Learning French Adverbs
A comprehensive guide that helps beginner English students learn the use of adverbs in the French language.
ensemble
together
'Ensemble' is a French word which translates to 'together' in English. It's used in similar ways to its English counterpart - to indicate two or more people or things being in proximity, involved in a task, or in agreement. For example, 'Nous travaillons ensemble' means 'We are working together'.
Example sentences with ensemble →entier
whole
The French word 'entier' translates to 'whole' in English. It could be used in various contexts. It is often used to indicate an entire or full amount of something. Just like in English, 'entier' can be used in various sentences of French, for instance, 'L'ensemble du fromage' means 'The whole cheese'. It is also used to describe someone who is honest and complete.
Example sentences with entier →entre
between
The French word 'entre' is used similarly to the English word 'between'. It signifies the position in the middle of two or more items, concepts or places. For example, if we are talking about being in the middle of two cities, you could say 'Je suis entre Paris et Lyon'. Which is 'I am between Paris and Lyon' in English.
Example sentences with entre →environ
about
The French word 'environ' is commonly used to translate English term 'about'. It is generally used to give approximate figures and estimations. For example, if someone asks you how old you are and you don't want to give an exact age you could say 'J'ai environ trente ans' when translated it means 'I'm about thirty years old'.
Example sentences with environ →exactement
exactly
The French word 'exactement' is used in the same way as its English translation 'exactly'. It can be used to agree with someone, to emphasize the truth, or to state that something is accurate or correct. For example, 'C'est exactement ce que j'ai dit' means 'That's exactly what I said'.
Example sentences with exactement →faux
wrong
The French word 'faux' is used to denote something as incorrect or untrue, providing a direct equivalent to the English 'wrong'. It can be used in a variety of contexts, including factual disagreements, moral judgements, and incorrect directions.
Example sentences with faux →finalement
finally
The French word 'finalement' is often used similarly to the English word 'finally'. It is typically used to indicate that something has occurred or been completed after a long period of time or a lot of effort. Additionally, 'finalement' can be used to demonstrate a conclusion or result, similar to the way 'finally' is used in English.
Example sentences with finalement →gauche
left
The French word for 'left' is 'gauche'. It is used in the same contexts as 'left' in English, referring to the opposite side of right in directions or positions. For example, if you were giving someone directions in French, you'd say 'tournez à gauche' for 'turn left'. But please pay attention, 'gauche' also carries an informal meaning which refers to someone who is awkward or clumsy.
Example sentences with gauche →grand
great
The word 'grand' in French is equivalent to the English word 'great'. It can be used in similar contexts as English - to express something of large size, high quantity or superior quality. However, it is important to note that in French adjectives generally follow the noun they are describing, which is unlike English where adjectives precede the noun.
Example sentences with grand →gratuit
free
The French word for 'free' is 'gratuit'. It is used much the same way as in English, to denote that something does not cost any money. For example, 'entrée gratuite' means 'free entrance'. However, it's important to note that 'gratuit' only refers to monetary free. If you're talking about 'free' as in freedom, the word would be 'libre'.
Example sentences with gratuit →habituellement
usually
The word 'habituellement' is an adverb in French which translates to 'usually' in English. It is frequently used to describe a customary, traditional, or generally common occurrence or routine. For example, you might say 'Je vais à la bibliothèque habituellement', which means 'I usually go to the library'. Notice that adverbs in French, like 'habituellement', often appear either after the verb they modify or at the end of the sentence.
Example sentences with habituellement →haut
high
The word 'haut' is the French translation for the English word 'high'. It is used in similar contexts as in English, such as to describe something that is physically at a large distance from the ground, of great vertical extent, greater than average in quantity or size, or denoting a high degree of a certain quality. Remember, like many words, exact usage can depend on the context.
Example sentences with haut →ici
here
The French word for 'here' is 'ici'. It is used in the same context as in English, to indicate a particular location or place. For example, 'I am here' would translate to 'Je suis ici'. Note that the word 'ici' is often used after the verb, unlike in English where 'here' usually comes before.
Example sentences with ici →jamais
never
In French, 'jamais' is the translation for 'never'. It is typically used to denote an action that will not take place at any time or under any circumstances. It is generally placed after the verb it modifies. For example, 'Je ne mange jamais de viande' translates to 'I never eat meat'. Furthermore, in modern French, 'jamais' can simply mean 'ever' in certain contexts when used without the negation 'ne'.
Example sentences with jamais →juste
just
The French word 'juste' translates to 'just' in English. It is commonly used in the same contexts as in English, such as to mean 'only', 'exactly' or 'recently'. For example, 'Je suis juste ici' means 'I am just here'. This word can also be used in the context of fairness, similar to English, as in 'C'est juste' which means 'It's fair'.
