French for Beginners (4 page)

Adverbs are important parts of sentences in any language because these provide answers to the questions:


        
When


        
Where


        
How (including how often)


        
What

French grammar has much stricter rules when it comes to the placement of adverbs as compared to English grammar rules. Some of the rules for placing French adverbs include:

1. If the adverb does not modify a verb, it should be placed in front of the adjective, adverb, or noun phrase that it modifies.
   

Example:
vous êtes
très
à la mode
(You are very fashionable). The adverb
très
(very) is placed before the adjective
à la mode
(fashionable).

1. If it is a manner adverb that modifies the verb, then it should always be placed after the verb. In most cases, the verb would already be conjugated to match the adverb.
   

Example:
il parle étrangement
(He speaks strangely)

In English, it is possible to interchange the placement of the verb and the adverb yet the speaker would still be able to convey the same meaning. But this is a big no-no in the French language and the speaker would only end up speaking unintelligible words.

And just like the English adverbs, French adverbs are also differentiated into the following:

1. Adverbs of time, such as:
   

• Actuellement
  /ak
  t
  ɥ
  ɛ
  l
  mɑ̃
  / - this adverb is often mistaken by non-native French speakers to be the equivalent of the word ‘actually’ and its cognate
  actuelle
  /ak
  t
  ɥ
  ɛ
  l/ to be ‘actual’. This adverb actually means ‘at the present time’ or ‘at present’. An example of how it can be used in a correct French sentence:
  Je suis occupé à l'heure
  actuelle
  (I am busy
  at present
  ).
  
• À la fois /alafwa/ - this means ‘at once’, though it can also be taken literally to mean ‘at the time’. The phrase can also be used when the speaker wants to mean two things at once, as characterized by the English word ‘both’.
  

Example: Ils sont
à la fois
drôle et beau (They are
both
funny and handsome).

• Auparavant
  /op
  aʀ
  a
  vɑ̃
  / - this means ‘beforehand’ and can be used for putting emphasis on something that happened at a previous time. This is different from the word avant which can serve as either a preposition or an adverb.
  Avant
  is used as a simple way of expressing the time that something happens or has happened.
  

Example: 
Prier
avant
d'aller dormir
(Pray first
before
going to sleep).

Auparavant
is usually used in long sentences where the speaker has to make his point with much emphasis.

• Enfin
  /ɑ̃fɛ̃
  / - this can roughly be translated to ‘at last’ and is used to emphasize a long-awaited accomplishment.
  

Example:
Ils sont
enfin
arrivés
(They have finally arrived)

1. Adverbs of quantity includes the following:
   

• Autant /o
  tɑ̃
  / - this is normally used to compare the quantity of two things and can roughly be translated to English to ‘as much’ are ‘so many’.
  

Example: Je ai fait
autant
que lui pour accomplir la tâche (I did
as much
as he to accomplish the task)

• Plus /plus/ or /plu/ - the pronunciation of this word, i.e. enunciating the letter ‘s’ or not, depends on how it is being used in the sentence. If it is used as an affirmative adverb, then it is pronounced /plus/, and if it is a negative adverb then it is pronouced as /plu/.  /plus/ can be translated to mean ‘more than’ and ‘additional’, and /plu/ is roughly translated as ‘neither’ or ‘no more’.
  

Examples:
Je veux
plus
de crème
(I want
more
cream)

                    
Il n'y a pas
plus
de crème
(There’s
no more
cream)

• Tant /
  tɑ̃
  / - this should not be confused with autant because it is never used for comparison but instead is used to intensify the verbal impact of a certain quantity. Rough English translation for this is ‘so much’ or ‘too much’.
  

Example:
Vous me avez déjà donné
tant
d'amour
(You have already given me
so much
love)

Following the rules for the placement of adverbs and knowing some of the most basic and commonly-used adverbs would greatly help in making one fluent in the French language. This is because adverbs also serve the unspoken purpose of intensifying or emphasizing the impact of the nouns or verbs that it modifies. This means that adverbs are great for making conversations livelier and give people a better chance of becoming more familiar to each other.
 

Chapter 7: Basic Vocabulary Words and Phrases

Cardinal Numbers

• 0 – zero
  
• 1 – un/
  œ̃
  /
  
• 2 – deux /dø/
  
• 3 – trois/
  tʀwɑ
  /
  
• 4 – quatre/ka
  tʀ
  /
  
• 5 – cinq/
  s
  ɛ
  ̃
  k/
  
• 6 – six /sis/
  
• 7 – sept /sεt/
  
• 8 – huit
  /
  ˈ
  ɥ
  i(t)/
  
• 9 – neuf /nœf/
  
• 10 – dix /dis/
  
• 11 – onze
  /
  ɔ
  ̃
  z/
  
• 12 – douze /duz/
  
• 13 – treize/
  t
  ʀ
  ɛ
  z/
  
• 14 – quatorze/ka
  t
  ɔ
  ʀ
  z/
  
• 15 – quinze/
  k
  ɛ
  ̃
  z/
  
• 16 – seize /sεz/
  
• 17 – dix-sept/di(s)
  sɛ
  t/
  
• 18 – dix-huit/di(s
  )
  ˈ
  ɥ
  i(t)/
  
• 19 – dix-neuf /diznœf/
  
• 20 – vingt/
  vɛ
  ̃/
  
• 21 – vingt et un
  
• 22 – vingt-deux
  
• 30 – trente
  
• 40 – quarante
  
• 50 – cinquante
  
• 60 – soixante
  
• 70 – soixante-dix
  
• 80 – quatre-vingts
  
• 90 – quatre-vingt-dix
  
• 91 – quatre-vingt-onze
  
• 100 – cent
  
• 1,000 – mille
  
• 1,000,000 – un million
  

Ordinal Numbers

• First – premier (masc.) or première (fem.)
  
