# French For Football/Grammar/Adverbs

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.

## Formation

In French, as in English, many adverbs are derived from adjectives. In most cases, this is done by adding the suffix -ment (English "-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, malheureux → malheureusement ("unhappy" → "unhappily").
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")
** impoli → impoliment ("rude" → "rudely")
* 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")
(Look out though, as the -ment suffix is also used to create nouns from verbs where it then corresponds with English -ing.)
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)
* pire → pire ("worse"-adjective → "worse"-adverb)
And, as in English, many common adverbs are not derived from adjectives at all:
* ainsi ("thus" or "thusly")

## 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")
* tellement discrètement ("so discreetly")
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 s'affoler ("don't panic")
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")

## List of common adverbs

| Adverb | English | French Example | English Translation |
| actuellement | currently | le club évolue actuellement en deuxième division | the club currently plays in the second division |
| ainsi | thus | deux défenseurs ont été expulsés ainsi que le gardien de but | two backs were sent off as well as the goalkeeper |
| après | afterwards | On va au bar après | We'll go to the bar afterwards |
| assez | enough | le jeu est assez ouvert | the game is fairly open |
| aussi | also | j'ai aussi joué dans la même équipe | I also played in the same team |
| aussitôt | straight away | il récupère aussitôt la balle | he recovers the ball straight away |
| autant | as many / as much | six matchs et autant de victoires | six matches and as many victories |
| autrefois | in the past | son niveau d'autrefois | his former level |
| autrement | differently, otherwise | Et autrement, comment ça va ? | How's it going, otherwise? |
| avant-hier | on the day before yesterday | la contre-performance d'avant-hier | the poor performance of the day before yesterday |
| beau, bel, belle | nicely (in expressions) | bel et bien battu | well and truly beaten |
| beaucoup (de) | much, many | beaucoup d'occasions | lots of chances |
| bien | well | il est bien marqué | he is well marked |
| bientôt | soon | à tres bientôt | see you very soon |
| cependant | however | Cependant, il y a un risque de blessures. | However, there is a risk of injuries. |
| certainement | certainly | ce sera certainement un grand match | this will certainly be a big match |
| certes | admittedly, of course | leur tâche est certes plus difficile | their task is admittedly more difficult |
| ci-dessous | below | Rédigez votre message ci-dessous | Write your message below |
| combien (de) | how much, many | un succès, ô combien mérité | a success, oh how deserved |
| comment | how | Comment allez-vous aborder le match ? | How are you going to approach the match? |
| complètement | completely | il se troue complètement | he screws up completely |
| davantage | more, longer | ils ont davantage besoin de points | they have greater need of points |
| debout | standing, up | un match à dormir debout | a match to send you to sleep |
| dedans | inside | ils se sont rentrés dedans | they crashed into each other |
| en dehors de | outside, apart from | la faute était en dehors de la surface | the foul was outside the area |
| déjà | already | des spectateurs quittent déjà le stade | some spectators are leaving the stadium already |
| au delà de | beyond | au delà de 35 ans | over 35 years old |
| demain | tomorrow | demain soir | tomorrow evening |
| désormais | from now on | Les deux équipes sont désormais à égalité de points | The two teams are now level on points |
| devant | ahead, in front | ils manquent de créativité devant | they lack creativity at the front |
| doucement | gently, quietly | le match débute doucement | the match starts quietly |
| également | also, equally | on pourrait également citer un autre match | one could also cite another match |
| encore | again, still | Ben Arfa encore ménagé | Ben Arfa dropped again |
| enfin | at last, finally | ils gagnent enfin un match | they finally win a match |
| ensemble | together | on joue ensemble depuis longtemps | we have been playing (lit. play) together for a long time |
| ensuite | then, next | Ensuite, cela devenait très compliqué | Then it became very difficult |
| environ | about | il va être absent environ un mois | he will be off for about a month |
| facilement | easily | Le Cameroun a facilement battu la Zambie | Cameroon have easily beaten Zambia |
| fort | strongly | il a démarré très fort | he started very strongly |
