lorsquune

Lorsquune is a nonstandard rendering of the contracted French conjunction lorsqu’une, used before a feminine noun starting with a vowel. In standard orthography the contraction is written with an apostrophe: lorsqu’une. The same elision occurs with masculine forms as lorsqu’un before un, as in lorsqu’un homme.

Definition and function

Lorsqu’une is the combination of the temporal conjunction lorsque, meaning “when” or “at the time that,” and the feminine indefinite article une. It is used to introduce a subordinate clause that indicates a moment or condition in the past, present, or future, typically in more formal or literary writing. The construction is grammatical whenever the following word begins with a vowel sound, allowing the flow of speech and writing to be smoother.

Usage and nuance

Lorsque is a synonym of quand but carries stylistic or formal nuance. Lorsqu’une tends to set a specific moment or condition within a narrative, and is common in written prose, literature, and formal texts. In everyday spoken French, quand is more frequent, and lorsque is often reserved for emphasis or style. The form with a preceding masculine article (lorsqu’un) follows the same elision rule before a vowel.

Examples

Lorsqu’une tempête éclata, les marins cherchaient le rivage. Lorsqu’un enfant sourit, tout le monde oublie ses soucis. Lorsqu’une idée était présentée, chacun réagissait différemment.

Notes

The absence of the apostrophe in l o r s q u n e in the query “lorsquune” is not standard. The correct written form is lorsque followed by a space and the next word, or the contracted lorsque plus une/ un, written with an apostrophe: lorsqu’une, lorsqu’un.