Understanding French Word Order
French word order follows specific patterns that differ from English in important ways. Understanding these patterns is crucial for natural French expression.
Basic French word order:
- Standard: Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)
- Questions: Inversion or question words
- Adjectives: Most follow nouns, some precede
- Pronouns: Specific order before verbs
- Adverbs: Various positions depending on type
Key principles:
1. Subject-Verb-Object is the foundation
2. Pronouns have fixed positions
3. Adjectives follow placement rules
4. Questions change word order
5. Emphasis can alter standard patterns
Mastering French word order helps you sound natural and avoid common mistakes.
Examples
Marie mange une pomme rouge. (Marie eats a red apple.)
Standard SVO order with adjective after noun
Je la lui donne. (I give it to him/her.)
Pronoun order: direct object + indirect object
Parlez-vous français? (Do you speak French?)
Question inversion: verb-subject order
Basic Word Order: Subject-Verb-Object
French follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order in declarative sentences:
Basic SVO Pattern
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Verb | Object |
| Je | mange | une pomme. (I eat an apple.) |
| Tu | lis | un livre. (You read a book.) |
| Elle | regarde | la télé. (She watches TV.) |
| Nous | visitons | Paris. (We visit Paris.) |
| Ils | achètent | des fleurs. (They buy flowers.) |
Extended SVO Patterns
Adding complements and modifiers:
Marie mange une pomme rouge dans le jardin. (Marie eats a red apple in the garden.)
Subject + Verb + Object + Adjective + Prepositional phrase
Adjective Placement
French adjectives have specific placement rules:
Examples
Une voiture rouge (a red car) - Color after noun
Une belle voiture (a beautiful car) - Beauty before noun
Un homme grand (a tall man) - Size after noun
Un grand homme (a great man) - Figurative before noun
BAGS Adjectives (Before Noun)
Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size adjectives precede:
Beauty: beau, joli → une belle maison
Age: jeune, vieux → un jeune homme
Goodness: bon, mauvais → un bon livre
Size: grand, petit → une petite voiture
Most Adjectives Follow Noun
Color, nationality, shape, material:
une robe bleue (blue dress)
un étudiant français (French student)
une table ronde (round table)
une chaise en bois (wooden chair)
Multiple Adjectives
When using several adjectives:
une belle voiture rouge (a beautiful red car)
un petit chat noir (a small black cat)
Pronoun Order
French pronouns follow a strict order before the verb:
Pronoun Order Pattern
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1. me, te, se, nous, vous | reflexive/indirect | Je me lave. |
| 2. le, la, les | direct object | Je le vois. |
| 3. lui, leur | indirect object | Je lui parle. |
| 4. y | location/there | J'y vais. |
| 5. en | of it/some | J'en veux. |
Single Pronouns
One pronoun before verb:
Je le vois. (I see him/it.)
Elle nous parle. (She speaks to us.)
Multiple Pronouns
Following the order pattern:
Je la lui donne. (I give it to him/her.)
Il nous en parle. (He speaks to us about it.)
Elle me l'explique. (She explains it to me.)
Nous vous y emmenons. (We take you there.)
Question Word Order
Questions change French word order in several ways:
Examples
Tu parles français? (You speak French?) - Intonation
Est-ce que tu parles français? (Do you speak French?) - Est-ce que
Parles-tu français? (Do you speak French?) - Inversion
Où vas-tu? (Where are you going?) - Question word + inversion
Inversion Rules
Verb-subject inversion patterns:
Simple: Parlez-vous? (Do you speak?)
With pronoun: Parle-t-il? (Does he speak?)
Question Words
Interrogative words affect order:
Que fais-tu? (What are you doing?)
Comment allez-vous? (How are you?)
Adverb Placement
French adverbs have different positions depending on their type:
Adverb Placement Rules
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Manner adverbs | after verb | Il parle bien. (He speaks well.) |
| Time adverbs | beginning/end | Hier, j'ai travaillé. (Yesterday, I worked.) |
| Frequency adverbs | after verb | Je mange souvent ici. (I often eat here.) |
| Intensity adverbs | before adjective | C'est très beau. (It's very beautiful.) |
Short Adverbs
Common short adverbs after verb:
Il mange bien. (He eats well.)
Elle chante mal. (She sings badly.)
Long Adverbs
Longer adverbs often at end:
Il parle couramment. (He speaks fluently.)
Elle travaille sérieusement. (She works seriously.)
Negation and Word Order
Negation affects French word order:
Examples
Je ne parle pas français. (I don't speak French.)
Il n'a jamais mangé ça. (He has never eaten that.)
Je ne le vois pas. (I don't see him.)
Elle ne nous en parle jamais. (She never speaks to us about it.)
Negation with Pronouns
Pronouns stay before verb in negation:
Je ne la connais pas. (I don't know her.)
Il ne nous aide plus. (He no longer helps us.)
Compound Tenses Word Order
Word order in compound tenses (passé composé, etc.):
Examples
J'ai mangé une pomme. (I ate an apple.)
Elle est partie hier. (She left yesterday.)
Je l'ai vu. (I saw him/it.)
Il nous a parlé. (He spoke to us.)
Pronouns in Compound Tenses
Pronouns before auxiliary verb:
Je la lui ai donnée. (I gave it to him/her.)
Nous vous en avons parlé. (We spoke to you about it.)
Emphasis and Special Word Orders
French uses special structures for emphasis:
Examples
C'est Marie qui chante. (It's Marie who sings.) - Emphasis on subject
C'est un livre que je lis. (It's a book that I'm reading.) - Emphasis on object
C'est...qui/que Construction
Emphasizing different elements:
C'est aujourd'hui que je pars. (It's today that I'm leaving.)
C'est à Paris qu'il habite. (It's in Paris that he lives.)
Moi, je... Construction
Emphasizing with stressed pronouns:
Moi, je préfère le thé. (As for me, I prefer tea.)
Lui, il ne comprend pas. (As for him, he doesn't understand.)
Infinitive Constructions
Word order with infinitive constructions:
Examples
Je veux le voir. (I want to see him/it.)
Il faut y aller. (We must go there.)
Elle peut nous aider. (She can help us.)
Nous devons en parler. (We must talk about it.)
Pronouns with Infinitives
Pronouns before infinitive:
Je vais la voir. (I'm going to see her.)
Il veut nous parler. (He wants to speak to us.)
Regional and Stylistic Variations
Word order can vary by region and style:
Formal vs Informal
Register affects word order choices:
Formal: Pourriez-vous m'aider? (Could you help me?)
Informal: Tu peux m'aider? (Can you help me?)
Literary Style
Literature may use different patterns:
Literary: Vint alors Marie. (Then came Marie.)
Standard: Marie est venue alors. (Marie came then.)
Common Word Order Mistakes
Here are frequent errors students make:
1. English word order: Applying English patterns to French
2. Adjective placement: Putting all adjectives after nouns
3. Pronoun order: Wrong sequence of multiple pronouns
4. Question formation: Incorrect inversion patterns
Examples
❌ Je vois le → ✅ Je le vois
Wrong: pronoun must come before verb
❌ une voiture belle → ✅ une belle voiture
Wrong: beauty adjectives precede noun
❌ Je lui le donne → ✅ Je le lui donne
Wrong: direct object pronoun before indirect
❌ Comment tu t'appelles? → ✅ Comment tu t'appelles? or Comment t'appelles-tu?
Wrong: question word requires proper structure