| heureusement | fortunately | il n'a heureusement aucune blessure | Fortunately he does not have any injury |
| hier | yesterday | le résultat d'hier soir | the result of yesterday evening |
| ici | here, now | la saison commence ici | the season starts here |
| là | there | ce joueur-là a du talent | that player has some talent |
| là-dedans | in here, in there | il n'y a rien de mystère là-dedans | there is no mystery in it |
| là-dessus | on here, on there | on reste là-dessus | we stay where we are |
| largement | greatly, well | le ballon s'envole largement au-dessus du but | the ball soars well over the goal |
| légèrement | lightly, slightly | un joueur légèrement blessé | a slightly injured player |
| lentement | slowly | lentement mais sûrement | slowly but surely |
| loin | far | le match est loin d'être fini | the match is far from over |
| longtemps | a long time | tenir le plus longtemps possible | hold on as long as possible |
| lors de | during | le nombre de buts marqués lors de cette 8ème journée de Ligue 1 | the number of goals scored during the eigth match day of Ligue 1 |
| maintenant | now | Et maintenant on fait quoi? | And now, what do we do? |
| mal | badly, wrongly | un ballon mal dégagé | a badly cleared ball |
| malheureusement | unfortunately | Malheureusement, nous avons encaissé un but | Unfortunately we conceded a goal |
| même | even | il a même séché l'entraînement cette semaine | he even skipped training this week |
| moins | less, least | un match en moins | a match in hand |
| néanmoins | nevertheless | Formé arrière droit, il peut néanmoins rendre des services dans l'axe de la défense. | Trained as right back, he can nevertheless render service in the centre of the defence. |
| parfois | sometimes | Le football est parfois cruel | Football is sometimes cruel |
| partout | everywhere | le score est de deux buts partout | the score is two all |
| peu | little | on peut respirer un peu mieux | we can breathe a little easier |
| peut-être | perhaps | la prochaine fois, peut-être | next time, perhaps |
| plus | more | nous sommes plus que jamais déterminé | we are more determined than ever |
| plutôt | rather | des matchs plutôt lents | some rather slow matches |
| pourquoi | why | Pourquoi le PSG sont-ils sifflés ? | Why are Paris St. Germain whistled at? |
| pourtant | yet | Si près, et pourtant si loin ! | So near, and yet so far! |
| près | close | une tentative de près | a attempt at short range |
| presque | almost | il joue presque tout le temps en défense | he plays in defence almost all the time |
| puis | then | Ce jeu est diffusé à 12h30 puis rediffusé à 19h30 | This game is broadcast at 12.30 p.m. and then rebroadcast at 7:30 p.m. |
| quelque | approximately | on supporte l'équipe quelque soit le score | we support the team whatever the score |
| quelquefois | sometimes | je joue quelquefois au football | I sometimes play football |
| récemment | recently | ils ont joué du bon football récemment | they played some good football recently |
| seulement | only | à seulement 17 ans, il a joué en équipe première | at only 17 years old, he played in the first team |
| si | yes, so, however, as | ils ne méritent pas d'être en si bonne position | they don't deserve to be in as good a position |
| souvent | often | il est souvent en position de hors-jeu | he is often in an offside position |
| surtout | above all | on était pauvre défensivement surtout | we were poor, above all in defence |
| tant | so much | un match tant attendu | a much awaited match |
| tantôt | sometimes, this afternoon | tantôt à gauche, tantôt à droite | sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right |
| tard | late | le gardien recule, mais trop tard | the keeper falls back, but too late |
| tellement | so much, so many | le football c'est tellement imprévisible | football is so unpredictable |
| tôt | soon, early | les billets ont été épuisés plus tôt que prévu | the tickets were sold out earlier than expected |
| toujours | still, always | ils sont toujours invaincus chez eux | they are still unbeaten at home |
| tout | very, quite | tout à fait justifié | totally justified |
| très | very | le gardien est très sollicité | the keeper is very much in demand |
| vite | quickly | On va vite rebondir | We will bounce back quickly |
| vraiment | really, truly | ils n'ont jamais vraiment brillé | they never really shone |
| y | to it, there | il y a une faute flagrante | there's an blatant foul |

## Adverbs Expressing Degree

* assez - rather, enough
** Il est assez prometteur. - He is quite promising.
* très - very
** Il est très$_z$prometteur. - He is very promising.
* vraiment - truly, really
** Il est vraiment prometteur. - He is really promising.

## Acknowledgements

This page is based on original text from French/Grammar/Adverbs dated 29 October 2009.