comme/kɔm/
conjunction · A1 · Frequency 99
conjunction
Meanings
like; as
Used to introduce comparison, analogy, or manner.
because; as; since
Used to introduce a reason or cause in a clause.
Examples
Comme médecin, elle explique les résultats avec beaucoup de clarté.
As a doctor, she explains the results very clearly.
Il court comme son père quand il était jeune.
He runs like his father did when he was young.
Nous vendons des produits locaux, comme du miel et du fromage.
We sell local products, such as honey and cheese.
Comme il fait froid dans cette pièce.
How cold it is in this room.
Collocations
- comme représentantas a representative
- comme un amilike a friend
- comme par exemplesuch as
Common mistakes
Il est comme un lion.
Il est tel un lion.
When used for comparison, ‘comme’ cannot directly replace ‘tel’ meaning ‘just like’, which can cause confusion.
Je suis fatigué comme je n'ai pas dormi.
Je suis fatigué parce que je n'ai pas dormi.
When ‘comme’ is used to indicate cause, it is usually at the beginning of a sentence and cannot be freely replaced by ‘parce que’.
Related words
synonymainsi queas well as
antonymcontrairement àcontrary to
Grammar note
The conjunction comme can introduce comparative, causal, and manner clauses, commonly expressing role, comparison, example, and cause.