French sentence structure is closer to English than most beginners expect. Once you understand the basic pattern, building your first sentences becomes much easier.
The basic order: Subject – Verb – Object
Like English, French follows a Subject – Verb – Object order in most sentences.
- Je mange une pomme. = I eat an apple.
- Elle parle francais. = She speaks French.
- Nous aimons Paris. = We love Paris.
Adding information with place and time
In French, you usually place time and place at the beginning or end of the sentence, not in the middle.
- Je travaille ici. = I work here.
- Aujourd’hui, je suis fatigue. = Today, I am tired.
- Elle va a Paris demain. = She is going to Paris tomorrow.
Adjectives usually come after the noun
This is the main difference from English. Most French adjectives follow the noun they describe.
- un livre interessant = an interesting book
- une voiture rouge = a red car
- un professeur sympa = a nice teacher
A few common adjectives come before the noun: grand, petit, bon, beau, vieux, jeune, nouveau.
Negation wraps around the verb
To make a sentence negative, place ne before the verb and pas after it.
- Je ne parle pas espagnol. = I do not speak Spanish.
- Elle ne mange pas de viande. = She does not eat meat.
Questions: three easy ways
- Rising intonation: Tu parles francais ?
- Est-ce que: Est-ce que tu parles francais ?
- Inversion: Parles-tu francais ?
Quick practice
Try building these sentences in French:
- I read a book. → Je lis un livre.
- She does not work today. → Elle ne travaille pas aujourd’hui.
- Do you like French? → Tu aimes le francais ?
Final tip
Do not overthink the structure. Start with Subject – Verb – Object, add negation or a question marker when needed, and you will be understood immediately.
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