Adjectives that function as adverbs

Level 4

In French, some adjectives can act as adverbs. When they do, they are almost always invariable (masculine singular) and modify a verb or another adjective.

How It Works

This pattern, known as adjectifs adverbialisés, involves using an adjective to describe the manner or degree of an action rather than a quality of a noun.

  • Invariability: In most fixed expressions, the adjective remains in the masculine singular form regardless of the subject. For example: Elles chantent faux (They sing out of tune), not fausses.
  • Common Verbs: This occurs most frequently with verbs of perception, cost, or physical effort:
    • Sentir bon/mauvais (To smell good/bad)
    • Coûter cher (To be expensive)
    • Parler fort/bas (To speak loudly/quietly)
    • Travailler dur (To work hard)
    • Voir clair (To see clearly)
  • Subjective vs. Adverbial Choice: With certain verbs like se tenir (to stand) or rester (to stay), you can choose between an adverbial use (invariable) or an adjective describing the subject's state. For example, Elle se tient droit focuses on the posture as an action, while Elle se tient droite describes her physical state.
  • Nuance vs. -ment Adverbs: Using the adjective often creates a specific idiomatic meaning. For instance, parler bas means to speak at a low volume, whereas parler bassement means to speak in a mean or vile manner.
  • Monosyllabic Preference: Most adjectives used this way are short (fort, dur, cher). Longer adjectives usually take the -ment ending.
  • Exceptions for Agreement: Unlike most adverbial adjectives, frais, grand, and large typically agree in gender and number when they modify another adjective or participle in modern standard French. For example: La porte est grande ouverte (The door is wide open) or Des fleurs fraîches écloses (Freshly bloomed flowers). The adverb tout also follows specific agreement rules for phonetic reasons.

Examples (5)

  1. Ces fleurs sentent bon.

    These flowers smell good.

    Word by Word: These flowers smell good.

    Even though 'fleurs' is feminine plural, 'bon' remains masculine singular because it functions as an adverb here.

  2. Les billets pour le concert coûtent cher.

    The tickets for the concert are expensive.

    Word by Word: The tickets for the concert cost dear.

    'Cher' modifies the verb 'coûter' to indicate price, so it does not agree with 'billets'.

  3. Elle parle trop fort dans le train.

    She speaks too loudly on the train.

    Word by Word: She speaks too strong in the train.

    'Fort' acts as an adverb of manner for the verb 'parler'.

  4. Ils travaillent dur pour réussir.

    They work hard to succeed.

    Word by Word: They work hard for to succeed.

    'Dur' describes the intensity of the work, remaining invariable.

  5. Elle voit clair dans son jeu.

    She sees right through his game.

    Word by Word: She sees clear in his game.

    'Voir clair' is a fixed expression meaning to understand a situation or deception clearly.

Common Mistakes

  • Making the adjective agree with a feminine or plural subject.

    Elles chantent fausses.
    Elles chantent faux.

    When an adjective is used as an adverb, it is invariable. It describes 'how' they sing, not 'what' they are.

  • Using 'bien' instead of 'bon' after 'sentir'.

    Cette soupe sent bien.
    Cette soupe sent bon.

    'Sentir bon' is the standard expression for smelling good. 'Bien' is an adverb of quality, but 'bon' is required for sensory descriptions with 'sentir'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adjectives that function as adverbsLevel 4

Learn This First

This pattern involves using specific adjectives (like 'fort', 'cher', or 'bon') as adverbs in fixed idiomatic expressions. To grasp this, learners need to understand the standard rules of adjective agreement and adverb formation, as this pattern represents a specific exception where the adjective remains in its masculine singular form regardless of the subject or verb.