Language/French/Grammar/Adjectives-used-as-adverbs-without-addition-of-—ment
Not all adverbs derived from adjectives end in -ment. The masculine forms of several adjectives can be used as adverbs in combination with a particular set of verbs. They do not change in gender or in number when used in this way: Adjective Used in expressions such as:
French adjective | French Expression | English translation |
---|---|---|
bas | parler bas | to talk quietly |
voler bas | to fly low | |
bon | sentir bon | to smell nice |
tenir bon | to hold on | |
chaud | servir chaud | to serve hot |
cher | coûter cher | to cost a lot |
payer cher | to pay a lot (for sth) | |
clair | voir clair | to see clearly |
court | tourner court | to come to an abrupt end |
couper court à qch | to cut sth short | |
s'habiller court | to wear one's skirts/dresses short | |
creux | sonner creux | to ring hollow |
doux | filer doux | to keep a low profile |
droit | aller droit | to go straight on |
dru | tomber dru | to fall in stair-rods (rain) |
dur | travailler dur | to work hard |
faux | chanter faux | to sing out of tune |
ferme | tenir ferme | to hold out |
fort | parler fort | to talk loudly |
frais | servir frais | to serve cool |
franc | parler franc | to say what you think |
gras | manger gras | to eat rich food |
gros | parier gros | to bet heavily |
risquer gros | to take big risks | |
haut | être haut placé | to be in a position of authority |
juste | viser juste | to aim correctly |
deviner juste | to guess right | |
lourd | peser lourd | to weigh heavily |
mauvais | sentir mauvais | to smell bad |
net | s'arrêter net | to stop dead |
casser net | to make a clean break | |
pareil | penser pareil | to think the same |
profond | creuser profond | to dig deep |
serré | jouer serré | to play a close game |
The fact that some of these adjectives are used as adverbs has allowed the creation of related forms ending in -ment with different meanings:
- bon: bonnement
bonnement is used almost always with tout to give tout bonnement: 'quite simply'
- cher: chèrement
chèrement is used with the verb vendre in the set phrase: vendre chèrement sa vie: 'to sell one's life dearly'.
- bas: basement
bassement has taken the meaning: 'in a mean or despicable way' and is used in the set phrase agir bassement: 'to act in a mean or despicable way'.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Sentence modifying adverbs
- Differences in the use of numbers in French and English once twice
- Optional use of neutral le
- Use of the definite article with superlatives
- Easy way of generating the Future and Conditional
- Use of soi
- “en” when numbers are direct objects
- Conjugation group 2 — verbs whose infinitive ends in —ir
- Polite Form
- Pronouns
- Use of on
- Infinitives
- “être” and “avoir” with verbs used intransitively and transitively
- Proper nouns
- Past participles used as adjectives with the verb "être"