Time Adverbs
Spoken Description
Découvrez les adverbes de temps courants en français : aujourd'hui, hier, demain, toujours, rarement, etc. Apprenez leur position dans la phrase et enrichissez votre expression temporelle pour parler plus naturellement.
Learn common English adverbs of time: today, yesterday, tomorrow, always, rarely, etc. Understand their position in sentences and expand your temporal expressions for more natural speech.
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Time adverbs in French signal when, how often, and for how long an action takes place, and they shape your narrative flow. This guide covers the most useful expressions for sequencing events and anchoring descriptions.
Key Adverbs
Adverbs like hier, aujourd'hui, and demain pinpoint specific moments relative to speaking time, and they typically appear at the beginning or end of a sentence.
| French Adverb | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| hier | yesterday | |
| aujourd'hui | today | |
| demain | tomorrow | |
| maintenant | now | |
| bientôt | soon |
(yesterday) j'ai vu un film.
Yesterday I saw a movie.
Incomplete sentence with a time adverb (English)
Frequency
Frequency adverbs indicate how often an action occurs and help qualify habitual versus occasional events. They usually come after the verb or at sentence boundaries for emphasis.
| French Adverb | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| toujours | always | |
| souvent | often | |
| parfois | sometimes | |
| rarement | rarely | |
| jamais | never |
Elle est(always) ponctuelle au travail.
She is always punctual at work.
Adverb to express habit (English)
Duration
Duration expressions specify how long an action lasts and can modify verbs directly or set time frames for activities. Phrases like pendant are followed by an event or time period.
| French Expression | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| pendant | for (duration) | |
| depuis | since / for | |
| pour | for | |
| toute la journée | all day | |
| quelques heures | a few hours |
J'ai étudié(for) trois heures cet après-midi.
I studied for three hours this afternoon.
Preposition for duration (English)
Sequences
Adverbs and connectors such as ensuite, puis, and enfin organize events in chronological order and guide listeners through narratives. They habitually precede the verb or clause they relate to.
| French Adverb | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| ensuite | then / next | |
| puis | then | |
| enfin | finally | |
| d'abord | first | |
| après | after |
J'ai fini mon travail et(then/next) j'ai appelé mes amis.
I finished my work and then I called my friends.
Adverb for 'next' in a sequence (English)
Summary
Time adverbs frame when actions happen, their frequency, and their duration, while sequencing adverbs guide storytelling order. Practice placing them in natural positions to shape clear timelines.
More Examples
Usage Notes
Adverbs of time that modify sentences generally appear at the beginning or end, while those that modify verbs more closely tend to follow the verb or auxiliary. Consistent placement helps listeners track time relations.
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