Adverbs of Time For Intermediate learners
What Are Adverbs of Time (les adverbes de temps) in French?
An adverb of time (un adverbe de temps) tells us when an action happens, how often, or for how long.
They can answer questions like:
Quand ? (When?)
Depuis combien de temps ? (For how long?)
À quelle fréquence ? (How often?)
Je partirai demain.
I will leave tomorrow.
Elle travaille toujours.
She always works.
Il a vécu ici longtemps.
He lived here for a long time.
Common Adverbs of Time
Adverbs Indicating a Specific Moment
These are usually one word. These adverbs show when something happens.
aujourd'hui (today)
hier (yesterday)
demain (tomorrow)
maintenant (now)
bientôt (soon)
tard (late)
tôt (early)
Je travaille aujourd'hui.
I am working today.
Elle est partie hier.
She left yesterday.
Nous partirons demain.
We will leave tomorrow.
Il commence maintenant.
He is starting now.
Le train arrivera bientôt.
The train will arrive soon.
Je me suis levé tard.
I got up late.
Nous arriverons tôt.
We will arrive early.
Adverbs Indicating Frequency
These adverbs describe how often something happens.
toujours (always)
souvent (often)
parfois (sometimes)
rarement (rarely)
jamais (never)
Elle est toujours à l'heure.
She is always on time.
Je vais souvent au cinéma.
I often go to the cinema.
Il part parfois en voyage.
He sometimes goes on trips.
Nous mangeons rarement au restaurant.
We rarely eat at the restaurant.
Je ne fume jamais.
I never smoke.
jamais usually appears after ne in negative sentences:
Adverbs Indicating Duration or Sequence
These adverbs describe how long something lasts or in what order actions happen.
longtemps (for a long time)
encore (still / again)
déjà (already)
ensuite (then / next)
enfin (finally)
Il a attendu longtemps.
He waited for a long time.
Elle travaille encore.
She is still working.
J'ai déjà vu ce film.
I have already seen this movie.
Nous irons au musée, ensuite au parc.
We will go to the museum, then to the park.
Enfin, le voyage est terminé !
Finally, the trip is over!
Position of Adverbs of Time
In Simple Tenses
In simple tenses like present, imperfect, and future simple, most of the time adverbs go after the verb:
Je pars demain.
I leave tomorrow.
Il travaille souvent.
He works often.
In Compound Tenses
In compound tenses like passé composé, plus-que-parfait, futur antérieur, usually adverbs go between the auxiliary and the participle or at the end of the sentence:
Elle a toujours aimé ce film.
She has always loved this movie.
Nous avons déjà vu ce spectacle.
We have already seen this show.
J'ai mangé ici hier.
I ate here yesterday.
Tip!
Adverbs of time can appear at the beginning or end of the sentence for emphasis or stylistic reasons.
Aujourd'hui, nous allons au marché.
Today, we are going to the market.
Nous allons au marché aujourd'hui.
We are going to the market today.
Expressions with Adverbs of Time
These multi-word expressions are very common in conversation. Pay attention to position in the sentence; often they go at the beginning or end.
de temps en temps (from time to time)
tout à l'heure (just now / in a moment)
d'abord (first)
à l'instant (just now)
maintenant que (now that)
Nous allons au théâtre de temps en temps.
We go to the theater from time to time.
Je l'ai vu tout à l'heure.
I saw him a little while ago.
D'abord, je vais faire mes devoirs.
First, I will do my homework.
Elle est partie à l'instant.
She left just now.
Maintenant que tu es là, nous pouvons commencer.
Now that you are here, we can start.
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