Verbs and adverbs Revision Notes for AQA GCSE French

Verbs and adverbs

Understanding French verbs and adverbs is essential for building fluent, expressive sentences. Verbs form the backbone of communication, expressing actions and states, whilst adverbs add detail and nuance by describing how, when, or to what extent something happens.

Essential French verbs

French verbs are the action words that drive your sentences forwards. Many follow regular patterns, but some key verbs are irregular and need special attention. Mastering these essential verbs will dramatically improve your ability to express yourself in French.

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Regular French verbs follow predictable conjugation patterns, making them easier to learn. However, the most commonly used verbs in everyday French are often irregular, which is why they require individual attention and practice.

Here's a comprehensive collection of important verbs you'll encounter frequently:

French Verb	English Meaning	French Verb	English Meaning
abandonner	to abandon	obliger	to require, force
accompagner	to accompany	obtenir	to get, obtain
s'adapter	to adapt, adjust	offrir	to offer
admettre	to admit	oser	to dare
ajouter	to add	permettre	to allow
amener	to bring (someone)	persuader	to persuade
annuler	to cancel, undo	placer	to put, place
appartenir	to belong	poser	to put
apprécier	to appreciate	produire	to produce, make
s'asseoir	to sit down	ranger	to tidy
assister	to assist	rappeler	to call back, remind
avouer	to admit to	se rappeler	to remember
battre	to beat, fight	réaliser	to realise, achieve
bouger	to move	réfléchir	to reflect, think
concerner	to concern, affect	remarquer	to remark, notice
contrôler	to check, control	remercier	to thank
décevoir	to disappoint	remplacer	to replace
déclarer	to report	rendre	to return
défendre	to defend	renvoyer	to send back, dismiss
définir	to define	se reposer	to rest
démontrer	to demonstrate	représenter	to represent
diriger	to direct	souhaiter	to wish
distribuer	to hand out	souligner	to underline, stress
hésiter	to hesitate	tenir	to hold
inclure	to include	toucher	to touch
indiquer	to indicate	manquer	to miss, be missing
interrompre	to interrupt, halt	mériter	to deserve
inventer	to invent	noter	to mark, write down
laisser	to leave, let
lancer	to throw, launch
livrer	to deliver

Key French adverbs

Adverbs are your tools for adding precision and colour to your French. They modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, helping you express exactly how something happens or to what degree. Understanding and using adverbs effectively will make your French sound more natural and sophisticated.

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French adverbs can completely change the meaning or intensity of a sentence. They're particularly important for expressing opinions, describing actions, and adding nuance to your communication.

French Adverb	English Meaning	French Adverb	English Meaning
absolument	absolutely	évidemment	obviously
actuellement	at the moment	exactement	exactly
ailleurs	elsewhere	extrêmement	extremely
apparemment	apparently	heureusement	fortunately
autour	around	largement	widely
autrement	differently	le mieux	(the) best
c'est-à-dire	in other words	le pire	the worst, the least well
certainement	certainly	notamment	notably
complètement	completely	parfaitement	perfectly
effectivement	effectively	particulièrement	particularly
entièrement	entirely, completely	plutôt	rather
		pourtant	yet, nonetheless
		régulièrement	regularly
		relativement	relatively
		simplement	simply
		suffisamment	sufficiently

Grammar and pronunciation tips

Understanding the patterns and quirks of French verbs and adverbs will accelerate your learning and help you avoid common mistakes.

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Verb patterns: Many French verbs follow predictable patterns. Regular -er verbs (like parler) are the most common, whilst -ir and -re verbs have their own patterns. However, many essential verbs are irregular and need individual attention.

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The tricky verb "manquer": This verb works differently from English. "Tu me manques" literally means "You are missing to me" but translates as "I miss you." The person being missed is the subject, not the object. This is one of the most common mistakes English speakers make in French.

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Adverb formation: Many French adverbs are formed by adding -ment to the feminine form of adjectives. For example: certain → certaine → certainement.

Pronunciation note: Remember that final consonants in French are often silent, but this changes when followed by -ment in adverbs.

Example sentences

These practical examples demonstrate how verbs and adverbs work together in real French contexts:

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Worked Examples: Present Tense

Je dois absolument finir ce travail. (I absolutely must finish this work.)
Elle accompagne souvent sa mère au marché. (She often accompanies her mother to the market.)
Nous apprécions particulièrement votre aide. (We particularly appreciate your help.)
Tu me manques énormément. (I miss you enormously.)

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Worked Examples: Past Tense

Il a dirigé l'entreprise pendant dix ans. (He directed the company for ten years.)
Nous avons remarqué immédiatement le problème. (We noticed the problem immediately.)
Elle s'est adaptée rapidement à sa nouvelle vie. (She adapted quickly to her new life.)
J'ai complètement oublié notre rendez-vous. (I completely forgot our appointment.)

Translation practice

Test your understanding with these translation exercises:

French to English:

Il faut absolument que tu viennes avec nous.
Elle a défendu courageusement ses idées.

English to French: 3. We particularly appreciated your invitation. 4. He completely changed his mind yesterday.

Answers:

You absolutely must come with us.
She courageously defended her ideas.
Nous avons particulièrement apprécié votre invitation.
Il a complètement changé d'avis hier.

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Key Points to Remember:

French verbs are the foundation of sentence construction - master the most common irregular ones first
Adverbs add sophistication to your French by providing precise details about actions and descriptions
The verb "manquer" works backwards from English - the person missed becomes the subject
Many adverbs are formed by adding -ment to the feminine form of adjectives
Practice using these words in context rather than just memorising lists - this helps with natural fluency

Verbs and adverbs (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes