Mastering adverbs is crucial for fluency in French. They provide essential details about how, when, where, and to what extent actions occur. In this guide, we present a curated list of common French adverbs, categorized for easy learning.
Adverbs of Time (Adverbes de temps)
These adverbs answer the question "When?" and indicate the timing of an action.
- Aujourd'hui – today
- Demain – tomorrow
- Hier – yesterday
- Maintenant – now
- Toujours – always
- Jamais – never
- Bientôt – soon
- Tard – late
- Tôt – early
- Encore – again
Adverbs of Manner (Adverbes de manière)
These adverbs describe how an action is performed.
- Bien – well
- Mal – badly
- Doucement – softly
- Vite – quickly
- Facilement – easily
- Clairment – clearly
- Sérieusement – seriously
- Franchement – frankly
- Gentiment – kindly
- Lentement – slowly
Adverbs of Frequency (Adverbes de fréquence)
These adverbs answer "How often?" and indicate the frequency of an action.
- Toujours – always
- Jamais – never
- Parfois – sometimes
- Souvent – often
- Rarement – rarely
- Fréquemment – frequently
- Régulièrement – regularly
- De temps en temps – from time to time
- Occasionnellement – occasionally
- Constamment – constantly
Adverbs of Place (Adverbes de lieu)
These adverbs answer "Where?" and indicate the location of an action.
- Ici – here
- Là – there
- Partout – everywhere
- Nulle part – nowhere
- Loin – far
- Près – near
- Dedans – inside
- Dehors – outside
- Dessus – on top
- Dessous – underneath
Adverbs of Degree (Adverbes de degré)
These adverbs answer "To what extent?" and modify the intensity of an action or adjective.
- Très – very
- Trop – too much
- Assez – quite
- Moins – less
- Plus – more
- Beaucoup – a lot
- Peu – little
- Tant – so much
- Presque – almost
- Complètement – completely
Practice Sentences
Elle mange lentement. – She eats slowly.
Nous vivons ici. – We live here.
Il parle très bien français. – He speaks French very well.
Je vais souvent au cinéma. – I often go to the cinema.
Ils travaillent sérieusement. – They work seriously.
Understanding and using French adverbs effectively can significantly enhance your communication skills. By incorporating these adverbs into your daily practice, you'll be able to express actions with greater detail and precision.