French adverbs
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French adverbs, like their English counterparts, are used to modify adjectives, other adverbs, and verbs or clauses. They do not display any inflection; that is, their form does not change to reflect their precise role, nor any characteristics of what they modify.
[edit] Formation
In French, as in English, most adverbs are derived from adjectives. In most cases, this is done by adding the suffix -ment ("-ly") to the adjective's feminine singular form. For example, the feminine singular form of lent ("slow") is lente, so the corresponding adverb is lentement ("slowly"); similarly, heureux → heureusement ("happy" → "happily").
As in English, however, the adjective stem is sometimes modified to accommodate the suffix:
- If the adjective ends in an i, then -ment is added to the masculine singular (default) form, rather than to the feminine singular form:
- vrai → vraiment ("real" → "really")
- poli → poliment ("polite" → "politely")
- If the adjective ends in -ant or -ent, then the corresponding adverb ends in -amment or -emment, respectively:
- constant → constamment ("constant" → "constantly")
- récent → récemment ("recent" → "recently")
- Some adjectives make other changes:
- précis → précisément ("precise" → "precisely")
- gentil → gentiment ("nice" → "nicely")
Some adverbs are derived from adjectives in completely irregular fashions, not even using the suffix -ment:
- bon → bien ("good" → "well")
- mauvais → mal ("bad" → "badly")
- meilleur → mieux ("better"-adjective → "better"-adverb)
- traditionally, pire → pis ("worse"-adjective → "worse"-adverb)
- nowadays commonly, pire → pire ("worse"-adjective → "worse"-adverb)
And, as in English, many common adverbs are not derived from adjectives at all:
- ainsi ("thus" or "thusly")
- vite ("quickly")
[edit] Placement
The placement of French adverbs is almost the same as the placement of English adverbs.
An adverb that modifies an adjective or adverb comes before that adjective or adverb:
- complètement vrai ("completely true")
- pas possible ("not possible")
- trop bien cuit ("too well cooked" or "overdone")
An adverb that modifies an infinitive (verbal noun) generally comes after the infinitive:
- marcher lentement ("to walk slowly")
But negative adverbs, such as pas ("not"), plus ("not any more"), and jamais come before the infinitive:
- ne pas marcher ("not to walk")
An adverb that modifies a main verb or clause comes either after the verb, or before the clause:
- Lentement il commença à marcher or Il commença lentement à marcher ("Slowly, he began to walk" or "He began slowly to walk").
Note that, unlike in English, this is true even of negative adverbs:
- Jamais je n'ai fait cela or Je n'ai jamais fait cela ("Never have I done that" or "I've never done that")
