Je mange toujours à la maison.
English: I always eat at home.
- Language
- French
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Adverbes
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Adverbes de fréquence are words in French that say how often something happens (like 'always', 'often', 'sometimes'). They help describe routines or repeated actions.
When to use it
Use adverbes de fréquence in French to talk about habits, routines, or how frequently you do something. They are often used with the present tense to describe regular actions.
Key forms
- toujours
- souvent
- parfois
- rarement
- jamais
Examples
Nous allons souvent au cinéma.
English: We often go to the cinema.
Il oublie parfois ses clés.
English: He sometimes forgets his keys.
Vous arrivez rarement en retard.
English: You rarely arrive late.
Elles ne voyagent jamais en hiver.
English: They never travel in winter.
Tips
- Usually, place the adverbe de fréquence after the conjugated verb.
- With negative sentences, put the adverb after 'pas' (except 'jamais', which replaces 'pas').
- Do not use 'jamais' with 'pas'. Use only 'ne... jamais' for 'never'.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some adverbs (like 'quelquefois') can move in the sentence for emphasis.
- In compound tenses (like passé composé), most adverbs come between the auxiliary and the past participle: 'J'ai toujours aimé le chocolat.'