chloe

[fierce citrus]

Please be patient

Our volunteers look into many questions every day; sometimes it takes them a little while to answer.

Pro tip: you can rename the thread title with `.tr <thread name>`

Make it descriptive, including relevant context, but also to the point. This way you improve your chances of getting a more relevant and specific answer.

[celest bramble]

It's similar to "mais" or "cependant" but it's not the same
This thread has some good explanations: https://www.reddit.com/r/French/comments/8cgpnh/is_or_a_fancier_way_of_saying_mais/

[forest kestrel]

well how is however different from but or perhaps yet ?

[vocal otter]

well however is an entirely different part of speech than yet & but

and yet/but have subtle differences in their usage imo

in the examples provided mais and or seem to be used in identical ways

hence the question :)

[celest bramble]

"or" gets used in fundamentally different ways than yet or however
tbh I think it's a pretty bad pedagogical technique to just give an English translation since for function words like that there can be some wild variability

[vocal otter]

so what i'm getting from this is that while mais always presents a contrast/opposition, or is used to describe steps towards a logical conclusion and is not necessarily contrasting two things. for example « je viens en retard au travail chaque jour, or je suis venue encore en retard aujourd'hui, donc j'ai été lienciée »

is that right?

[celest bramble]

uhhhh "je me suis venue"

[vocal otter]

i meant je suis venue lol

oops

[celest bramble]

I don't feel like the logical link is working in your sentence just the same

Les employés arrivant en retard sont virés. Or je suis arrivé en retard ce matin. Donc j'ai été viré.

(note that licenciement is primarily associated with the idea of laying someone off, not firing them with reason)

[vocal otter]

interesting

i am getting the meaning although i still don't quite grasp the difference between it and other words

but it seems like it's just once of those nuance things that comes with time

thanks!

[celest bramble]

tbh don't worry about it

it comes up very rarely and you just need to be able to understand it, not use it