Time Adverbs
Time adverbs tell us when, how often, and for how long something happens. They help place actions and events in a clear temporal context.
Key Time Adverbs
Key time adverbs include expressions for specific moments, frequency, duration, and sequences. These small words guide the listener through the timeline of events.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| maintenant | now |
| bientôt | soon |
| hier | yesterday |
| demain | tomorrow |
| toujours | always |
| parfois | sometimes |
| souvent | often |
| rarement | rarely |
| pendant | during / for |
| depuis | since / for |
| tout à l'heure | earlier / later |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌅 Je me lève tôt pour voir le lever du soleil. | I get up early to see the sunrise. |
| ☕ Je prends mon café maintenant. | I am having my coffee now. |
| 🌇 Je fais une promenade ce soir. | I am going for a walk this evening. |
| 🕒 Je finirai le travail plus tard. | I will finish work later. |
| 🌙 Je lis avant de dormir. | I read before sleeping. |
| 🌞 Je travaille pendant la journée. | I work during the day. |
| 🗓️ Je partirai demain. | I will leave tomorrow. |
| 📅 Nous avons rendez-vous la semaine prochaine. | We have an appointment next week. |
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Placement
Time adverbs usually appear at the beginning or end of a sentence, though some sit neatly after the verb for emphasis. Adverbs that modify duration often precede the relevant phrase.
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Expressions for Duration
Expressions for duration tell us how long an action lasts. They commonly use prepositions like pendant for completed intervals and depuis for ongoing periods.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| pendant une heure | for an hour |
| pendant plusieurs jours | for several days |
| depuis deux ans | for two years / since two years ago |
| depuis le mois dernier | since last month |
| durant tout l'été | during the whole summer |
| il y a longtemps | a long time ago |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏃 J’ai couru pendant une heure. | I ran for an hour. |
| 🛠️ Elle a travaillé toute la journée. | She worked all day. |
| 💤 Ils ont dormi toute la nuit. | They slept all night. |
| ⏳ Il a attendu longtemps. | He waited for a long time. |
| 🧩 J’ai réfléchi quelques minutes. | I thought for a few minutes. |
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Frequency Adverbs
Frequency adverbs tell us how often something happens. They help shape routines and repeated actions when placed before or after the verb depending on the adverb type.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| toujours | always |
| souvent | often |
| parfois | sometimes |
| rarement | rarely |
| quelquefois | sometimes |
| de temps en temps | from time to time |
| jamais | never |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🍞 Je fais du pain souvent. | I often bake bread. |
| ☕ Je bois du café toujours le matin. | I always drink coffee in the morning. |
| 🧴 Je nettoie la cuisine parfois. | I sometimes clean the kitchen. |
| 🗑️ Je jette les déchets rarement. | I rarely take out the trash. |
| 🚪 Je sors de temps en temps. | I go out from time to time. |
| ✅ Je prépare les repas chaque jour. | I prepare meals every day. |
| 📆 Je planifie le menu une fois par semaine. | I plan the menu once a week. |
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Signal Words for Tense
Time adverbs often signal which tense to use. Past adverbs like hier guide you to the passé composé or imparfait, while ongoing expressions like depuis suggest the présent or plus-que-parfait.
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🍽️ Je mange maintenant. | I am eating now. |
| 🔪 J’ai coupé les légumes. | I cut the vegetables. |
| 🥖 Je faisais la pâte hier soir. | I was making the dough last night. |
| 🥣 Je ferai la soupe demain. | I will make the soup tomorrow. |
| 📧 J’ai déjà envoyé la recette. | I have already sent the recipe. |
| 🧾 Je vais commencer la liste d’ingrédients. | I am going to start the ingredient list. |
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Summary
Time adverbs are small but powerful: they pinpoint when an action occurs, how long it lasts, and how frequently it happens. Learning the key expressions and their placement makes your storytelling much clearer.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025