Question 1

How exactly is the adverb brillamment formed?

Accepted Answer

It is formed from the adjective brillant (brilliant). Because the masculine form of the adjective ends in -ant, you drop the -nt and add -mment to create the adverb. Note that adverbs ending in -amment and -emment are pronounced exactly the same way (ending with an "ah-mahn" sound).

Question 2

Why is brillamment placed between a and défendu?

Accepted Answer

In the passé composé, short adverbs and most adverbs of manner (words that describe how something is done, like brillamment) are placed directly between the conjugated helper verb (a) and the past participle (défendu). In English, we often put the adverb at the end of the sentence, but in French, a défendu brillamment would sound unnatural.

Question 3

Is argument a false friend in French?

Accepted Answer

It can be! In French, un argument strictly means a point made in a debate, an essay, or a discussion to persuade someone. If you want to talk about an angry verbal fight or a quarrel with your partner or friend, you should use the word une dispute instead.

Question 4

Why do we say cet argument instead of ce argument?

Accepted Answer

Argument is a masculine singular noun, so the default word for "this" or "that" is ce. However, because argument begins with a vowel, ce changes to cet to make the pronunciation smoother. If the noun were feminine, you would use cette, regardless of what letter it starts with.

Il a brillamment défendu cet argument.

Breakdown of Il a brillamment défendu cet argument.

Questions & Answers about Il a brillamment défendu cet argument.

Learn Il a brillamment défendu cet argument and more in French