A1 French GrammarBasic Word Order
Learn fundamental French sentence structure. French follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order like English, but with important differences in adjective placement, pronoun position, and question formation. Master these patterns to build correct simple sentences.
1Subject-Verb-Object Order
French basic word order is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), similar to English. The subject comes first, then the conjugated verb, then the object. This pattern forms the foundation of French sentences and is consistent across most simple statements.
SVO Structure
| Subject | Verb | Object | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | mange | une pomme | I eat an apple |
| Marie | lit | un livre | Marie reads a book |
| Nous | aimons | le chocolat | We love chocolate |
| Il | regarde | la télé | He watches TV |
Examples
Je parle français.
I speak French.
Subject + Verb + Object
Elle achète des fleurs.
She buys flowers.
Standard SVO order
Nous visitons Paris.
We visit Paris.
Proper noun as object
Tu aimes la musique.
You like music.
Definite article with abstract noun
2Adjective Placement
Unlike English, most French adjectives come AFTER the noun they describe. However, a small group of common adjectives (BAGS: Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size) come BEFORE the noun. This is a key difference from English word order.
Adjective Placement Rules
| Type | Position | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| most adj. | after noun | une voiture rouge | a red car |
| color | after noun | un chat noir | a black cat |
| BAGS (size) | before noun | une grande maison | a big house |
| BAGS (age) | before noun | un vieux livre | an old book |
| BAGS (good/bad) | before noun | une bonne idée | a good idea |
Examples
Une femme intelligente parle.
An intelligent woman speaks.
Most adjectives come after
Un petit chien court.
A small dog runs.
Size adjective before noun
Une belle fleur rouge.
A beautiful red flower.
belle before, rouge after
Un jeune homme travaille ici.
A young man works here.
Age adjective before noun
3Adverb Position
French adverbs typically follow the verb they modify. Short common adverbs (bien, mal, vite, souvent) usually come directly after the conjugated verb. Time and place adverbs often come at the beginning or end of the sentence.
Adverb Positions
| Type | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| manner | after verb | Il parle bien français. |
| time | start or end | Demain, je travaille. |
| frequency | after verb | Elle mange souvent ici. |
| place | end of sentence | Nous habitons ici. |
Examples
Je mange souvent au restaurant.
I often eat at the restaurant.
souvent after conjugated verb
Il parle très bien.
He speaks very well.
Adverbs after verb
Aujourd'hui, il fait beau.
Today, the weather is nice.
Time at beginning
Elle travaille ici.
She works here.
Place adverb at end
4Negation Word Order
French negation uses two words: ne...pas wrapping around the conjugated verb. 'Ne' comes before the verb, 'pas' comes after. In spoken French, 'ne' is often dropped, but in writing and formal speech, both parts are required.
Negation Structure
| Positive | Negative | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je parle | Je ne parle pas | I do not speak |
| Il mange | Il ne mange pas | He does not eat |
| Nous aimons | Nous n'aimons pas | We do not like |
| Tu es | Tu n'es pas | You are not |
Examples
Je ne comprends pas.
I do not understand.
ne...pas around verb
Il n'aime pas le café.
He does not like coffee.
n' before vowel
Nous ne travaillons pas demain.
We do not work tomorrow.
Time adverb after pas
Elle n'est pas française.
She is not French.
Negation with être