Adverbs are words that qualify or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Adverbs express manner, time, place, quantity, degree, doubt, affirmation, or negation.
Adverbs of manner show the way in which something is done or happens
• Most adverbs are formed by adding –mente (the equivalent of the English –ly) to the adjective
• Adjectives ending in –o change the –o to –a before adding –mente
o Lento … lentamente = slowly
• Adjectives ending in –a, -e, or a consonant, add –mente directly to the form.
o Probable … probablemente = probably
• Adjectives with a written accent mark, keep the accent mark when they become adverbs
o Fácil … fácilmente = easily
• If two or more adverbs are used together, both change the –o to –a, but only the last one in the sentence ends in –mente.
o Ella habla clara y lentamente. … She speaks clearly and slowly.
Adverbs of time answer the question ¿cuándo? (when)
Ayer – yesterday
Anteayer – the day before yesterday
Hoy – today
Mañana – tomorrow
Pasado mañana – the day after tomorrow
Ahora – now
Enseguida – at once
Largo tiempo – for a long time
Antaño/en otro tiempo – previously
Hace tiempo – a long time ago
Hace poco – lately
De ahora en adelante – from now on
Siempre – always
A menudo – often
A veces – sometimes
Raramente – rarely/seldom
De pronto – suddenly
Primero – first(ly)
Luego – afterwards, later
Aún – still, yet
De vez en cuando – once in a while
Temprano – early
Tarde – late
Pronto – soon
Inmediatamente – immediately, right now
Ya – now
Entonces – then
Finalmente – finally
Desde antes – since
Después/luego – then, later, afterwards
Adverbs of place answer the question ¿dónde? (where)
¿Dónde estás? … Where are you?
¿A dónde vas? … Where are you going?
¿Por dónde? … By where, through where?
¿Por dónde pasó? … Where did he/she pass by?
¿De dónde? … From where?
¿De dónde vienes? … Where do you come from?
Aquí – here
Ahí – there
Allí – over there
Alto – high
Bajo – low
Encima de – on, above
Debajo de – underneath
Delante – in front
Atrás – behind
Dentro de – inside
Fuera de – outside
Adentro – inside
Afuera – outside
Lejos – far
Cerca – near
En otra parte – elsewhere
En todas partes – everywhere
Adverbs of quantity answer the question ¿cuánto? (how much/how many)
Todo – totally
Suficiente – enough
Mucho – much, many
Nada – nothing
Muy – very
Poco – little
Tanto – so much
Tanto como – as much, as many
Más – more
Algo – something
Menos – less
Demasiado – too much
Adverbs of doubt, affirmation, negation
Doubt
• Quizás, tal ves – maybe, perhaps
• Probablemente – probably
• Aparentemente – apparently
Afirrmation
• Sí – yes
• Perfectamente – perfectly
• Sin duda – without doubt, no doubt
• También – also
• Por supuesto – of course, sure
• Cierto – certain, true, agreed
• Ciertamente – certainly
Negation
• No – no
• Ni – nor
• Nadie – nobody
• Nada – nothing
• De ningún modo – in no way
• Tampoco – neither
• Jamás – never
• Nunca - never
