The goal of this study is to draw a distinction between clause 'subordination' and discourse relations, by examining two French subordinating conjunctions: avant que (English before) and parce que (English because). It seems that there is no parallel between clause 'subordination' and discourse subordination, because a subordinating conjunction can express either a conceptual relation or a discourse relation, and if a discourse relation is conveyed, it can be either coordinating or subordinating.