French
Contributed by Elena Kordi
The data were gathered in 2010. The Russian version of the questionnaire was used for elicitation. In 2023, some corrections have been made by Gilles Authier .
How to cite
Kordi, Elena. 2023. Bivalent patterns in French.
In: Say, Sergey (ed.). BivalTyp: Typological database of bivalent verbs and their encoding frames.
St. Petersburg: Institute for Linguistic Studies, RAS. (Data first published on May 9, 2023;
last revised on June 20, 2024.) (Available online at https://www.bivaltyp.info , Accessed on
Basic info
Coordinates: 48.0, 2.0 .
Genealogy (as given in WALS ). Family: Indo-European, genus: Romance.
Macro-area: Europe.
Grammar notes
Basic clause structure and the transitive construction
French displays the nominative-accusative alignment. Nominal core arguments (A, S and O) remain unflagged, so that the distinction between subject and direct object is only indicated by word order (SVO). By contrast, personal pronouns (clitics) distinguish 2 or 3 case forms (depending on the person); besides, with pronominal direct objects, word order is SOV. The two variants of the transitive construction are given in (1) and (2).
(1) Paul respecte Marie
PN(M) respect.PRS.3SG PN(F)
‘Paul respects Marie.’
(2) Paul la respecte
PN(M) she.ACC respect.PRS.3SG
‘Paul respects her.’
Nominal arguments other than A, S and O are flagged by prepositions. Subjects (A and S) are indexed on the verbs. In some contexts, participles in analytic constructions also signal the gender (orthographically, also the number) of the direct object.
Case system
French has no morphological case on nouns. Personal pronouns has three case-marked clitic forms: nominative, accusative and dative. The dative form of a pronoun usually corresponds to the combination of the preposition à with the noun, see (3) and (4).
(3) Paul a répondu à ses parent-s
PN(M) have.PRS.3SG answer.PST.PTCP.M to one’s.PL parent(M)-PL
‘Paul answered his parents.’
(4) Paul leur a répondu
PN(M) they.DAT have.PRS.3SG answer.PST.PTCP.M
‘Paul answered them.’
The encoding of the Y argument in structures like (3) and (4) is treated as "Non-direct object" (labelled as NDIR.OBJ in valency class tags). However, combinations of the same preposition à with the noun can correspond to two further encoding possibilities for pronominal arguments. With some verbs, pronouns are introduced by the same preposition à . Such encoding patterns are tagged as simply "a" in valency class tags (see entry 25 in the dataset below). With still other verbs, the pronominal equivalent is y ‘there’. Such encoding patterns are tagged as "a(LOC)" (see entries 1 and 81 in the dataset below). Apart from pronominal clitics, there are stressed pronouns that are used in a number of syntactic environments, including combinations with prepositions.
Verb lemmas
Verbs are shown in the infinitive form.
Glossing abbreviations
ACC — accusative; DAT — dative; DEF — definite; F — feminine; IMP — imperative; INDF — indefinite; INF — infinitive; M — masculine; NDIR.OBJ — non-direct object; PL — plural; PN — person name; PRS — present; PST — past; PTCP — participle; REFL — reflexive; SG — singular.
Data
Subset examples by valency pattern
Any
NA
NDIR.OBJ_SBJ
SBJ_a
SBJ_a(LOC)
SBJ_avec
SBJ_BARE
SBJ_contre
SBJ_dans
SBJ_de
SBJ_NDIR.OBJ
SBJ_par
SBJ_sur
TR
Subset examples by locus
Any
*
TR
X
Y
Valency pattern:
SBJ_a(LOC)
X: SBJ
Y: a(LOC)
Locus: Y
Paul
a
mal
à
la
tête
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
painful
to
def
.
sg
.
f
head(
f
)
‘Paul has a headache.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
une
grippe
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
def
.
sg
.
f
flu(
f
)
‘Paul has the flu.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
a
peur
de
ce
chien
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
fear(
f
)
of
this.
sg
.
m
dog(
m
)
‘Paul is afraid of this dog.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
jeté
une
pierre
dans
l’
eau
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
throw.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
f
stone(
f
)
inside
def
.
sg
.
f
water(
f
)
‘Paul threw a stone into the water.’
