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French sentence structure & word order: A definitive guide

Learning a new language is like training for the Olympics — challenging, sometimes frustrating, but incredibly rewarding. Think of mastering French sentence structure as earning your gold medal!

When you get the hang of it, your conversations will glide smoothly, and you’ll start sounding like a true Frenchie, or almost!

If you’re a bit lost (in translation) with the French word order, don’t worry! This article will break down the basics of French sentence structure, compare it to English, with plenty of examples to guide you to victory. À vos marques, prêts, partez !

French sentence structure

• French sentence structure
• Noun-adjective agreement in French sentences
• Negation sentences
• Usage of pronouns in French sentence structure
• Prepositions and their placement in French
• Complex sentence structure in French
• The French sentence structure olympics
• Mastering French word order

 

French sentence structure

Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)

Just like in English, the basic French sentence structure follows the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order… at least most of the time. Good news, right? This means that the subject (who or what performs the action) comes first, followed by the verb (the action), and then the object (who or what is affected by the action). For example:

English	French
I eat an apple	Je mange une pomme
She reads a book	Elle lit un livre
They watch a movie	Ils regardent un film
We visit the museum	Nous visitons le musée
You (plural) play soccer	Vous jouez au foot
He buys a car	Il achète une voiture
The dog barks	Le chien aboie
I drink coffee	Je bois du café
She loves music	Elle aime la musique
They find the key	Ils trouvent la clé
They loved the Olympic’s opening ceremony	Ils ont adoré la cérémonie d’ouverture des Jeux Olympiques.
I’ll go to the beach next week.	J’irai à la plage la semaine prochaine.
I used to study French every day when I was little.	Quand j’étais petit, j'étudiais le français tous les jours.
I want to visit Montréal.	Je veux visiter Montréal.
I’m very hungry.	J’ai très faim.

 

 

Inversion in interrogative sentence structure

Forming questions in French often involves inverting the subject and the verb, especially in a formal context. This inversion can sometimes throw English speakers off, but with a little practice, you’ll get the hang of it.

In a casual setting though, many French speakers don’t invert them, so don’t worry if you forget! For example, we would say “Tu es prêt-e ?” (casual) but “Êtes-vous prêt-e ?” (super formal).

Below are some examples of the inversion:

English	French
Do you speak French?	Parlez-vous français ? (If not, check our courses)
Is he coming?	Vient-il ?
Are they going to the park?	Vont-ils au parc ?
Does she like pizza?	Aime-t-elle la pizza ?
Are we ready?	Sommes-nous prêts ?
Does he have a pen?	A-t-il un stylo ?
Will you (singular) come with us?	Viendras-tu avec nous ?
Did you finish your homework?	As-tu fini tes devoirs ?
Can they swim?	Savent-ils nager ?
Does she work here?	Travaille-t-elle ici ?
Are you thirsty?	As-tu soif ?
Would you like to have dinner with me?	Aimerais-tu dîner avec moi ?
Are you sure?	Es-tu sûr-e?

 

 

Noun-adjective agreement in French sentences

Position of adjectives in French

In French, adjectives usually come after the nouns they modify, which is quite the opposite of English. This is an essential rule to remember, as it can dramatically change the rhythm and flow of your sentences.

As always in French, there are some… drum roll… exceptions! They mostly concern adjectives of beauty, size and age, which often precede the noun. But for the most part, you'll find adjectives trailing behind. See below for examples:

English	French
A big house	Une grande maison
A small cat	Un petit chat
A beautiful garden	Un beau jardin
A green apple	Une pomme verte
A red car	Une voiture rouge
A new book	Un nouveau livre
An old friend	Un vieil ami
A happy child	Un enfant heureux
A blue sky	Un ciel bleu
A great song	Une super chanson
A peaceful morning	Un matin tranquille
A rough sea	Une mer agitée
A delicious cake	Un délicieux gâteau OR un gâteau délicieux

 

 

Gender and number agreement

Adjectives in French must agree with the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the nouns they modify. If that sounds very confusing to you — which is totally normal for English speakers! 

