How Adverbs are Positioned in French Sentences
How Adverbs are Positioned in French Sentences
Adverbs are important parts of sentences in any language because these provide answers to the questions:
1. If the adverb does not modify a verb, it should be placed in front of the adjective, adverb, or noun phrase that it modifies.
Example: vous êtes très à la mode (You are very fashionable). The adverb très (very) is placed before the adjective à la mode (fashionable).
2. If it is a manner adverb that modifies the verb, then it should always be placed after the verb. In most cases, the verb would already be conjugated to match the adverb.
Example: il parle étrangement (He speaks strangely)
In English, it is possible to interchange the placement of the verb and the adverb yet the speaker would still be able to convey the same meaning. But this is a big no-no in the French language and the speaker would only end up speaking unintelligible words.
And just like the English adverbs, French adverbs are also differentiated into the following:
1. Adverbs of time, such as:
Actuellement/akt ɥɛ lm ɑ̃ / - this adverb is often mistaken by non-native French speakers to be the equivalent of the word ‘actually’ and its cognate actuelle/akt ɥɛ l/ to be ‘actual’. This adverb actually means ‘at the present time’ or ‘at present’. An example of how it can be used in a correct French sentence: Je suis occupé à l'heure actuelle (I am busy at present).
À la fois /alafwa/ - this means ‘at once’, though it can also be taken literally to mean ‘at the time’. The phrase can also be used when the speaker wants to mean two things at once, as characterized by the English word ‘both’.
Example: Ils sont à la fois drôle et beau (They are both funny and handsome).
Plus /plus/ or /plu/ - the pronunciation of this word, i.e. enunciating the letter ‘s’ or not, depends on how it is being used in the sentence. If it is used as an affirmative adverb, then it is pronounced /plus/, and if it is a negative adverb then it is pronouced as /plu/. /plus/ can be translated to mean ‘more than’ and ‘additional’, and /plu/ is roughly translated as ‘neither’ or ‘no more’.
Examples: Je veux plus de crème (I want more cream)
Il n'y a pas plus de crème (There’s no more cream)
Tant /t ɑ̃ / - this should not be confused with autant because it is never used for comparison but instead is used to intensify the verbal impact of a certain quantity. Rough English translation for this is ‘so much’ or ‘too much’.
Example: Vous me avez déjà donné tant d'amour (You have already given me so much love)
Following the rules for the placement of adverbs and knowing some of the most basic and commonly-used adverbs would greatly help in making one fluent in the French language. This is because adverbs also serve the unspoken purpose of intensifying or emphasizing the impact of the nouns or verbs that it modifies. This means that adverbs are great for making conversations livelier and give people a better chance of becoming more familiar to each other
Adverbs are important parts of sentences in any language because these provide answers to the questions:
- When
- Where
- How (including how often)
- What
1. If the adverb does not modify a verb, it should be placed in front of the adjective, adverb, or noun phrase that it modifies.
Example: vous êtes très à la mode (You are very fashionable). The adverb très (very) is placed before the adjective à la mode (fashionable).
2. If it is a manner adverb that modifies the verb, then it should always be placed after the verb. In most cases, the verb would already be conjugated to match the adverb.
Example: il parle étrangement (He speaks strangely)
In English, it is possible to interchange the placement of the verb and the adverb yet the speaker would still be able to convey the same meaning. But this is a big no-no in the French language and the speaker would only end up speaking unintelligible words.
And just like the English adverbs, French adverbs are also differentiated into the following:
1. Adverbs of time, such as:
Actuellement/akt ɥɛ lm ɑ̃ / - this adverb is often mistaken by non-native French speakers to be the equivalent of the word ‘actually’ and its cognate actuelle/akt ɥɛ l/ to be ‘actual’. This adverb actually means ‘at the present time’ or ‘at present’. An example of how it can be used in a correct French sentence: Je suis occupé à l'heure actuelle (I am busy at present).
À la fois /alafwa/ - this means ‘at once’, though it can also be taken literally to mean ‘at the time’. The phrase can also be used when the speaker wants to mean two things at once, as characterized by the English word ‘both’.
Auparavant/opa ʀ av ɑ̃ / - this means ‘beforehand’ and can be used for putting emphasis on something that happened at a previous time. This is different from the word avant which can serve as either a preposition or an adverb. Avant is used as a simple way of expressing the time that something happens or has happened.
Example: Prier avant d'aller dormir (Pray first before going to sleep).
Auparavant is usually used in long sentences where the speaker has to make his point with much emphasis.
Enfin / ɑ̃ f ɛ̃ / - this can roughly be translated to ‘at last’ and is used to emphasize a long-awaited accomplishment.
Example: Ils sont enfin arrivés (They have finally arrived)
2. Adverbs of quantity includes the following:
Example: Prier avant d'aller dormir (Pray first before going to sleep).
Auparavant is usually used in long sentences where the speaker has to make his point with much emphasis.
Enfin / ɑ̃ f ɛ̃ / - this can roughly be translated to ‘at last’ and is used to emphasize a long-awaited accomplishment.
Example: Ils sont enfin arrivés (They have finally arrived)
Autant /ot ɑ̃ / - this is normally used to compare the quantity of two things and can roughly be translated to English to ‘as much’ are ‘so many’.
Example: Je ai fait autant que lui pour accomplir la tâche (I did as much as he to accomplish the task)
Example: Je ai fait autant que lui pour accomplir la tâche (I did as much as he to accomplish the task)
Plus /plus/ or /plu/ - the pronunciation of this word, i.e. enunciating the letter ‘s’ or not, depends on how it is being used in the sentence. If it is used as an affirmative adverb, then it is pronounced /plus/, and if it is a negative adverb then it is pronouced as /plu/. /plus/ can be translated to mean ‘more than’ and ‘additional’, and /plu/ is roughly translated as ‘neither’ or ‘no more’.
Examples: Je veux plus de crème (I want more cream)
Tant /t ɑ̃ / - this should not be confused with autant because it is never used for comparison but instead is used to intensify the verbal impact of a certain quantity. Rough English translation for this is ‘so much’ or ‘too much’.
Example: Vous me avez déjà donné tant d'amour (You have already given me so much love)
Following the rules for the placement of adverbs and knowing some of the most basic and commonly-used adverbs would greatly help in making one fluent in the French language. This is because adverbs also serve the unspoken purpose of intensifying or emphasizing the impact of the nouns or verbs that it modifies. This means that adverbs are great for making conversations livelier and give people a better chance of becoming more familiar to each other