Valency pattern:
NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
maintenant
Paul
a
assez
d’
argent
now
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
enough
of
money(
m
)
‘Now Paul has enough money.’
Note: Not included in the database because the intended meaning is expressed by a structurally discontinuous combination (predicate + NP-internal component).
Valency pattern:
SBJ_NDIR.OBJ
X: SBJ
Y: NDIR.OBJ
Locus: Y
Paul
ressemble
à
Marie
pn
(
m
)
look_like.
prs
.3
sg
to
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul resembles Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
croit
Marie
pn
(
m
)
believe.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul believes Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
pris
un
livre
sur
le
rayon
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
take.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
m
book(
m
)
on
def
.
sg
.
m
shelf(
m
)
‘Paul took a book from the shelf.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
voit
une
maison
pn
(
m
)
see.
prs
.3
sg
indf
.
sg
.
f
house(
f
)
‘Paul sees a house.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_sur
X: SBJ
Y: sur
Locus: Y
l’
âge
influe
sur
la
mémoire
def
.
sg
.
m
age(
m
)
influence.
prs
.3
sg
on
def
.
sg
.
f
memory(
f
)
‘Age influences memory.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
rencontré
Marie
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
meet.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul encountered Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_dans
X: SBJ
Y: dans
Locus: Y
Paul
est
entré
dans
la
maison
pn
(
m
)
be.
prs
.3
sg
enter.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
inside
def
.
sg
.
f
house(
f
)
‘Paul entered the house.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_contre
X: SBJ
Y: contre
Locus: Y
Paul
a
gagné
contre
Michel
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
win.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
f
against
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul beat Michel.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
est
sorti
de
la
maison
pn
(
m
)
be.
prs
.3
sg
exit.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
of
def
.
sg
.
f
house(
f
)
‘Paul went out of the house.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
mène
sa
vache
au
pâturage
pn
(
m
)
lead.
prs
.3
sg
one’s.
sg
.
f
cow(
f
)
to.
def
.
sg
.
m
pasture(
m
)
‘Paul is driving his cow to the pasture.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
courbé
une
branche
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
bend.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
f
branch(
f
)
‘Paul bent a branch.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_NDIR.OBJ
X: SBJ
Y: NDIR.OBJ
Locus: Y
Paul
a
dit
à
Michel:
viens
me
voir
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
say.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
to
pn
(
m
)
come.
imp
i
.
acc
see.
inf
‘Paul told Michel: “Come and see me.”’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
tient
un
livre
à
la
main
pn
(
m
)
hold.
prs
.3
sg
indf
.
sg
.
m
book(
m
)
to
def
.
sg
.
f
hand(
f
)
‘Paul is holding a book in his hand.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
rattrapé
Marie
près
du
parc
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
catch_up.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
pn
(
f
)
near
of.
def
.
sg
.
m
park(
m
)
‘Paul caught up with Marie near the park.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
trait
sa
vache
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
milk.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
one’s.
sg
.
f
cow(
f
)
‘Paul milked his cow.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
atteint
la
rive
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
reach.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
def
.
sg
.
f
shore(
f
)
‘Paul reached the bank.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
touché
le
mur
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
touch.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
def
.
sg
.
m
wall(
m
)
‘Paul touched the wall.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_contre
X: SBJ
Y: contre
Locus: Y
Paul
s’
est
battu
contre
Michel
pn
(
m
)
refl
be.
prs
.3
sg
fight.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
against
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul fought with Michel.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_avec
X: SBJ
Y: avec
Locus: Y
Paul
est
ami
avec
Michel
pn
(
m
)
be.
prs
.3
sg
friend(
m
)
with
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul is friends with Michel.’
Note: Non-verbal predicate.
