Elle chante joliment.
English: She sings beautifully.
- Language
- French
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Adverbes
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Adverbes de manière are words in French that describe how an action is done. They answer the question 'how?' about a verb.
When to use it
Use adverbes de manière in French to explain how something happens or is done. They are usually placed after the verb.
Key forms
- Most are formed by adding -ment to the feminine form of an adjective: rapide → rapidement.
- Some are irregular: bien, mal, vite.
Examples
Il parle doucement.
English: He speaks softly.
Nous avons travaillé rapidement.
English: We worked quickly.
Tu écris bien.
English: You write well.
Tips
- Most adverbes de manière come after the verb in French.
- Remember that some adverbs don’t follow the -ment rule, like 'bien' and 'mal'.
- Don’t confuse adjectives (which describe nouns) with adverbs (which describe verbs).
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some adverbs are irregular and not formed with -ment, such as 'bien', 'mal', and 'vite'.
- If the adjective ends in -ant or -ent, the ending becomes -amment or -emment (ex: constant → constamment).