Learn French: Il travaille de cette façon.

Il travaille de cette façon.

He works this way.

Breakdown of Il travaille de cette façon.

this (before a noun)

of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)

Questions & Answers about Il travaille de cette façon.

Why is there no adverb ending in -ment here?

The current lesson focuses on creating adverbs of manner with -ment, but sometimes there isn't a single word you can use. To say 'in this way' or 'like this', French uses noun phrases like de cette façon instead. There is no adverb form for the word 'this'!

Why use de here instead of dans to say 'in'?

English says 'in this way', but French uses the preposition de. You cannot translate 'in' word-for-word here. Fixed expressions about the manner or way something is done almost always take de, such as de cette façon or de cette manière.

Why is it cette façon instead of ce façon?

Façon (way/manner) is a feminine noun. Because of this, it requires the feminine pointing word (demonstrative adjective) cette to say 'this' or 'that'.

Could I also just say Il travaille comme ça?

Yes! Comme ça means 'like this' or 'like that' and is very common in everyday spoken French. De cette façon is slightly more formal, but both phrases mean exactly the same thing in this context.