Adverb Formation For Intermediate learners
What Are Adverbs?
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or even a whole sentence. Adverbs express different aspects of an action, such as manner, place, time and quantity.
Formation of Adverbs from Adjectives
Adverbs that are formed from adjectives can be regular or irregular.
Regular Adverbs
Most French adverbs are formed from adjectives. The basic rule:
Take the feminine singular form of the adjective
Add -ment
Adjective (masc.) | Feminine | Adverb |
|---|---|---|
lent | lente | lentement |
calme | calme | calmement |
sérieux | sérieuse | sérieusement |
rapide | rapide | rapidement |
Look at the examples below:
Elle marche lentement.
She walks slowly.
Il parle calmement.
He speaks calmly.
Even if the adjective already ends in -e, you still add -ment.
Elle travaille sérieusement.
She works seriously.
Il apprend rapidement.
He learns quickly.
Adjectives Ending in -ant
When an adjective ends in -ant, the adverb ends in -amment. Look at the table below:
Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
constant | constamment |
élégant | élégamment |
suffisant | suffisamment |
bruyant | bruyamment |
Here are some examples:
Il parle constamment de son travail.
He constantly talks about his work.
Elle s'habille élégamment.
She dresses elegantly.
Adjectives Ending in -ent
When an adjective ends in -ent, the adverb ends in -emment. Look at the table below:
Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
récent | récemment |
intelligent | intelligemment |
prudent | prudemment |
fréquent | fréquemment |
Here are some examples:
Elle est récemment arrivée.
She recently arrived.
Il répond intelligemment.
He answers intelligently.
Pronunciation Tip!
Both -amment and -emment are pronounced the same as /a.mɑ̃/.
Irregular Adverbs
Some adverbs do not follow the rules above. They must be memorized. Look at the table below:
Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
bon / bonne | bien |
mauvais / mauvaise | mal |
For example:
Elle chante bien.
She sings well.
Il travaille mal quand il est fatigué.
He works badly when tired.
Adverbs with the Same Form as Adjectives
Some adverbs have the same spelling as the masculine adjective. They are invariable.
Adjective | Adverb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
bas | bas | quietly / low |
droit | droit | straight |
juste | juste | correctly / fairly |
cher | cher | dearly / expensively |
Compare:
Une ligne droite (adjective)
A straight line
Elle va droit. (adverb)
She goes straight.
Here are some more examples:
Il parle bas.
He speaks quietly.
Il répond juste.
He answers correctly.
Ils ont payé cher cette erreur.
They paid dearly for this mistake.
Formation of Adverbs Without Adjectives
Some adverbs are independent words, not formed from adjectives. These adverbs must simply be memorized, as they are not derived from adjectives. Here are some examples:
hier (yesterday)
aujourd'hui (today)
ici (here)
ailleurs (elsewhere)
partout (everywhere)
Il est arrivé hier.
He arrived yesterday.
Elle habite ailleurs.
She lives elsewhere.
Les enfants jouent partout.
The children play everywhere.
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