Languages › French Learn French Adverbs Describing the Manner of an Event Share Flipboard Email Print MAISANT Ludovic / Getty Images French Grammar Pronunciation & Conversation Vocabulary Resources For Teachers by ThoughtCo Updated February 04, 2019 Adverbs of manner explain how something happens.Overview and ConugationsThe majority of French adverbs of manner end in -ment, which is usually equivalent to the English ending -ly. These adverbs are formed from French adjectives, as follows:If the French adjective ends in a vowel, add -ment to form the adverb:Adjective French adverb English translationabsoluadmirablenécessairepassionnépolirudevraiabsolumentadmirablementnécessairementpassionnémentpolimentrudementvraimentabsolutelyadmirablynecessarilypassionatelypolitelyroughlytruly If the French adjective ends in a consonant, add -ment to the feminine form:Masculine adjFeminine adjectiveFrench adverbEnglish translationamicaléventuelfrancnormalpremierrapidsérieuxvifamicaleéventuellefranchenormalepremièrerapidesérieuseviveamicalementéventuellementfranchementnormalementpremièrementrapidementsérieusementvivementin a friendly waypossiblyfranklynormallyfirstlyrapidlyseriouslysharply, deeplyExceptions:brefgentilbrèvegentillebrièvementgentimentbrieflykindly Rules I and II ensure that French adverbs have a vowel immediately preceding the -ment ending. The following adverbs follow one of the above rules, but require an acute accent on this vowel:aveuglecommunconformeénormeintenseobscurprécisprofonduniformeaveuglémentcommunémentconformémenténormémentintensémentobscurémentprécisémentprofondémentuniformémentblindlycommonlyin accordanceenormouslyintenselyobscurelypreciselyprofoundlyuniformly If the French adjective ends in -ant or -ent, remove the ending and add -ammentor -emment:AdjectiveFrench adverbEnglish translationapparentbruyantconstantintelligentpatientsuffisantapparemmentbruyammentconstammentintelligemmentpatiemmentsuffisammentapparentlyloudlyconstantlyintelligentlypatientlysufficientlyException:lentlentementslowly Irregular Adverbs:bref brièvement brieflygentil gentiment kindly ExeptionsThere are a few French adverbs of manner that don't end in -ment:ainsithusbienwelldeboutstanding upexprèson purposemalpoorly, badlymieuxbetterpireworsevite quicklyvolontiers gladly Continue Reading