ainsi que

As Well as with Ainsi Que

Level 6

Ainsi que is a formal alternative to et (and) or comme (like). It is used to add elements to a list or to compare actions. Crucially, its impact on verb agreement changes based on whether you use commas.

How It Works

The connector ainsi que is primarily found in formal, academic, or administrative French. It undergoes elision before vowels (ainsi qu'il).

1. The Rule of Agreement (The Comma Rule)
This is a critical syntactic nuance for Level 6 learners:

Without commas: It functions as a coordinating conjunction. The subjects are considered a single group.
Example: Le ministre ainsi que son conseiller sont arrivés. (The minister and his advisor have arrived.)
With commas: It functions as a comparison or an aside. The verb agrees only with the main subject.
Example: Le ministre, ainsi que son conseiller, est arrivé. (The minister, just like his advisor, has arrived.)

2. Mood: Indicative vs. Subjunctive
Unlike many other connectors ending in que, ainsi que is followed by the indicative mood, not the subjunctive. It introduces facts or established comparisons.
Example: Il a réussi ainsi qu'il le souhaitait. (He succeeded just as he wished.)

3. Sentence-Initial Usage
You can use ainsi que at the start of a sentence to mean "Just as..." or "In the same way that...".
Example: Ainsi que je vous l'ai dit, le projet est validé. (Just as I told you, the project is validated.)

4. Common Mistake: The Pleonasm
Avoid the common error of saying et ainsi que. Since ainsi que already contains the coordinating force of "and," adding et is redundant.

5. Register
Avoid using this in casual conversation. In speech, prefer et aussi or comme. Using ainsi que in informal settings may sound overly stiff or "bookish."

Examples (4)

Le président ainsi que les membres du conseil ont approuvé la motion.
The president as well as the members of the board approved the motion.
Word by Word: The president as well as the members of the council have approved the motion.
No commas are used here, so the verb 'ont approuvé' is plural, treating the subjects as a combined unit.
La directrice, ainsi que son adjoint, a assisté à la conférence.
The director, as well as her assistant, attended the conference.
Word by Word: The director, as well as her assistant, has assisted at the conference.
Because the phrase is set off by commas, the verb 'a assisté' remains singular to agree only with 'La directrice'.
Tout s'est passé ainsi que nous l'avions imaginé.
Everything happened just as we had imagined it.
Word by Word: All itself is passed just as we it had imagined.
Here, 'ainsi que' introduces a clause of comparison/conformity, meaning 'in the way that'.
Il a apporté ses livres ainsi qu'un vieux carnet de notes.
He brought his books as well as an old notebook.
Word by Word: He has brought his books as well as an old notebook of notes.
Note the elision: 'ainsi que' becomes 'ainsi qu'' before the vowel in 'un'.

Common Mistakes

Using a plural verb when the phrase is parenthetical (with commas).
L'auteur, ainsi que son éditeur, sont présents.
L'auteur, ainsi que son éditeur, est présent.
When set off by commas, the 'ainsi que' phrase is extra information, so the verb normally agrees with the first subject only. A plural verb is sometimes used when 'ainsi que' simply means 'and'.
Using 'ainsi que' when you mean 'as well as'.
Different MeaningIl chante ainsi que son frère.
Il chante aussi bien que son frère.
'Il chante ainsi que son frère' is correct: he sings, and so does his brother. 'Ainsi que' is for addition or manner. To compare how well someone does something (quality or ability), use 'aussi bien que'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ainsi queLevel 6As Well as with Ainsi Que

Learn This First

To learn 'ainsi que', learners should first understand basic comparative structures involving 'que', how to link ideas using additive connectors, and the distinction between formal and informal registers in French.

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