Adverbs in French

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the use of adverbs in French, including definitions, formations, and placement rules.

Adverb

An invariable word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, providing additional information.

Common Adverbs

Adverbs that frequently appear in French including bien, déjà, encore, surtout, très, ne…jamais, rarely, and souvent.

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs indicating how often something occurs, such as quelquefois, de temps en temps, and aujourd’hui.

Formation of Adverbs from Adjectives

Adverbs can be formed from adjectives by adding –MENT to the feminine singular form or the masculine singular form depending on the ending.

Adjective ending in consonant

For masculine adjectives ending in a consonant, add –MENT to the feminine form to create the adverb.

Adjectives ending in –ANT or –ENT

These adjectives change to -AMMENT or -EMMENT when forming adverbs, respectively.

Placement of Adverbs

The position of an adverb in a sentence depends on the type of adverb and what it modifies.

Placement of Adverbs modifying an adjective/adverb

Adverbs modifying adjectives or adverbs are placed before the word they modify.

Placement of Adverbs modifying a verb in present tense

In present tense, adverbs modifying verbs are placed immediately after the verb.

Placement of adverbs in passé composé

In passé composé, short adverbs precede the past participle, while long adverbs follow it.

Adverbs of Frequency Sentence Placement

Adverbs of frequency can be placed at the beginning or end of sentences, except for 'parfois' which always comes first.