Marie parle bien.

Breakdown of Marie parle bien.

Marie
Marie
parler
to speak
bien
well
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching French grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning French now

Questions & Answers about Marie parle bien.

What is the grammatical structure of "Marie parle bien."?
The sentence follows the typical French word order: Subject + Verb + Adverb. Here, Marie is the subject, parle is the conjugated verb (from the infinitive parler), and bien is an adverb modifying the verb.
Which verb tense is used in this sentence?
The verb parle is in the present tense. It is the third person singular form, indicating that the action (speaking) is occurring generally or habitually in the current time.
Why is the adverb bien placed after the verb rather than before it?
In French, adverbs like bien typically follow the conjugated verb they modify. This placement clarifies that the adverb is describing the manner of the action—how Marie speaks.
Why is bien used here instead of an adjective like bon or bonne?
Bien is an adverb, which is used to modify verbs. In contrast, bon or bonne are adjectives used to describe nouns. Since the sentence is describing the manner in which Marie speaks (the action), bien is the correct choice.
Does "Marie parle bien." specify which language Marie is speaking?
No, the sentence does not indicate a specific language. It simply states that Marie speaks well. The language would need to be provided by additional context if it were relevant.