45 French Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs, and generally answer one of the following questions: who, what, when, where or why? Consult our post on adverbs if you need to review the grammar concepts behind French adverbs.

Many have familiar adjective beginnings in the feminine form, followed by -ment, which is the traditional suffix for French adverbs (and corresponds to the -ly ending that most English adverbs have).

However, there are other adverbs that do not have a single word translation like they do in English and are instead described with a preposition + an adjective to convey the same meaning, and there are other adverbs that do not take the -ment ending.

Finally, be careful when selecting which specific adverb to use in your communications and look up exact definitions to make sure that how you are applying the word matches with what you mean. Many adverbs, both in French and English, have several meanings depending on exactly the context (for example, “roughly” in English can mean both “abrasive, not smooth” and “approximately”, among others). Double check your translations whenever possible.

Below is a list of 45 common French adverbs.

Next Steps

Adverbs are one of those vocabulary categories that really come into their own when you start using French in real sentences rather than textbook exercises. Many of the expressions above, like à l’improviste (unexpectedly) or volontiers (willingly), are the kind of thing native speakers reach for naturally but that learners rarely pick up from structured coursework alone. The best way to internalize them is through exposure, reading French content and listening to how these words actually get used in context.

For the grammar rules behind how adverbs are formed and placed in sentences, see our full French adverbs grammar guide.

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French Adverbs: Grammar & Structure How to Use French Adjectives French Present Participles French Interrogatives: Asking Questions in French