Frequency adverbs in French express how often an action occurs. They help provide context and precision in communication, indicating whether something happens always, often, sometimes, or never.
Common Frequency Adverbs in French
Here are some of the most common frequency adverbs used in French:
| French Adverb | English Equivalent |
|---|---|
| toujours | always |
| souvent | often |
| parfois | sometimes |
| rarement | rarely |
| jamais | never |
Rules for Placement
Frequency adverbs in French typically follow these placement rules:
- Most adverbs (toujours, souvent, parfois, rarement, jamais) are placed immediately after the conjugated verb.
- If there is a compound tense (e.g., passé composé), the adverb is placed between the auxiliary verb and the past participle.
- With infinitive constructions (e.g., after vouloir), the adverb usually goes before the infinitive.
Placement Examples
| Structure | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Single verb | Je souvent mange au café. | I often eat at the café. |
| Corrected (adverb after verb) | Je mange souvent au café. | I often eat at the café. |
| Compound tense | Elle a toujours téléphoné. | She has always called. |
| Infinitive | Je vais toujours partir tôt. | I will always leave early. |
Usage Examples
Here are examples of frequency adverbs used in different contexts:
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Il est toujours à l’heure. | He is always on time. |
| Nous visitons souvent le musée. | We often visit the museum. |
| Elle est parfois fatiguée. | She is sometimes tired. |
| Ils reviennent rarement. | They rarely come back. |
| Je ne sors jamais le soir. | I never go out in the evening. |
Which frequency adverb fits this sentence? Nous visitons ___ le musée. (We ___ visit the museum.)
souvent
'Souvent' means 'often,' indicating that the museum is visited regularly but not always.
Which frequency adverb fits this sentence? Il est ___ à l’heure. (He is ___ on time.)
toujours
'Toujours' means 'always,' which fits the context of someone who is always on time.
Negative Sentences
In negative sentences, jamais replaces pas to mean "never."
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Je ne fume jamais. | I never smoke. |
| Il ne sort jamais le week-end. | He never goes out on weekends. |
Summary
- Frequency adverbs express how often something happens.
- Most go right after the conjugated verb.
- In compound tenses, place the adverb between the auxiliary and past participle.
- In negative sentences, use ne ... jamais to say "never."
- Practice by inserting these adverbs into your sentences to describe frequency naturally.
Flashcards (1 of 16)
- English Equivalent: always
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