Valency pattern:
SBJ_a
X: SBJ
Y: a
Locus: Y
Paul
pense
à
Marie
pn
(
m
)
think.
prs
.3
sg
to
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul is thinking about Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
mangé
une
pomme
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
eat.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
f
apple(
f
)
‘Paul ate an apple.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
fait
frire
le
poisson
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
make.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
fry.
inf
def
.
sg
.
m
fish(
m
)
‘Paul fried the fish.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
attend
Marie
pn
(
m
)
wait.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul is waiting for Marie.’
Valency pattern:
NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Paul
a
oublié
qu’
il
existe
un
autre
chemin
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
forget.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
that
it
exist.
prs
.3
sg
indf
.
sg
.
m
other.
sg
.
m
road(
m
)
‘Paul forgot that there was another road.’
Note: Not included in the database because Y is expressed in a dependent clause. The transitive construction ("Paul a oublié l'autre chemin, plus proche") would have a differenr meaning (he forgot the specific way and was unable to follow the shorter road).
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
la
mémoire
d’
une
personne
dépend
de
son
âge
def
.
sg
.
f
memory(
f
)
of
indf
.
sg
.
f
person(
f
)
depend.
prs
.3
sg
of
one’s.
sg
.
m
age(
m
)
‘One's memory depends on their age.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
appelé
Marie
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
call.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul called Marie.’
Valency pattern:
NA
X: *
Y: *
Locus: *
Paul
a
fait
la
connaissance
de
Marie
il
y
a
un
an
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
make.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
def
.
sg
.
f
knowledge(
f
)
of
pn
(
f
)
it
there
have.
prs
.3
sg
one.
sg
.
m
year(
m
)
‘Paul got to know Marie a year ago.’
Note: Not included in the database because Y is expressed as an NP-internal modifier.
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
connaît
Michel
pn
(
m
)
know_someone.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul knows Michel.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
joue
de
la
guitare
pn
(
m
)
play.
prs
.3
sg
of
def
.
sg
.
f
guitar(
f
)
‘Paul is playing the guitar.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
évite
Marie
pn
(
m
)
avoid.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul avoids Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
fabriqué
une
bombe
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
make.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
f
bomb(
f
)
‘Paul made a bomb.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
se
moque
de
Michel
pn
(
m
)
refl
mock.
prs
.3
sg
of
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul is making fun of Michel.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
une
voiture
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
indf
.
sg
.
f
car(
f
)
‘Paul has a car.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
cherche
ses
clef-s
pn
(
m
)
look_for.
prs
.3
sg
one’s.
pl
key(
f
)-
pl
‘Paul is looking for his keys.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
peint
sa
palissade
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
paint.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
one’s.
sg
.
f
fence(
f
)
‘Paul painted his fence.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
un
chien
a
mordu
Paul
indf
.
sg
.
m
dog(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
bite.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
pn
(
m
)
‘A dog bit Paul.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
perdu
sa
maison
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
lose.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
one’s.
sg
.
f
house(
f
)
‘Paul lost his house.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
attrape
son
chat
pn
(
m
)
catch.
prs
.3
sg
one’s.
sg
.
m
cat(
m
)
‘Paul is trying to catch the cat.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
cassé
un
bâton
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
break.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
m
stick(
m
)
‘Paul broke a stick.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
flatte
Marie
pn
(
m
)
flatter.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul is flattering Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
aime
Marie
pn
(
m
)
love.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul loves Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
agite
son
mouchoir
pn
(
m
)
stir.
prs
.3
sg
one’s.
sg
.
m
handkerchief(
m
)
‘Paul is waving his handkerchief.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
rêve
d’
une
voiture
neuve
pn
(
m
)
dream.
prs
.3
sg
of
indf
.
sg
.
f
car(
f
)
new.
sg
.
f
‘Paul is dreaming of a new car.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
lavé
sa
tasse
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
wash.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
one’s.
sg
.
f
cup(
f
)
‘Paul washed his cup.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
enfilé
son
pantalon
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
put_on.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
def
.
sg
.
m
trousers(
m
)
‘Paul put on his trousers.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_BARE
X: SBJ
Y: BARE
Locus: Y
cet
instrument
s’
appelle
une
boussole
this.
sg
.
m
instrument(
m
)
refl
call.
prs
.3
sg
indf
.
sg
.
f
compass(
f
)
‘This instrument is called a compass.’