Let’s break it down:

• Masculine singular: A single masculine noun.
• Feminine singular: A single feminine noun.
• Masculine plural: Multiple masculine or mixed-gender nouns.
• Feminine plural: Multiple feminine nouns.

The above rules may change in the future as the language becomes more inclusive, but for the moment, this is how an adjective changes according to gender and number:

Here’s how an adjective changes according to gender and number:

Noun	Adjective	English translation
Masculine singular	Un livre intéressant	An interesting book
Feminine singular	Une histoire intéressante	An interesting story
Masculine plural	Des livres intéressants	Interesting books
Feminine plural	Des histoires intéressantes	Interesting stories

 

See how the adjective "intéressant" morphs to match the gender and number of the noun? Below are more examples:

English	French
A happy dog (masculine singular)	Un chien heureux
A happy woman (feminine singular)	Une femme heureuse
Happy dogs (masculine plural)	Des chiens heureux
Happy women (feminine plural)	Des femmes heureuses
An intelligent student (masculine singular)	Un étudiant intelligent
An intelligent student (feminine singular)	Une étudiante intelligente
Intelligent students (masculine plural)	Des étudiants intelligents
Intelligent students (feminine plural)	Des étudiantes intelligentes
A captivating movie (masculine singular)	Un film captivant
A captivating story (feminine singular)	Une histoire captivante
A stunning landscape (masculine singular)	Un paysage superbe
Stunning landscapes (masculine plural)	Des paysages superbes
A stunning song (feminine singular)	Une chanson superbe
Stunning songs (feminine plural)	Des chansons superbes

 

 

Examples of irregular adjectives in French

If you’re learning French, you've got to love exceptions! No? I hear you! Anyway, I’m afraid they’re here to stay, but they’ll make you stand out when you speak French!

Irregular adjectives don’t follow the standard rules and often have unique forms for masculine, feminine, singular, and plural. Here are a few examples:

Adjective	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Masculine plural	Feminine plural
Beautiful	Beau	Belle	Beaux	Belles
New	Nouveau	Nouvelle	Nouveaux	Nouvelles
Old	Vieux	Vieille	Vieux	Vieilles
Good	Bon	Bonne	Bons	Bonnes
Crazy	Fou	Folle	Fous	Folles
Soft	Doux	Douce	Doux	Douces
Long	Long	Longue	Longs	Longues
Kind	Gentil	Gentille	Gentils	Gentilles
Fat	Gros	Grosse	Gros	Grosses
White	Blanc	Blanche	Blancs	Blanches

 

 

Negation sentences

Forming negative sentences in French

This might sound a bit complex at first, but consider negative sentences in French like a linguistic sandwich: with "ne" and "pas" serving as the bread around your verb.

You don’t get my sandwich — I’m hungry! — metaphor? Here are some examples:

English	French
I don't want	Je ne veux pas
You don't know	Tu ne sais pas
He doesn’t eat	Il ne mange pas
We don't speak	Nous ne parlons pas
You (plural) don't work	Vous ne travaillez pas
They won’t come	Ils ne viendront pas
She doesn’t finish her homework	Elle ne finit pas ses devoirs
We don't play here	On ne joue pas ici
I don't read	Je ne lis pas
You don't watch TV	Tu ne regardes pas la télé
I don’t understand	Je ne comprend pas

 

 

Other negative expressions in French

French has other negative expressions that you can use to complain like a true Frenchie! The main ones are:

• Ne…jamais (never)
• Ne…rien (nothing)
• Ne…plus (no longer)
• Ne… personne (no one, nobody)
• Ne… que (only)
• Ne… acun-e (none, not any)

Here are few examples:

