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French adverbs, like their English counterparts, are used to modify adjectives, other adverbs, and verbs or clauses. They do not display any inflection; that is, their form does not change to reflect their precise role, nor any characteristics of what they modify.
Formation
editIn French, as in English, most adverbs are derived from adjectives. In most cases, this is done by adding the suffix -ment ("-ly") to the adjective's feminine singular form. For example, the feminine singular form of lent ("slow") is lente, so the corresponding adverb is lentement ("slowly"); similarly, heureux → heureusement ("happy" → "happily").
As in English, however, the adjective stem is sometimes modified to accommodate the suffix:
- If the adjective ends in an i, then -ment is added to the masculine singular (default) form, rather than to the feminine singular form:
- vrai → vraiment ("real" → "really")
- poli → poliment ("polite" → "politely")
- If the adjective ends in -ant or -ent, then the corresponding adverb ends in -amment or -emment, respectively:
- constant → constamment ("constant" → "constantly")
- récent → récemment ("recent" → "recently")
- Some adjectives make other changes:
- précis → précisément ("precise" → "precisely")
- gentil → gentiment ("nice" → "nicely")
Some adverbs are derived from adjectives in completely irregular fashions, not even using the suffix -ment:
- bon → bien ("good" → "well")
- mauvais → mal ("bad" → "badly")
- meilleur → mieux ("better"-adjective → "better"-adverb)
- pire → pire ("worse"-adjective → "worse"-adverb)
And, as in English, many common adverbs are not derived from adjectives at all:
- ainsi ("thus" or "thusly")
Placement
editThe placement of French adverbs is almost the same as the placement of English adverbs.
An adverb that modifies an adjective or adverb comes before that adjective or adverb:
- complètement vrai ("completely true")
- pas possible ("not possible")
- tellement discrètement ("so discreetly")
An adverb that modifies an Infinitive (verbal noun) generally comes after the infinitive:
- marcher lentement ("to walk slowly")
But negative adverbs, such as pas ("not"), pas plus ("not any more"), and jamais ("never") come before the infinitive:
- ne pas marcher ("not to walk")
An adverb that modifies a main verb or clause comes either after the verb, or before the clause:
- Lentement il commença à marcher or Il commença lentement à marcher ("Slowly, he began to walk" or "He began slowly to walk").
Note that, unlike in English, this is true even of negative adverbs:
- Jamais je n'ai fait cela or Je n'ai jamais fait cela ("Never have I done that" or "I've never done that")
List of common adverbs
edit| Adverb | English | Group | French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| actuellement | currently | time | ||
| ainsi | thus, so | manner | ainsi va la vie | so life goes (nothing you can do) |
| après | afterwards | time | On va au cinéma après | We'll go to the cinema afterwards |
| assez | enough | quantity | J'en ai eu assez | I've had enough |
| aussi | also | manner | ||
| aussitôt | straight away | time | ||
| autant | as many / as much | quantity | ||
| autrefois | in the past | time | ||
| autrement | differently, otherwise | manner | ||
| avant-hier | on the day before yesterday | time | ||
| beau, bel, belle | nicely (in expressions) | manner | ||
| beaucoup (de) | much, many | quantity | Merci beaucoup | "Thank you very much." |
| bien | well | manner | ||
| bientôt | soon | time | à très bientôt | see you very soon |
| cependant | however | conjunction | ||
| certainement | certainly | affirmation | ||
| certes | admittedly, of course | affirmation | leur tâche est certes plus difficile | their task is admittedly more difficult |
| ci-dessous | below | place | Rédigez votre message ci-dessous | Write your message below |
| combien (de) | how much, many | interrogative | un succès, ô combien mérité | a success, oh how deserved |
| comment | how | interrogative | ||
| complètement | completely | degree | il se troue complètement | he screws up completely |
| davantage | more, longer | degree | ||
| debout | standing, up | manner | ||
| dedans | inside | place | ils se sont rentrés dedans | they crashed into each other |
| en dehors de | outside, apart from | place | ||
| déjà | already | time | ||
| au delà de | beyond | place | au delà de 35 ans | over 35 years old |
| demain | tomorrow | time | demain soir | tomorrow evening |
| désormais | from now on | time | ||
| devant | ahead, in front | place | ||
| doucement | gently, quietly | manner | ||
| également | also, equally | degree | ||
| encore | again, still | time | Ils jouent encore | They are still playing |
| enfin | at last, finally | time | ||
| ensemble | together | manner | on vie ensemble depuis longtemps | we have been living together for a long time |
| ensuite | then, next | time | Ensuite, cela devenait très compliqué | Then it became very difficult |
| environ | about | degree | il va être absent environ un mois | he will be off for about a month |
| facilement | easily | manner | ||
| fort | strongly | manner | il a démarré très fort | he started very strongly |
| heureusement | fortunately | manner | ||
| hier | yesterday | time | ||
| ici | here, now | place | la course commence ici | the race starts here |
| là | there | place | ||
| là-dedans | in here, in there | place | il n'y a rien de mystère là-dedans | there is no mystery in it |
| là-dessus | on here, on there | place | on reste là-dessus | we stay where we are |
| largement | greatly, well | degree | ||
| légèrement | lightly, slightly | degree | ||
| lentement | slowly | manner | lentement mais sûrement | slowly but surely |
| loin | far | place | la soirée est loin d'être finie | the evening is far from over |
| longtemps | a long time | time | ||
| lors de | during | time | ||
| maintenant | now | time | Et maintenant on fait quoi? | And now, what do we do? |
| mal | badly, wrongly | manner | ||
| malheureusement | unfortunately | manner | ||
| même | even | degree | ||
| moins | less, least | quantity | ||
| néanmoins | nevertheless | manner | ||
| parfois | sometimes | time | La vie est parfois cruelle | Life is sometimes cruel |
| partout | everywhere | place | ||
| peu | little | degree | on peut respirer un peu mieux | we can breathe a little easier |
| peut-être | perhaps | affirmation | la prochaine fois, peut-être | next time, perhaps |
| plus | more | quantity | nous sommes plus que jamais déterminés | we are more determined than ever |
| plutôt | rather | degree | ||
| pourquoi | why | interrogative | ||
| pourtant | yet | Si près, et pourtant si loin ! | So near, and yet so far! | |
| près | close | place | ||
| presque | almost | degree | ||
| puis | then | time | ||
| quelque | approximately | quantity | on supporte le parti quelque soit les sondages | we support the party whatever the opinion polls |
| quelquefois | sometimes | time | je joue quelquefois du piano | I sometimes play the piano |
| récemment | recently | time | ||
| seulement | only | degree | ||
| si | yes, so, however, as | affirmation | ils ne méritent pas d'être en si bonne position | they don't deserve to be in as good a position |
| souvent | often | time | ||
| surtout | above all | manner | ||
| tant | so much | quantity | un événement tant attendu | a much awaited event |
| tantôt | sometimes, this afternoon | time | ||
| tard | late | time | ||
| tellement | so much, so many | degree | la météo est tellement imprévisible | the weather is so unpredictable |
| tôt | soon, early | time | les billets ont été épuisés plus tôt que prévu | the tickets were sold out earlier than expected |
| toujours | still, always | time | ||
| tout | very, quite | degree | tout à fait justifié | totally justified |
| très | very | degree | ||
| trop | too many, too much | quantity | ||
| vite | quickly | manner | ||
| vraiment | really, truly | affirmation | ||
| y | to it, there | place |
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