Note: This is not a transitive construction (cf. the use of "comment" ‘how’ as an interrogative word).
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
sévèrement
puni
son
fils
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
severely
punish.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
one’s.3
sg
.
m
son(
m
)
‘Paul severely punished his son.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
un
ours
a
attaqué
un
pêcheur
indf
.
sg
.
m
bear(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
attack.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
.
indf
.
sg
.
m
fisherman(
m
)
‘A bear attacked a fisherman.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
le
seau
s’
est
rempli
d’
eau
def
.
sg
.
m
bucket(
m
)
refl
be.
prs
.3
sg
fill.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
of
water(
f
)
‘The bucket filled with water.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
trouvé
ses
clef-s
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
find.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
one’s.
pl
key(
f
)-
pl
‘Paul found his keys.’
Valency pattern:
NDIR.OBJ_SBJ
X: NDIR.OBJ
Y: SBJ
Locus: X
un
dollar
manque
à
Paul
pour
acheter
un
billet
indf
.
sg
.
m
dollar(
m
)
be_missing.
prs
.3
sg
to
pn
(
m
)
for
buy.
inf
indf
.
sg
.
m
ticket(
m
)
‘Paul needs one dollar to buy a ticket.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
deteste
Marie
pn
(
m
)
hate.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul hates Marie.’
Valency pattern:
NDIR.OBJ_SBJ
X: NDIR.OBJ
Y: SBJ
Locus: X
cette
chemise
plaît
beaucoup
à
Paul
this.
sg
.
f
shirt(
f
)
please.
prs
.3
sg
much
to
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul likes this shirt.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
a
besoin
d’
argent
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
need(
m
)
of
money(
m
)
‘Paul needs money.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
des
mur-s
entourent
la
ville
indf
.
pl
wall(
m
)-
pl
surround.
prs
.3
pl
def
.
sg
.
f
city(
f
)
‘Walls surround the city.’
Valency pattern:
NDIR.OBJ_SBJ
X: NDIR.OBJ
Y: SBJ
Locus: X
dix
dollar-s
restent
à
Paul
ten
dollar(
m
)-
pl
remain.
prs
.3
pl
to
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul has ten dollars left.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_NDIR.OBJ
X: SBJ
Y: NDIR.OBJ
Locus: Y
Paul
a
répondu
au
professeur
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
answer.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
to.
def
.
sg
.
m
teacher(
m
)
‘Paul answered the teacher.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
ouvert
le
bocal
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
open.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
def
.
sg
.
m
jar(
m
)
‘Paul opened a can.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
ma
chemise
se
distingue
de
la
tienne,
elle
est
plus
foncée
my.
sg
.
f
shirt(
f
)
refl
distinguishю.
prs
.3
sg
of
def
.
sg
.
f
your.
sg
.
f
she
be.
prs
.3
sg
more
dark.
sg
.
f
‘My shirt is different from yours, it is darker.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_par
X: SBJ
Y: par
Locus: Y
Paul
a
été
distancé
par
Marie
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
be.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
outrun.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
by
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul fell behind Marie.’
Note: Passive construction.
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
laboure
son
champ
pn
(
m
)
plough.
prs
.3
sg
one’s.
sg
.
m
field(
m
)
‘Paul is ploughing the field.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
mes
main-s
sentent
l’
essence
my.
pl
hand(
f
)-
pl
smell.
prs
.3
pl
def
.
sg
.
f
gasoline(
f
)
‘My hands smell of gasoline.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
traversé
la
route
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
cross.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
def
.
sg
.
f
road(
f
)
‘Paul crossed the road.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
chanté
une
jolie
chanson
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
sing.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
f
beautiful.
sg
.
f
song(
f
)
‘Paul sang a beautiful song.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
écrit
une
lettre
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
write.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
f
letter(
f
)
‘Paul wrote a letter.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
bu
du
lait
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
drink.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
of.
