Published on April 1, 2025
French adverbs explained
French adverbs can completely change the meaning of a sentence. Take these two sentences, for example:
Can you spot the difference?? It’s all in the adverb!
In English, as in French, adverbs can be used to modify a verb, an adjective, a prepositional phrase or even another adverb. But French adverbs are formed and placed according to rules that English speakers may struggle to learn.
To help you master this concept and build more descriptive sentences, let’s break down how French adverbs are formed and where they fit in sentences.
French adverbs, just like in other languages, modify verbs, adjectives, prepositional phrases and even other adverbs. They’re equivalent to many of the words ending in -ly in English (though adverbs in English can also take on other endings).
Adverbs answer questions about the words they modify — how, when, where, how often, how much and to what extent. As a French speaker, you can use adverbs to express your thoughts more precisely and more fluently (wink, wink).
Let’s start with a reminder on the difference between verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
Verbs are used to express actions and states of being.
Adjectives are used to describe or modify nouns or pronouns.
Adverbs are used to describe or modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
And you know what’s great about French adverbs specifically? They are invariable (for a change)! Their spelling is always the same, so you only need to learn one form of the word.
If you want to improve your French, adverbs are your best friends — along with Lingoda, of course! Our classes can help you speak with confidence as you practice with native-level teachers and a small group of learners.
Now that we’ve clarified the role of French adverbs, let’s see how they’re formed.
Most adverbs are formed from adjectives ending in -e. If the adjective is gender-neutral, the ending -ment is added at the end of the word:
rapide > rapidement (quickly)
If the masculine form of the adjective doesn’t end with an -e, don’t worry! In this case, the adverb is formed using the feminine form of the adjective, as in the below example with the adverb lentement (slowly):
lent (masculine) > lente (feminine) > lentement (adverb)
When the masculine form of the adjective ends with ‑ai, ‑é, ‑i or ‑u, the adverb is formed from the masculine form:
joli > joliment (nicely)
Lastly, when an adjective ends with -ant or -ent, the adverb is formed by adding the suffix -amment or -emment at the end of the word.
élégant > élégamment (elegantly)
Though the formation of most adverbs follows the above rules, there are also a number of irregular adverbs in French.
Examples of irregular French adverbs ending with -ment include: gentiment (nicely), brièvement (briefly) and prudemment (carefully).
Other irregular adverbs include: bien (well), mal (badly) and mieux (better).
Like all irregular forms, irregular adverbs must be memorized.
French adverbs are categorized based on the kind of modification they produce.
Adverbs of manner answer the question “how?”.
Other common adverbs of manner include:
poliment (politely)
The adverbs clairement (clearly) and carrément (totally) are both commonly used in informal French. For example: C’est carrément incroyable ! (It’s totally incredible!)
Adverbs of time in French answer the question “when?”.
Other common adverbs of time include:
Note: adverbs of time impact how tenses are used in French. In some cases, they override the expected tense usage.
In the sentence Elle arrive bientôt (She’ll be there soon), the adverb bientôt creates a future meaning even though the sentence uses the present tense.
Sometimes, adverbs also require a specific tense. For example, the adverbs autrefois and jadis (formerly; in the past) are typically used with the imperfect tense:
Using the wrong tense in French is one of the more common French grammar mistakes, so be sure to keep these rules in mind.
Adverbs of place answer the question “where?”.
Other common adverbs of place include:
For example: Je t’attends ici. (I’m waiting for you here.)
These examples illustrate how adverbs of place are generally positioned after the verb.
Adverbs of frequency answer the question “how often?”.
Je vais nager tous les jours. (I go swimming every day.)
Other common adverbs of frequency include:
For example: Je l’ai toujours dit. (I’ve always said so.)
Like adverbs of place, adverbs of frequency are generally positioned after the verb. In a sentence using the compound past (Je l’ai toujours dit.), the adverb is placed between the auxiliary verb and the past participle.
Adverbs of quantity and degree in French answer the question “how much?” or “to what extent?”.
Other common adverbs of quantity and degree include:
For example: Elle parle trop. (She talks too much.)
In casual conversations, you’ll notice that French people use the adverb trop quite a lot. For example, a French person might say to a friend, “C’est trop cool !” (“It’s really cool!”).
Pay attention to the subtle differences between certain adverbs with similar meanings. For example, peu and légèrement mean almost the same thing, but peu is more common and légèrement is more precise.
Want some more practice learning French adverbs? You can find complete French adverbs lists and exercises on the internet.
| Position | Example |
| After the conjugated verb in simple tenses | Il parle clairement. (He speaks clearly.) Vous arrivez tard. (You arrive late.) |
| Between the auxiliary and the past participle in compound tenses | Elle a bien compris. (She understood well.) Il va souvent danser. (He often goes dancing.) |
| Before a modified adjective or adverb | Il est vraiment sympa. (He’s really nice.) |
| At the beginning or at the end of a sentence to modify it entirely | Heureusement, elle va pouvoir le faire. (Luckily, she will be able to do it.) Je n’ai pas envie d’y aller, clairement. (I don’t want to go there, clearly.) |
| Position | Example |
| In sentences with multiple verbs, adverbs are always placed before the infinitive. | Il veut toujours apprendre. (He always wants to learn.) |
| In negative sentences with compound tenses, the placement of the adverb depends on its type | Short adverbs (bien, mal, vite) are placed between the auxiliary and the past participles.Il n’a pas bien compris. (He didn’t understand well.) |
| Adverbs ending with -ment are placed after the verb.Elle ne veut pas travailler maintenant. (She doesn’t want to work now.) |
The meaning of a sentence may vary depending on where the adverb is placed in the sentence.
French adverbs are also used for stylistic purposes. This is most common in literature and poetry.
Here again, the placement of the adverb allows the author or poet to add emphasis or rhythm to their creative work.
See this excerpt from “Les feuilles mortes” by Jacques Prévert:
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s’aiment,
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
(But this life separates those who love,
softly, with not a hint of noise)
The adverbial phrase “tout doucement” slows the rhythm of the poem and amplifies the melancholic atmosphere expressed in “sans faire de bruit”.
An adverb in French (as in English) is a word that modifies verbs, adjectives, prapositional phrases or other adverbs. Examples of French adverbs include généralement (generally), strictement (strictly), demain (tomorrow) and tôt (early).
Most French adverbs are formed based on adjectives. Regular adverbs are formed by adding the ending -ment, -amment or -emment at the end of the adjective. For example: rapide becomes rapidement (quickly).
Mastering French adverbs is a big step toward becoming a fluent French speaker. The good news? Adverb categories and adverb usage in French don’t differ so much from what you’re already used to in English. Remember that most adverbs are formed with the -ment suffix, though several common ones are irregular. Also, keep in mind that their placement varies depending on tense and what they modify.
While you’re exploring French grammar, you can also review our article about French grammar rules. And don’t forget: Lingoda’s French conversation online classes can help you practice using adverbs and grasp the subtleties of their irregularities.
