French Word Order: How to Build a Sentence (It's Mostly Like English)
French sentence structure is SVO like English - with two key differences: object pronouns go before the verb, and most adjectives go after the noun.
French sentence structure is Subject-Verb-Object, just like English. The two key differences: object pronouns go before the verb (je la mange - I eat it), and most adjectives follow the noun (une voiture rouge - a red car), except a small group like grand, petit and beau that come before.
Quick answer
French sentence structure is Subject-Verb-Object, just like English. The two key differences: object pronouns go before the verb (je la mange - I eat it), and most adjectives follow the noun (une voiture rouge - a red car), except a small group like grand, petit and beau that come before.
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The baseline: Subject-Verb-Object
Je mange une pomme (I eat an apple) - the exact same order as English. This foundation genuinely doesn’t need relearning; the differences are localized to two specific spots.
Difference 1: object pronouns go before the verb
Je LA mange (I eat IT) - the pronoun jumps in front, reversed from English word order. See je vs moi for the pronoun family this belongs to.
Difference 2: adjectives usually follow the noun
Une voiture rouge (a red car) - with an exception group covering beauty, age, goodness and size (grand, petit, beau, jeune, bon) that goes before instead. See French adjectives: agreement and placement for the full exception list.
Negation: the ne…pas sandwich
Je ne mange pas - the verb wrapped between ne and pas. In casual spoken French, the ne is frequently dropped: je mange pas.
Building a full sentence (worked example)
Start simple: je mange (I eat). Add an object: je mange une pomme (I eat an apple). Replace with a pronoun: je la mange (I eat it). Add an adjective: je mange une pomme rouge (I eat a red apple). Negate it: je ne mange pas de pomme (I don’t eat apple).
Sentences that build naturally
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Questions about this note
Is French word order like English?
Yes, both are SVO - the differences are pronoun and adjective placement.
Where do object pronouns go in French?
Before the verb: je te vois (I see you).
Do all French adjectives come after the noun?
Most do; a small group (beauty, age, goodness, size) comes before instead.
How does French negation work?
Sandwiching the verb: ne + verb + pas.
Can I drop ne in speech?
Yes - casual spoken French often drops it: je sais pas instead of je ne sais pas.