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📍 Compendium
Grammar
FR
Français — Adverb placement
In French, an adverb usually follows the conjugated verb, but in compound tenses short common adverbs slip between the auxiliary and the past participle, as in Il a bien mangé.
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How it works
✓ Rule
In a simple tense the adverb comes right after the verb: Il mange bien. In a compound tense, short frequent adverbs (bien, mal, déjà, trop, souvent) go between the auxiliary and the past participle: Il a bien mangé. Before an infinitive they stand in front of it: il faut bien manger.
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Examples
| Context | Example | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Simple tense (present) | Il mange bien. | After the conjugated verb |
| Compound tense — short adverb | Il a bien mangé. | Between auxiliary and past participle |
| Compound tense — long adverb | Il a répondu poliment. | After the past participle |
| With an infinitive | Il faut bien manger. | Before the infinitive |
| Adverb of manner (-ment) | Elle chante merveilleusement. | Usually after the verb |
| Before an adjective/adverb | C'est vraiment bien. | Before the word it modifies |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
Longer adverbs in -ment usually come after the past participle, not between the auxiliary and it: Il a répondu poliment, Il a mangé rapidement. Adverbs of time and place go at the end or start of the clause: Il est arrivé hier — not Il a hier...