English	French
I never understand	Je ne comprends jamais
You never go to the gym	Tu ne vas jamais à la salle de sport
He never eats vegetables	Il ne mange jamais de légumes
We never watch TV	Nous ne regardons jamais la télé
You (plural) never arrive on time	Vous n'arrivez jamais à l'heure
We never take vacations	On ne prend jamais de vacances
I am doing nothing	Je ne fais rien
He says nothing	Il ne dit rien
We see nothing	Nous ne voyons rien
She wants to eat nothing	Elle ne veut rien manger
You find nothing	Tu ne trouves rien
They understand nothing	Ils ne comprennent rien
I no longer work here	Je ne travaille plus ici
He no longer plays football	Il ne joue plus au football
We no longer sing together	Nous ne chantons plus ensemble
She no longer lives in France	Elle ne vit plus en France
You no longer come to classes	Tu ne viens plus aux cours
They no longer smoke	Ils ne fument plus (bravo!)
You (plural) no longer talk about him	Vous ne parlez plus de lui
We no longer watch this show	On ne regarde plus cette série
I know no one here	Je ne connais personne ici
We are waiting for no one	Nous n'attendons personne
She speaks to no one	Elle ne parle à personne
I disturb no one	Je ne dérange personne
You (plural) invite no one	Vous n'invitez personne
I only eat vegetables	Je ne mange que des légumes
He only drinks water	Il ne boit que de l'eau
We only see close friends	Nous ne voyons que les amis proches
She only reads novels	Elle ne lit que des romans
You only work	Tu ne fais que travailler
They only speak French	Ils ne parlent que français (that’s why they need Berlitz!)
We only visit Paris	On ne visite que Paris (that’s a shame!)
I have no friends here	Je n'ai aucun ami ici
He has no chance	Il n'a aucune chance
We have no problem	Nous n'avons aucun problème
She has no idea	Elle n'a aucune idée
I have no doubt	Je n'ai aucun doute
You (plural) have no obligation	Vous n'avez aucune obligation
She has no memory	Elle n'a aucun souvenir

 

 

Usage of pronouns in French sentence structure

Subject pronouns

Subject pronouns are the bread and butter (le pain et le beurre !) of French sentences. 

Here’s a quick rundown:

• Je (I)
• Tu (You)
• Il/Elle (He/She)
• Nous (We)
• Vous (You)
• Ils/Elles (They)

Object pronouns

Object pronouns replace direct and indirect objects to avoid repetition. They usually come before the verb.

Examples:

• Direct: Je le vois (I see him/it)
• Indirect: Je lui parle (I speak to him/her)

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used with reflexive verbs, indicating the subject performs the action on itself.

Examples:

• Je me lave (I wash myself – We certainly hope so!)
• Elle se brosse les cheveux (She brushes her hair)

 

 

Prepositions and their placement in French

Understanding prepositions is crucial when learning French sentence structure, as they often differ from their English counterparts. Let’s discover some of the most common French prepositions and their English equivalents! 

Common French prepositions

• À (to, at, in)
• De (of, from, about)
• En (in, by)
• Pour (for)
• Avec (with)
• Sans (without)
• Sur (on)
• Sous (under)
• Dans (in)
• Chez (at the home/place of)

Examples of prepositional phrases

À (to, at, in)

• French: Je vais à Paris.
  English: I am going to Paris.
• French: Elle est à la maison.
  English: She is at home.

De (of, from, about)

• French: Le livre de Marie.
  English: Marie's book.
• French: Je viens de France.
  English: I come from France.

En (in, by)

• French: Elle est en classe.
  English: She is in class.
• French: Il voyage en train.
  English: He travels by train.

Pour (for)

• French: C'est pour toi.
  English: This is for you.

Avec (with)

• French: Je suis avec mes amis.
  English: I am with my friends.

Sans (without)

• French: Je veux un café sans sucre.
  English: I want a coffee without sugar.

Sur (on)

• French: Le livre est sur la table.
  English: The book is on the table.

