Learn French: Ils étudient sérieusement la technique. - They study the technique seriously.

Ils étudient sérieusement la technique.

They study the technique seriously.

Breakdown of Ils étudient sérieusement la technique.

ils

they (masculine/mixed)

étudier

to study

her, it (feminine direct object pronoun)

la technique

the technique

Questions & Answers about Ils étudient sérieusement la technique.

How exactly is the adverb sérieusement formed?

It is built from the adjective meaning "serious". In French, you usually form an adverb of manner by taking the feminine form of the adjective and adding -ment. The masculine adjective is sérieux, its feminine form is sérieuse, and adding -ment gives us sérieusement.

Why is sérieusement placed before la technique? In English we put "seriously" at the end.

In French, adverbs that modify a verb usually go directly after the conjugated verb. While in English we say "They study the technique seriously", French places the adverb right after the action: Ils étudient sérieusement la technique.

Do I pronounce the -ent at the end of étudient?

No, the -ent ending on conjugated verbs for the "they" (ils or elles) form is always silent. You pronounce étudient exactly the same way you pronounce the singular form étudie.

Is the word technique always a noun?

It can be a noun or an adjective! In this sentence, it is a feminine noun meaning "the technique" or "the method". However, it can also be used as an adjective meaning "technical", and it is spelled this exact same way for both masculine and feminine words.