def
.
sg
.
m
milk(
m
)
‘Paul drank some milk.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
faire
fondre
un
morceau
de
plomb
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
make.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
melt.
inf
indf
.
sg
.
m
piece(
m
)
of
lead(
m
)
‘Paul melted a piece of lead.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_avec
X: SBJ
Y: avec
Locus: Y
ces
soulier-s
vont
avec
ma
robe
this.
pl
shoe(
m
)-
pl
go.
prs
.3
pl
with
my.
sg
.
f
dress(
f
)
‘These shoes go well with my dress.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
quitté
sa
ville
natale
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
leave.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
one’s.
sg
.
f
city(
f
)
native.
sg
.
f
‘Paul left his native city.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
le
tapis
couvre
tout
le
plancher
def
.
sg
.
m
carpet(
m
)
cover.
prs
.3
sg
all.
sg
.
m
def
.
sg
.
m
floor(
m
)
‘The carpet covers the whole floor.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
se
souvient
de
la
maison
où
il
a
passé
son
enfance
pn
(
m
)
refl
remember.
prs
.3
sg
of
def
.
sg
.
f
house(
f
)
where
he
have.
prs
.3
sg
pass.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
one’s.
sg
.
m
childhood(
m
)
‘Paul remembers the house where he spent his childhood .’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
aidé
Marie
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
help.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul helped Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
comprend
l’
allemand
pn
(
m
)
understand.
prs
.3
sg
def
.
sg
.
m
g
erman(
m
)
‘Paul understands German.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_sur
X: SBJ
Y: sur
Locus: Y
la
foudre
s’
est
abattue
sur
la
maison
def
.
sg
.
f
lightning(
f
)
refl
be.
prs
.3
sg
bring_down.
pst
.
ptcp
.
f
on
def
.
sg
.
f
house(
f
)
‘Lightning struck the house.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_avec
X: SBJ
Y: avec
Locus: Y
Paul
s’
est
coupé
avec
un
rasoir
pn
(
m
)
refl
be.
prs
.3
sg
cut.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
with
indf
.
sg
.
m
razor(
m
)
‘Paul cut himself with a razor.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_a(LOC)
X: SBJ
Y: a(LOC)
Locus: Y
le
verre
s’
est
collé
à
la
table
def
.
sg
.
m
glass(
m
)
refl
be.
prs
.3
sg
stick.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
to
def
.
sg
.
f
table(
f
)
‘The glass got stuck to the table.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_contre
X: SBJ
Y: contre
Locus: Y
Paul
a
perdu
une
partie
d’
échec-s
contre
Michel
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
lose.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
f
game(
f
)
of
chess-
pl
against
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul lost a game of chess to Michel.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
s’
est
réjouit
du
succès
de
Michel
pn
(
m
)
refl
be.
prs
.3
sg
gladden.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
of.
def
.
sg
.
m
success(
m
)
of
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul was delighted with Michel’s success.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_NDIR.OBJ
X: SBJ
Y: NDIR.OBJ
Locus: Y
Paul
parle
à
Marie
pn
(
m
)
talk.
prs
.3
sg
to
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul is speaking to Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Marie
a
eu
un
garçon
pn
(
f
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
have.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
m
boy(
m
)
‘Marie gave birth to a son.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
fait
tomber
un
verre
pn
(
f
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
make.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
fall-
inf
indf
.
sg
.
m
glass(
m
)
‘Paul dropped the glass.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
dirige
notre
ville
pn
(
m
)
rule.
prs
.3
sg
our.
sg
town(
m
)
‘Paul runs our town.’