• Second – deuxième
  
• Third – Troisième
  
• Fourth – Quatrième
  
• Fifth – Cinquième
  

Fractions

• A quarter – un quart
  
• A third – un tiers
  
• A half – un demi
  
• Three-quarters – trois-quarts
  
• All – tout
  
• None – rien
  

Amounts

• How many/how much? – Combien?
  
• Please give me… - Donnez-moi…. s'il vous plait.
  
• (100) grams – (cent) grammes
  
• (half a) dozen – (demi-)douzaine (fem.)
  
• A kilo – un kilo (masc.)
  
• A packet – un paquet (masc.)
  
• A slice – une tranche (fem.)
  
• A tin – une boite (fem.)
  
• Less – moins
  
• (just) a little – (juste) un peu (masc.)
  
• Many/much/a lot – beaucoup de
  
• More – plus
  
• Some (apples) – quelques (pommes)
  

Telling the Time

In the French language, the 24-hour clock is normally used when telling the time.

• What time is it? – Quelle heure est-il?
  
• It is (one) o’clock. – Il est (une) heure.
  
• It is (ten) o’clock. – Il est (dix) heures.
  
• Quarter past one – Il est une heure et quart.
  
• Twenty past one – Il est une heure vingt.
  
• Half past one – Il et une heure et demie.
  

After the half hour, the succeeding hour is normally used less (moins) the number of minutes there are before that hour comes.

• Twenty to one – Il est une heure moins vingt.
  
• Quarter to one – Il est une heure moins le quart.
  
• In the morning – du matin
  
• In the afternoon – de l’après-midi
  
• In the evening – du soir
  

Days of the week

• Monday – lundi
  
• Tuesday – mardi
  
• Wednesday – mercredi
  
• Thursday – jeudi
  
• Friday – vendredi
  
• Saturday – samedi
  
• Sunday – dimanche
  

Months

• January – janvier
  
• February – février
  
• March – mars
  
• April – avril
  
• May – mai
  
• June – juin
  
• July – juillet
  
• August – aout
  
• September – septembre
  
• October – octobre
  
• November – novembre
  
• December – décembre
  

Seasons

• Summer – été (masc.)
  
• Autumn – automne (masc.)
  
• Winter – hiver (masc.)
  
• Spring – printemps (masc.)
  

Dates

• What date? – Quelle date?
  
• What is today’s date? – Quelle est la date aujourd’hui?
  
• It is (19 November) – C’est le (dix-neuf novembre).
  

The Present

• Now – maintenant
  
• Right now – tout de suite
  
• This afternoon – cet après-midi
  
• This month – ce mois
  
• This morning – ce matin
  
• This week – cette semaine
  
• This year – cette année
  
• Today – aujourd’hui
  
• Tonight – ce soir
  

The Past

• (Three days) ago – il y a (trois) jours.
  
• Half an hour ago – une demi-heure avant.
  
• A while ago – il y a un moment.
  
• (Five) years ago – il y a (cinq) ans.
  
• Day before yesterday – avant-hier
  
• Last night – hier soir
  
• Last week – la semaine dernière
  
• Last month – le mois dernière
  
• Last year – l’année dernière
  
• Since (April) – depuis avril
  
• Yesterday afternoon – hier après-midi
  
• Yesterday evening – hier soir
  
• Yesterday morning – hier matin
  

The Future

• Day after tomorrow – après-demain
  
• In (five) days – dans (cinq) jours
  
• In (ten) minutes – dans (dix) minutes
  
• Next week – la semaine prochaine
  
• Next month – le mois prochaine
  
• Next year – l’année prochaine
  
• Tomorrow – demain
  
• Tomorrow morning – demain matin
  
• Tomorrow afternoon – demain après-midi
  
• Tomorrow evening – demain soir
  
• Until (Tuesday) – jusqu’a (mardi)
  
• Within an hour – d’ici une heure
  

During the Day

• Afternoon – l’après-midi (masc.)
  
• Dawn – aube (fem.)
  
• Day – jour (masc.)
  
• Evening – le soir (masc.)
  
• Midday – midi (masc.)
  
• Midnight – minuit (masc.)
  
• Morning – le matin (masc.)
  
• Night – nuit (fem.)
  
• Sunrise – lever (masc.) de soleil
  
• Sunset – coucher (masc.) de soleil
  

Money

• How much is it? – Ca fait combine?
  
• Can you write down the price? – Pouvez-vous écrire le prix?
  
• Do you accept credit cards? – Est-ce que je peux payer avec une carte de credit?
  
• Do you accept debit cards? - Est-ce que je peux payer avec une carte de debit?
  
• Do you accept travellers cheques? - Est-ce que je peux payer avec des chèques de voyages?
  
• I would like to cash a cheque. – Je voudrais encaisser un chèque.
  
• I would like to change a travellers cheque – Je voudrais changer des chèques de voyage
  
• I would like to change money. – Je voudrais changer de l’argent.
  
• Where is the nearest ATM? – Ou est le guichet automatique le plus proche?
  
• Where is the nearest foreign exchange office? – Ou est le bureau de change le plus proche?
  
• Can I get a cash advance? – Puis-je avoir une avance de credit?
  
• What is the charge? – Quel est le tariff?
  
• What is the exchange rate? – Quel est le taux de change?
  
• It is free. – C’est gratuit.
  
• It is (15) euros. – C’est quinze euros.
  

Before attempting to memorize the proper way of asking questions related to numbers and money in French, is would be best to memorize the French terminologies first. This, along with your basic knowledge of how to form questions as well as a deep understanding of the rules for subject-verb-agreement would make it easy to formulate the questions.