Dans ce cirque, l'acrobate saute plus gracieusement que le clown.

Questions & Answers about Dans ce cirque, l'acrobate saute plus gracieusement que le clown.

How do we form the comparison "more gracefully than" in this sentence?
To compare how an action is done, we use plus (more) + an adverb + que (than). Here, we have plus gracieusement que. If you wanted to say "less gracefully than", you would use moins gracieusement que, and for "as gracefully as", you would use aussi gracieusement que.
How is the adverb gracieusement (gracefully) formed?
Most French adverbs that end in -ment (the equivalent of English "-ly") are built from the feminine form of the adjective. The masculine adjective is gracieux (graceful). The feminine is gracieuse. Add -ment to the end, and you get gracieusement.
Why do we use ce in ce cirque? Could I say ce acrobate to mean "this acrobat"?
Ce means "this" or "that" for masculine words starting with a consonant, like ce cirque. You cannot say ce acrobate because acrobate starts with a vowel. For masculine words starting with a vowel or mute H, you must use cet to make the pronunciation smoother: cet acrobate.
What happens if the acrobat is female? Does gracieusement change?
No, adverbs never change form to match gender or quantity! Even if we were talking about a female acrobat, the adverb stays exactly the same: gracieusement. In French, only adjectives change to match the noun they describe; adverbs are invariable.

Learn Dans ce cirque, l'acrobate saute plus gracieusement que le clown and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free