Adverbs in French

LES ADVERBES

Definition of Adverb

  • An adverb is an invariable word that modifies:
    • A verb.
    • An adjective.
    • Another adverb.
  • Adverbs provide additional information regarding:
    • Time: When something happens.
    • Manner: How something is done.
    • Place: Where something takes place.
    • Frequency: How often something occurs.
    • Quantity: To what degree something is done.

Common Adverbs

  • bien: well
  • déjà: already
  • encore: yet, still, again
  • surtout: above all, especially
  • très: very
  • ne…jamais: never
  • rarement: rarely
  • assez: rather, quite, pretty
  • souvent: often

Adverbs of Frequency

  • quelquefois: sometimes
  • de temps en temps: from time to time
  • parfois: sometimes (noted as used more often in speech)
  • aujourd’hui: today
  • demain: tomorrow
  • en général: in general

Formation of Adverbs from Adjectives

1) From Adjectives Ending with a Consonant
  • Formula: Feminine singular form + -MENT
  • Examples:
    • Masculine Adjective: actif
    • Feminine Adjective: active
    • Adverb: activement (actively)
    • Masculine Adjective: fort
    • Feminine Adjective: forte
    • Adverb: fortement (strongly)
    • Masculine Adjective: parfait
    • Feminine Adjective: parfaite
    • Adverb: parfaitement (perfectly)
    • Masculine Adjective: naturel
    • Feminine Adjective: naturelle
    • Adverb: naturellement (naturally)
    • Masculine Adjective: complet
    • Feminine Adjective: complète
    • Adverb: complètement (completely)
    • Masculine Adjective: heureux
    • Feminine Adjective: heureuse
    • Adverb: heureusement (fortunately)
    • Masculine Adjective: sérieux
    • Feminine Adjective: sérieuse
    • Adverb: sérieusement (seriously)
    • Masculine Adjective: franc
    • Feminine Adjective: franche
    • Adverb: franchement (frankly)
    • Masculine Adjective: lent
    • Feminine Adjective: lente
    • Adverb: lentement (slowly)
2) From Adjectives Ending in a Vowel
  • Formula: Masculine singular form + -MENT
  • Examples:
    • Masculine Adjective: absolu
    • Adverb: absolument (absolutely)
    • Masculine Adjective: poli
    • Adverb: poliment (politely)
    • Masculine Adjective: vrai
    • Adverb: vraiment (truly)
    • Masculine Adjective: facile
    • Adverb: facilement (easily)
    • Masculine Adjective: extrême
    • Adverb: extrêmement (extremely)
    • Masculine Adjective: rapide
    • Adverb: rapidement (rapidly)
    • Note: The adverb vite can also be used to mean "fast/quickly" when describing rapid motions.
      • Example: Mon prof parle rapidement = Mon prof parle vite.
3) From Adjectives Ending in -ANT or -ENT
  • If the French adjective ends in -ENT, change to -EMMENT.
  • If the French adjective ends in -ANT, change to -AMMENT.
  • Examples:
    • Masculine Adjective: constant
    • Adverb: constamment (constantly)
    • Masculine Adjective: courant
    • Adverb: couramment (fluently)
    • Masculine Adjective: méchant
    • Adverb: méchamment (in an unkind way)
    • Masculine Adjective: évident
    • Adverb: évidemment (obviously)
    • Masculine Adjective: récent
    • Adverb: récemment (recently)
    • Masculine Adjective: patient
    • Adverb: patiemment (patiently)
4) Irregular Adverbs from Corresponding Adjectives
  • Examples:
    • Adjective: bon(ne)
    • Adverb: bien (well)
    • Adjective: mauvais(e)
    • Adverb: mal (badly)
    • Adjective: gentil(le)
    • Adverb: gentiment (nicely)
    • Adjective: petit(e)
    • Adverb: peu (little)

Placement of Adverbs

  • The positioning of adverbs depends on the type of adverb and the word it modifies:
    • Adverbs modifying an adjective or another adverb: Placed before the word it modifies.
    • Examples:
      • La chambre est assez grande. (The room is quite large.)
      • Ils parlent très vite. (They speak very quickly.)
    • In the present tense: Adverbs modifying a verb are placed immediately after the verb.
    • Examples:
      • Elle parle bien le français ? (Does she speak French well?)
      • Ils parlent constamment. (They speak constantly.)
    • In the passé composé:
    • Short adverbs placed before the past participle.
    • Long adverbs placed after the past participle.
    • Examples:
      • Ils sont vite partis. (They left quickly.)
      • Ils ont gagné facilement. (They won easily.)
    • Adverbs of frequency (e.g., de temps en temps, en général, quelquefois, demain, aujourd'hui, etc.) can be placed:
    • At the beginning or the end of the sentence.
      • Examples:
      • De temps en temps, je vais au cinéma. (From time to time, I go to the cinema.)
      • Il va étudier aujourd'hui. (He is going to study today.)
    • Exception: Parfois is always placed at the beginning of the sentence.
      • Example: Parfois, on va au parc. (Sometimes, we go to the park.)