French, but Fun — Part 21
This lesson will refresh your knowledge of adverbs and adjectives. Adjectives describe nouns, while adverbs describe verbs and other adverbs.
In French, as in many other languages, adverbs (adverbes) are words that modify or describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide additional information about how, when, where, or to what degree an action is performed.
Let’s see some examples.
Adverbs of Place (Les Adverbes de Lieu)
Ici (Here)
- Je suis ici. (I am here.)
Là (There)
- Il est là-bas. (He is over there.)
Partout (Everywhere)
- Les enfants courent partout. (The children are running everywhere.)
Nulle part (Nowhere)
- Je ne trouve mes clés nulle part. (I can’t find my keys anywhere.)
Adverbs of Time (Les Adverbes de Temps)
Maintenant (Now)
- Nous mangeons maintenant. (We are eating now.)
Tôt (Early)
- Il se lève tôt le matin. (He gets up early in the morning.)
Tard (Late)
- Ne sois pas en retard. (Don’t be late.)
Hier (Yesterday)
- J’ai vu ce film hier. (I saw this movie yesterday.)
Demain (Tomorrow)
- Nous partons en vacances demain. (We are leaving for vacation tomorrow.)
Adverbs of Frequency (adverbes de fréquence)
Souvent (Often)
- Je vais souvent au cinéma. (I often go to the cinema.)
Jamais (Never)
- Il ne mange jamais de viande. (He never eats meat.)
Adverbs of Manner (Les Adverbes de Manière)
Bien (Well)
- Il chante bien. (He sings well.)
Mal (Badly)
- Elle danse mal. (She dances badly.)
Vite (Quickly/Fast)
- Il court vite. (He runs fast.)
Doucement (Softly/Slowly)
- Exemple : Parle doucement. (Speak softly.)
Other Common Adverbs
Aussi (Also/Too)
- Elle veut aussi venir. (She wants to come too.)
Peut-être (Maybe)
- Peut-être demain. (Maybe tomorrow.)
Certainement (Certainly)
- Il viendra certainement. (He will certainly come.)
Tout (All/Everything)
- J’ai tout compris. (I understood everything.)
Adverbs are versatile and can appear in various positions within a sentence. They contribute to the overall clarity and expressiveness of the language by providing more details about the circumstances of an action or the qualities of an object.
Adjectives (adjectifs) are words that modify or describe nouns. They provide additional information about the qualities, characteristics, or attributes of the nouns they modify.
Descriptive Adjectives (adjectifs descriptifs)
These adjectives describe the inherent qualities or characteristics of a noun.
- Une belle fleur. (A beautiful flower.)
- Un grand arbre. (A tall tree.)
Quantitative Adjectives (adjectifs quantitatifs)
These adjectives indicate the quantity or amount of a noun.
- Beaucoup de livres. (Many books.)
- Peu d’argent. (Little money.)
Demonstrative Adjectives (adjectifs démonstratifs)
These adjectives point out or identify a particular noun.
- Cette voiture est rapide. (This car is fast.)
- Ces chaussures sont confortables. (These shoes are comfortable.)
Possessive Adjectives (adjectifs possessifs)
These adjectives show ownership or possession.
- Mon livre préféré. (My favorite book.)
- Leur maison est grande. (Their house is big.)
Interrogative Adjectives (adjectifs interrogatifs)
These adjectives are used to ask questions about a noun.
- Quel film préfères-tu ? (Which movie do you prefer?)
- Quelle chanson aimes-tu ? (Which song do you like?)
Exclamatory Adjectives (adjectifs exclamatifs)
These adjectives express strong emotions or exclamations about a noun.
- Quelle surprise ! (What a surprise!)
- Quel plaisir de te voir ! (What a pleasure to see you!)
Agreement in Gender
French adjectives usually have four forms: masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural, and feminine plural. The general rules are:
Masculine Singular: The basic form of the adjective.
- Un grand livre (A big book).
Feminine Singular: Add an “-e” to the masculine form.
- Une grande maison (A big house).
Masculine Plural: Add an “-s” to the masculine singular form.
- Des grands livres (Big books).
Feminine Plural: Add an “-es” to the feminine singular form.
- Des grandes maisons (Big houses).
Agreement in Number
The same rules apply for singular and plural forms, but the endings change for both masculine and feminine:
Masculine Singular: — (No change)
- Un homme intelligent (An intelligent man).
Feminine Singular: -e
- Une femme intelligente (An intelligent woman).
Masculine Plural: -s
- Des hommes intelligents (Intelligent men).
Feminine Plural: -es
- Des femmes intelligentes (Intelligent women).
Placement of Adjectives
In French, adjectives usually come after the noun they modify, unlike in English.
- Un livre intéressant (An interesting book).
Useful resources:
Practise your French adjectives — YouTube
Exercise 1
Look around you and choose three objects. Write sentences describing each object using at least two adjectives. Remember to consider gender and number agreement!
Exercise 2
Describe the images presented below. 😊
