch) or avant la réunion (before the meeting).

En + Present Participle: While Doing

French can also use en followed by a present participle when the same person does two things at once. Compare:

Elle écoute de la musique en travaillant. She listens to music while working. en travaillant — same person

Elle écoute de la musique pendant que son frère travaille. She listens to music while her brother works. pendant que — different people

Both express simultaneous actions, but the grammatical construction changes depending on who performs them.

6. Which Mood?

Some French time connectors determine whether the following verb uses the indicative or the subjunctive.

Subjunctive: avant que, jusqu’à ce que
Indicative: après que, une fois que, quand, lorsque, dès que, aussitôt que, pendant que, tant que, chaque fois que, depuis que

French never switches to the subjunctive after quand just because an event is still in the future. It uses the future indicative instead:

Je t’appellerai quand j’arriverai. I’ll call you when I arrive. quand — future indicative

This guide focuses on choosing the right time connector. For more on choosing the verb mood, see the Subjunctive vs. Indicative guide and its Subjunctive Conjunctions deck.

Now it’s time to practice. The Time Connectors deck will help you choose the connector that matches how two events relate in time.