Example sentences with juste →là
there
The French word 'là' represents the English equivalent 'there'. It is used in pretty much the same way it would be in English, to denote a particular place or position. However, just like English, French has multiple words that can be translated as 'there', so the usage of 'là' may vary depending on the context. For instance, 'y' can also mean 'there', especially in the sense of 'in/at a place' while 'là' tends to mean 'there' in the sense of 'that place', pointing towards a certain area.
Example sentences with là →la plupart
most
The French word 'la plupart' is used to indicate the majority of something. It is very similar to how 'most' is used in English. Used in a sentence, it could be like 'La plupart des étudiants aiment le Français' where it translates to 'Most students like French'. Note that 'la plupart' is followed by 'de' plus a noun.
Example sentences with la plupart →le long de
along
The French word 'le long de' is used similarly to how we use 'along' in English. It denotes a position that extends over a certain line or area. For example, 'I walked along the river' translates into 'J'ai marché le long de la rivière'. It's used both spatially and temporally.
Example sentences with le long de →les deux
both
In French, 'les deux' is used to express 'both' or 'the two'. It is used when referring to two things or people already mentioned and indicates that the statement being made applies to both of them. For instance, 'Je aime les deux' means 'I like both'.
Example sentences with les deux →loin
away
The French word for 'away' is 'loin'. It is most often used in the context of distance, both in a literal sense (like being a certain amount of miles away) and in a more figurative sense (like being emotionally distant). It can also be used to mean 'gone', as in 'he is away', which would be 'il est loin'.
Example sentences with loin →long
long
In French, 'long' is used in a similar way to English to describe an object, distance, or time period that has great duration or length. For example, 'un long voyage' means 'a long trip.' It's important to note that 'long' also agrees with the gender and number of the noun it modifies, becoming 'longs' for masculine plural objects, 'longue' for singular feminine objects, and 'longues' for plural feminine objects.
Example sentences with long →mais
but
The French word 'mais' is used similarly to the English word 'but', acting as a conjunction to introduce a phrase or clause contrasting with what has already been mentioned. An example usage in a sentence: 'Je veux aller, mais je suis trop fatigué', which translates to 'I want to go, but I'm too tired'.
Example sentences with mais →matin
morning
The French word 'matin' corresponds to the English word 'morning'. In French, 'matin' is used to describe the period of time from sunrise to noon. It is used in similar contexts as it is in English, such as in greeting 'bonjour' (good morning), or expressing time of day.
Example sentences with matin →meilleur
best
The French word for 'best' is 'meilleur'. It is commonly used in sentences to describe something or someone as superior or of higher value compared to others. Please note that this word may change depending on the gender and number of the noun it is referring to.
Example sentences with meilleur →mieux
better
The French word 'mieux' is used to signify something being better or improved. It is often used in comparison or estimation just like its English counterpart 'better'. It's important to note that 'mieux' is the comparative and superlative form of 'bon/right/good'.
Example sentences with mieux →moins
least
The French word for 'least' is 'moins'. It can be used in similar contexts as in English. For example, in comparative sentences to denote something that is lesser in quantity, degree, or importance. Please note that the usage might slightly change depending on the context of the sentence.
Example sentences with moins →n'importe quoi
anything
In French, 'n'importe quoi' is commonly used to mean 'anything'. It is used for indicating nonspecific things or amounts, similar to how 'anything' is used in English. For instance, when asked what you want to eat, you might say 'n'importe quoi' to mean you'll have anything.
Example sentences with n'importe quoi →naturel
natural
The French word 'naturel' is the equivalent of the English word 'natural'. It can be used in a similar context and also in a variety of ways. It can be an adjective to describe someone's personality or a phenomenon that is not caused by humans. It can also be a noun in phrases to refer to something that is not found in artificial substances, like 'vin naturel' which means natural wine.
Example sentences with naturel →où
where
The French term 'où' is equivalent to the English word 'where'. It is used to ask about a location or position. Similar to English, 'où' can be used in both direct and indirect questions or clauses about location. As an example, 'Où est la bibliothèque?' translates to 'Where is the library?' in English. It also plays a role in some descriptive clauses, such as in 'L'endroit où nous avons mangé' which translates to 'The place where we ate'.
Example sentences with où →ouais
yeah
The French word 'ouais' is often used as an informal or slang way to say 'yeah' in English. It is usually used in casual conversation and is equivalent to saying 'yes.' However, it is less formal than 'oui,' the standard French word for 'yes.'
Example sentences with ouais →