Adjective Position
French adjectives may be found before or after the nouns they modify, depending on various factors. Generally speaking, descriptive adjectives follow nouns, while limiting adjectives precede nouns. word order
Learn how different parts of speech fit together.
French adjectives may be found before or after the nouns they modify, depending on various factors. Generally speaking, descriptive adjectives follow nouns, while limiting adjectives precede nouns. A2 - Low-Intermediate French • word order
Adverb Position
French adverbs can be a little tricky when it comes to figuring out where they go in a sentence. Their placement depends on the type of adverb as well as the type of word it's modifying. Adverbial Pronouns / Pronominal Adverbs
As you might guess from their name, adverbial pronouns are caught between two worlds: they are pronouns in the sense that they replace nouns, and at the same time they are adverbs representing a place, a quantity, or the object of a proposition. French has two adverbial pronouns: en and y. adverbs • B1 - Intermediate French • pronouns • word order
Agreement with Direct Objects
Most French verbs are conjugated with avoir as their auxiliary verb in compound tenses and moods, and therefore do not require agreement with their subjects. But avoir verbs do need agreement in a very specific construction: the past participle must agree with the direct object when it precedes the verb. agreement • B2 - Upper-Intermediate French • word order
Compound Tenses and Moods: Word Order
Compound tenses and moods are verb forms which are conjugated with two parts: a helping / auxiliary verb and a past participle, as in J'ai dansé. The word order can get a little complicated when additional grammatical structures like object pronouns and negation are introduced. negation • pronouns • verbs • word order
Direct Objects
A direct object is a noun, whether person or thing, that someone or something acts upon or does something to. In both French and English, direct objects are often replaced with direct object pronouns (COD): me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les. A2 - Low-Intermediate French • pronouns • word order
Double Pronoun Order
Sometimes one pronoun just isn't enough. A sentence might need both a direct and indirect object, or a reflexive pronoun as well as an adverbial. When this happens, word order becomes an issue: how do you know which pronoun to place first? It's actually pretty easy, once you learn the rules. B1 - Intermediate French • pronouns • word order
Imperative Mood
It's imperative to understand the imperative mood if you want to give orders, make requests, express desires, provide recommendations, offer advice, and prohibit actions. A2 - Low-Intermediate French • tenses moods voices • word order
Indirect Objects
An indirect object is a person that someone or something does something to indirectly. In both French and English, indirect objects are often replaced with indirect object pronouns. A2 - Low-Intermediate French • prepositions • pronouns • word order
Infinitive
The French infinitive, which always ends in -er, -ir, or -re, serves as the name of any given verb. It's what you look up in dictionaries and verb conjugation tables, so it's important to learn the infinitive of every new verb you see or hear. A2 - Low-Intermediate French • tenses moods voices • word order
Inversion
The normal word order in French and English is subject + verb, as in vous êtes - "you are." Both languages also have what is known as inversion, where the verb and subject pronoun switch places, resulting in êtes-vous - "are you." In English, inversion is used only to ask questions, but in French it has several different purposes. Inversion with je
Inversion with the first person singular je is a little trickier than with other subject pronouns. It's also very formal and therefore rare, so one of those grammar concepts you need to recognize but not necessarily use. accents • C1 - Advanced French • formalities • pronouns • verbs • word order
Inversion with Nouns
Inversion is not limited to pronouns - it can also be done with nouns and proper names, though this is a bit more complicated. formalities • nouns • verbs • word order
Inversion: Word Order
Inverting subjects and verbs is easy enough - vous voyez => voyez-vous, but where do object, adverbial, and reflexive pronouns go? And what about negation? Take a look at this lesson to learn about all the possibilities. negation • pronouns • word order
Magnetic Poetry
Magnetic poetry is a fun little tool you can use to learn and practice French. 500 magnets with words and parts of words help you to express yourself in a unique and creative way. agreement • plurals • verbs • word order
Unlike other French suffixes, -ci does not create new words, but rather adds additional meaning to the nouns and pronouns it's attached to.