Valency pattern:
NDIR.OBJ_SBJ
X: NDIR.OBJ
Y: SBJ
Locus: X
Marie
manque
à
Paul
pn
(
f
)
miss.
prs
.3
sg
to
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul misses Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
suit
Marie
pn
(
m
)
follow.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul follows Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
est
descendu
du
cheval
pn
(
m
)
be.
prs
.3
sg
dismount.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
of.
def
.
sg
.
m
horse(
m
)
‘Paul got down from the horse.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
écoute
la
radio
pn
(
m
)
listen.
prs
.3
sg
def
.
sg
.
f
radio(
f
)
‘Paul is listening to radio.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_NDIR.OBJ
X: SBJ
Y: NDIR.OBJ
Locus: Y
Paul
obéit
à
sa
mère
pn
(
m
)
obey.
prs
.3
sg
to
one’s.
sg
.
f
mother(
f
)
‘Paul obeys his mother.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
entend
la
musique
pn
(
m
)
hear.
prs
.3
sg
def
.
sg
.
f
music(
f
)
‘Paul hears the music.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_avec
X: SBJ
Y: avec
Locus: Y
le
miel
s’
est
mélangé
avec
le
lait
def
.
sg
.
m
honey(
m
)
refl
be.
prs
.3
sg
mix.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
with
def
.
sg
.
m
milk(
m
)
‘The honey got mixed with milk.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
regarde
les
nuage-s
pn
(
m
)
look_at.
prs
.3
sg
def
.
pl
cloud(
f
)-
pl
‘Paul is looking at the clouds.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
ôté
sa
chemise
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
take_off.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
one’s.
sg
.
f
shirt(
f
)
‘Paul took off his shirt.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
rêve
de
Marie
pn
(
m
)
dream.
prs
.3
sg
of
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul dreams about Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_avec
X: SBJ
Y: avec
Locus: Y
Paul
a
été
d’
accord
avec
Marie
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
be.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
of
agreement(
m
)
with
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul agreed with Marie.’
Note: Non-verbal predicate.
Valency pattern:
SBJ_avec
X: SBJ
Y: avec
Locus: Y
Paul
s’
est
disputé
avec
Marie
pn
(
m
)
refl
be.
prs
.3
sg
argue.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
with
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul had an argument with Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
cette
tasse
coûte
un
dollar
def
.
sg
.
f
cup(
f
)
cost.
prs
.3
sg
indf
.
sg
.
m
dollar(
m
)
‘This cup costs one dollar.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_sur
X: SBJ
Y: sur
Locus: Y
Paul
a
tiré
sur
l’
oiseau
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
shoot.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
on
def
.
sg
.
m
bird(
m
)
‘Paul shot at the bird.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
versé
du
sucre
dans
la
casserole
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
pour.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
of.
def
.
sg
.
m
sugar(
m
)
inside
def
.
sg
.
f
saucepan(
f
)
‘Paul poured sugar into the pan.’
Note: The use of the preposition "de" is triggered by the partitive meaning, not by the argument frame of the verb.
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
perdu
ses
clef-s
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
lose.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
def
.
pl
key(
f
)-
pl
‘Paul lost his keys.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_dans
X: SBJ
Y: dans
Locus: Y
la
bûche
s’
est
enfoncée
dans
l’
eau
def
.
sg
.
f
log(
f
)
refl
be.
prs
.3
sg
push.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
inside
def
.
sg
.
f
water(
f
)
‘The log sank in the water.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
tué
Michel
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
kill.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul killed Michel.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
frappé
Michel
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
hit.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
pn
(
m
)
‘Paul hit Michel.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
embrassé
Marie
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
kiss.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul kissed Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
lu
un
livre
intéressant
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
read.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
m
book(
m
)
interesting.
sg
.
m
‘Paul read an interesting book.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
remué
un
doigt
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
move.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
indf
.
sg
.
m
finger(
m
)
‘Paul moved his finger.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
respecte
Marie
pn
(
m
)
respect.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul respects Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_par
X: SBJ
Y: par
Locus: Y
Paul
est
dégoûté
par
la
vaisselle
sale
pn
(
m
)
be.
prs
.3
sg
disgust.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
by
def
.
sg
.
f
dishes(
f
)
dirty.
sg
.
f
‘Paul is disgusted by dirty dishes.’
Note: Passive construction.
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
est
content
de
son
fils
pn
(
m
)
be.
prs
.3
sg
pleased.
sg
.
m
of
one’s.
sg
.
m
son(
m
)
‘Paul is satisfied with his son.’