Sous (under)

• French: Le chat est sous la chaise.
  English: The cat is under the chair.

Dans (in)

• French: Il est dans la voiture.
  English: He is in the car.

Chez (at the home/place of/at someone’s)

• French: Nous dînons chez Paul.
  English: We are dining at Paul's place.

 

 

Complex sentence structure in French

Using conjunctions

Conjunctions connect clauses, making your sentences more complex and informative. Common conjunctions include "et" (and), "mais" (but), "ou" (or), “car” (because), “ni” (neither…nor) and "donc" (so). And there’s a great trick to remember them. Just think about the sentence : Où est donc Ornicar ? (But where is Ornicar ?)

Here are some examples:

English	French
I want a coffee, but I have no money	Je veux un café, mais je n'ai pas d'argent
She is tired, so she is going to bed early	Elle est fatiguée, donc elle se couche tôt
We can go to the park or the beach	Nous pouvons aller au parc ou à la plage
He likes to read and play video games	Il aime lire et jouer aux jeux vidéo
I need to study because I have a test	Je dois étudier parce que j'ai un examen
She loves cats, yet she is allergic	Elle adore les chats, pourtant elle est allergique
They are late, for they missed the bus	Ils sont en retard, car ils ont raté le bus
I will come if you invite me	Je viendrai si tu m'invites
He will stay unless it rains	Il restera à moins qu'il ne pleuve
We will eat after we finish working	Nous mangerons après avoir fini de travailler
He doesn’t like sweeping nor washing the dishes.	Il n’aime ni balayer, ni faire la vaisselle.

 

 

Relative clauses

Relative clauses add extra information about a noun using "qui" (who, which) and "que" (that, which).

Examples:

English	French
The book that I read	Le livre que j'ai lu
The woman who is singing	La femme qui chante
The car that he bought	La voiture qu'il a achetée
The house where they live	La maison où ils habitent
The man who helped us	L'homme qui nous a aidés
The movie that we watched	Le film que nous avons regardé
The cake which she made	Le gâteau qu'elle a fait
The place where we met	L'endroit où nous nous sommes rencontrés
The dog that barks loudly	Le chien qui aboie fort
The friend whom I trust	L'ami en qui j'ai confiance

 

 

The French sentence structure olympics

Gender gymnastics

Every French noun competes in its own gender event. Is it masculine or feminine? La gymnastique (gymnastics) flips into the feminine category, while le vélo (the bike) pedals into the masculine.

Adjective acrobatics

French adjectives love performing after the noun, with a few exceptions. So instead of "a blue house," you get "une maison bleue." Here’s a little song to remember!

Inversion pole vault

Forming questions in French is like executing a flawless pole vault. Instead of “Do you speak French?” you flip it to “Parlez-vous français?”

Pronoun relay race

French pronouns are the baton in a relay race, seamlessly passing between runners… or words! In “Je t'aime” (I love you), the "t’" (you) takes its place right in the middle.

Synchronized accord

Adjectives in French perform a synchronized swimming routine, always aligning in gender and number with their nouns. Whether it’s “un chat noir” (a black cat) or “des voitures rouges” (red cars), they always stay in perfect harmony.

Double verb decathlon

When two verbs team up in French, the second one stays in its original form, like a decathlete saving energy for the next event. “I want to eat” becomes “Je veux manger.

 

 

Mastering French word order

French word order and sentence structure might seem like an Olympic obstacle course at first, but with a bit of practice and patience, you’ll reach the finish line. Remember, language learning is a marathon, not a sprint.

So pace yourself, enjoy the journey and make French-speaking friends. Soon enough, your French level will be so good that you'll be able to discuss the infamous Paris opening ceremony.

For more tips and insights on learning French, check out our blogs at Unikcolors Media Institute Go for this gold medal!

Author: Vincent

Published on: 2024-11-05 13:09:32