Forming adverbs from adjectives
Steps to form adverbs
Here are the steps to form adverbs from adjectives:
•Take the feminine from of the adjective, for example: Fort -> Forte (strong)
•Append -ment at the end of this feminine adjective, for example: Forte -> Fortement (strongly)
Examples
| Adj. (English) | Adj. (Fr - Masculine) | Adj. (Fr - Feminine) | Adverb |
| Beautiful | Joli | Jolie | Joliement |
| Strong | Fort | Forte | Fortement |
| Big | Grand | Grande | Grandement |
| Large | Large | Large | Largement |
| Joyful | Joyeux | Joyeuse | Joyeusement |
| Proud | Fier | Fière | Fièrement |
Irregular rules
There are a few exceptions, as follows:
•Most of the time, an adjective ends with a vowel in the masculine, the adverb is formed on the masculine of the adjective (except "Fou", "Mou" and "Gai").
•For adjectives in -ant, adverbs end in -amment
•For adjectives in -ent, adverbs end in -emment.
Examples:
| Adj. (English) | Adj. (Fr - Masculine) | Adj. (Fr - Feminine) | Adverb |
| True | Vrai | Vraie | Vraiment |
| Constant | Constant | Constante | Constamment |
| Clever | Intelligent | Intelligente | Intelligemment |
Irregular adverbs
Some adverbs take -ément:
| Adj. (English) | Adj. (Fr - Masculine) | Adj. (Fr - Feminine) | Adverb |
| Precise | Précis | Précise | Précisément |
| Confused | Confus | Confuse | Confusément |
| Precise | Précis | Précise | Précisément |
Other adverbs ending in -ément : profondément, intensément, densément,, immensément, énormément, inpunément.
Other irregular adverbs :
| Adj. (English) | Adj. (Fr - Masculine) | Adj. (Fr - Feminine) | Adverb |
| Good | Bon | Bonne | Bien |
| Bad | Mauvais | Mauvaise | Mal |
| Kind | Gentil | Gentille | Gentiment |
| Brief | Bref | Brève | Brièvement |
| Brut | Cru | Crue | Crûment |
Other lessons
Practice
Are you ready ?
Start quiz