Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson introduces French adverbs of frequency like toujours (always), jamais (never), souvent (often), and rarement (rarely), showing their use after the conjugated verb to describe how often actions occur.
  1. The adverb is placed after the conjugated verb.
Adverbe (Adverb)Exemple (Example)
Toujours (Always)Je me couche toujours à 22h.  (I always go to bed at 10 p.m.)
Souvent (Often)Tu te réveilles souvent avant ta sœur.  (You often wake up before your sister.)
Rarement (Rarely)Il se lave rarement les cheveux après le sport.  (He rarely washes his hair after sport.)
Jamais (Never)Ils se réveillent jamais en même temps.  (They never wake up at the same time.)

Exercise 1: Les adverbes de fréquence: "Toujours, Jamais, Souvent, Rarement"

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

souvent, jamais, rarement, toujours

1. A chaque fois:
Mes enfants mangent ... à la même heure.
(My children always eat at the same time.)
2. 0 fois:
Je vais ... au marché le lundi.
(I never go to the market on Mondays.)
3. Plusieurs fois:
Nous nous lavons ... après le sport.
(We often wash ourselves after sport.)
4. Plusieurs fois:
Tu te réveilles ... avant le petit-déjeuner.
(You often wake up before breakfast.)
5. 0 fois:
Je me réveille ... en retard.
(I never wake up late.)
6. Très peu de fois:
Ils rentrent ... avant le dîner.
(They rarely come home before dinner.)
7. 0 fois:
Elle se couche ... tôt le dimanche.
(She never goes to bed early on Sundays.)
8. Très peu de fois:
On rentre ... avant huit heures.
(We rarely get home before eight o'clock.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Je me réveille ___ à 7 heures du matin.

(I wake up ___ at 7 in the morning.)

2. Tu te douches ___ avant de prendre le petit-déjeuner.

(You shower ___ before having breakfast.)

3. Il ne se lave ___ après le déjeuner.

(He never washes ___ after lunch.)

4. Nous rangeons ___ notre chambre avant midi.

(We tidy ___ our room before noon.)

5. Vous vous couchez ___ après 23 heures.

(You go to bed ___ after 11 p.m.)

6. Ils se coiffent ___ avant de partir.

(They do their hair ___ before leaving.)

Understanding French Frequency Adverbs

This lesson focuses on important adverbs of frequency in French: toujours (always), jamais (never), souvent (often), and rarement (rarely). These adverbs help describe how often or how long an action happens, which is essential for giving clear and natural descriptions of daily routines and habits.

Key Adverbs and Examples

AdverbSample Sentence
ToujoursJe me couche toujours à 22h.
SouventTu te réveilles souvent avant ta sœur.
RarementIl se lave rarement les cheveux après le sport.
JamaisIls se réveillent jamais en même temps.

Placement of Frequency Adverbs

In French, the adverb of frequency is typically placed immediately after the conjugated verb. For example:

  • Je me réveille toujours à 7 heures du matin.
  • Tu te douches souvent avant de prendre le petit-déjeuner.

Important Notes on Usage

Notice that jamais is usually used in negative statements to mean “never.” For example, Il ne se lave jamais après le déjeuner means “He never washes after lunch.”

Also, these adverbs help you add detail and precision to your descriptions, making your language more natural and fluent.

Comparison with English

Unlike English, where frequency adverbs usually precede the main verb (e.g., “I always wake up”), in French, they follow the conjugated verb as shown above. This subtle difference is important to remember when constructing sentences.

Useful Phrases and Their English Equivalents

  • Toujours — Always
  • Jamais — Never
  • Souvent — Often
  • Rarement — Rarely

Practicing these adverbs will help express frequency clearly and accurately in everyday conversations.

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Donia Ben Salem

Applied Foreign Languages

Université de Lorraine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 02:31