Note: Non-verbal predicate.
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
est
tombé
amoureux
de
Marie
pn
(
m
)
be.
prs
.3
sg
fall.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
enamoured.
sg
.
m
of
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul fell in love with Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_NDIR.OBJ
X: SBJ
Y: NDIR.OBJ
Locus: Y
Paul
fait
confiance
à
Marie
pn
(
m
)
make.
prs
.3
sg
trust(
f
)
to
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul trusts Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_avec
X: SBJ
Y: avec
Locus: Y
Paul
compatit
avec
sa
mère
pn
(
m
)
sympathise.
prs
.3
sg
with
one’s.
sg
.
f
mother(
f
)
‘Paul sympathises with his mother.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
envie
Marie
pn
(
m
)
envy.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul envies Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_contre
X: SBJ
Y: contre
Locus: Y
Paul
s’
énerve
contre
Marie
pn
(
m
)
refl
make_nervous.
prs
.3
sg
against
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul is angry with Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_par
X: SBJ
Y: par
Locus: Y
Paul
a
été
surpris
par
ce
cadeau
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
be.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
surprise.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
by
this.
sg
.
m
gift(
m
)
‘Paul was surprised at this gift.’
Note: Passive construction.
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
aime
les
pomme-s
pn
(
m
)
like.
prs
.3
sg
def
.
pl
apple(
f
)-
pl
‘Paul loves apples.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
savoure
le
thé
chaud
pn
(
m
)
enjoy.
prs
.3
sg
def
.
sg
.
m
tea(
m
)
hot.
sg
.
m
‘Marie enjoys hot tea.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
veut
un
nouveau
téléphone
pn
(
m
)
want.
prs
.3
sg
indf
.
sg
.
m
new.
sg
.
m
phone(
m
)
‘Paul wants a new mobile phone.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_contre
X: SBJ
Y: contre
Locus: Y
Paul
est
fâché
contre
Marie
pn
(
m
)
be.
prs
.3
sg
make_angry.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
against
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul is angry with Marie.’
Note: Passive construction.
Valency pattern:
SBJ_NDIR.OBJ
X: SBJ
Y: NDIR.OBJ
Locus: Y
Paul
en
a
voulu
à
Marie
pn
(
m
)
of.it
have.
prs
.3
sg
want.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
to
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul had a grudge against Marie.’
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
a
beaucoup
chagriné
Marie
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
much
make_sad.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul greatly upset Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_par
X: SBJ
Y: par
Locus: Y
Paul
a
été
impressionné
par
cette
ville
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
be.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
impress.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
by
this.
sg
.
f
city(
f
)
‘Paul was impressed by this town.’
Note: Passive construction.
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
méprise
Marie
pn
(
m
)
despise.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul despises Marie.’
Valency pattern:
NDIR.OBJ_SBJ
X: NDIR.OBJ
Y: SBJ
Locus: X
le
fils
de
Paul
lui
a
fait
de
la
peine
def
.
sg
.
m
son(
m
)
of
pn
(
m
)
he.
dat
have.
prs
.3
sg
make.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
of
def
.
sg
.
f
pain(
f
)
‘Paul’s son upset him.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_par
X: SBJ
Y: par
Locus: Y
Paul
est
agacé
par
sa
fille
pn
(
m
)
be.
prs
.3
sg
irritate.
pst
.
ptcp
.
m
by
one’s.
sg
.
f
daughter(
f
)
‘Paul is irritated with his daughter.’
Note: Passive construction.
Valency pattern:
TR
X: SBJ
Y: DO
Locus: TR
Paul
apprecie
Marie
pn
(
m
)
appreciate.
prs
.3
sg
pn
(
f
)
‘Paul appreciates Marie.’
Valency pattern:
SBJ_de
X: SBJ
Y: de
Locus: Y
Paul
a
honte
de
sa
petite
taille
pn
(
m
)
have.
prs
.3
sg
shame(
f
)
of
one’s
small.
f
.
sg
height(
f
)
‘Paul is ashamed of his small height.’
