Celebrate the holidays! Save 20% on annual and biennial Premium »

Forming adverbs from adjectives ending in a vowel in French (French Adverbs)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE
Last updated: 2022-10-06
9 questions

In French, adverbs can be formed by using adjectives that end in a vowel. 

Irregular adverbs in French

Look at those irregular adverbs:

C'est un refus absolu: je refuse absolument.It's an absolute refusal: I refuse absolutely.

C'est un joli décor: vous avez joliment transformé cette scène.It's a pretty set: you prettily transformed this stage.

C'est vrai: on l'a vraiment fait.It's true: we really did it.

Although regular adverbs are formed from feminine adjectives by adding -ment (see Forming regular adverbs with "-ment" in French (French Adverbs)), when the masculine form of the adjective ends in any other vowel than a silent e,  the adverb is formed from the masculine form instead of the feminine.

 

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

C'est vrai: on l'a vraiment fait.It's true: we really did it.
C'est un joli décor: vous avez joliment transformé cette scène.It's a pretty set: you prettily transformed this stage.
C'est un refus absolu: je refuse absolument.It's an absolute refusal: I refuse absolutely.
Thinking...