Adverbs of frequency Flashcards

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1
Q

Where do adverbs go?

A

There’s a general rule that says Spanish adverbs always go either before or after the word they modify. This rule gives us examples like these:

  • Antonio come mucho. (Antonio eats a lot.)
  • María es muy guapa. (María is very pretty.)
  • Corres demasiado rápido. (You’re running too fast.)
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2
Q

Adverbs modifying verbs

A

If an adverb is modifying a verb, it will normally follow that verb:

  • Te quiero mucho. (I love you so much.)
  • Juana estudia sistemáticamente. (Juana studies systematically.)
  • Me parece que has crecido un poco. (I think you’ve grown a bit.)

However, you can place the adverb right before the verb if you want to add emphasis:

  • Demasiado lento hablas. (You speak too slow.)
  • Mucho has crecido tú. (You’ve grown a lot.)
  • Allí está mi coche. (There’s my car.)

Finally, there’s a key difference between English and Spanish with regard to perfect tenses. While English allows you to add adverbs between “to have” and the past participle, Spanish does not:

  • No he comido nunca camarones. (I’ve never eaten shrimp.)
  • Mi hermano ya ha llegado. (My brother has already arrived.)
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3
Q

Adverbs modifying adjectives

A

The rule with adjectives is pretty easy: Always place the adverb in front of the adjective. Have a look at some examples:

  • Tu hijo es muy alto. (Your son is very tall.)
  • Estás algo pálido. (You’re somewhat pale.)
  • Esta rosa es demasiado cara. (This rose is too expensive.)

However, you’ll see quite often that adverbs can appear after the adjective. This happens because the adverb modifies the whole sentence (as you’ll see later on), not just the adjective:

  • Estás algo pálido hoy. (You’re somewhat pale today.)

In the example above, “today” cannot modify “pale.” “Today pale” doesn’t make any sense. Here’s another example:

  • Estamos muy cansados esta tarde. (We’re very tired this afternoon.)
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4
Q

Adverbs modifying adverbs

A

Yes, adverbs can modify adverbs, too! Once again, the rule for this is very simple: the adverb doing the modifying should always be placed before the modified one:

  • Juan come muy rápido. (Juan eats very fast.)

Just like in English, saying “fast very” would not make sense. Here are two more examples:

  • Esta máquina trabaja bastante despacio. (This machine works pretty slowly.)
  • Este chico lee fantásticamente bien. (This guy reads fantastically well.)
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5
Q

Adverbs modifying whole sentences

A

If an adverb is modifying a whole sentence—like the majority of frequency adverbs do—it can be placed at the beginning or at the end of that sentence. You decide where to place it, depending on whether you want the sentence to emphasize the action or the time when it took/is taking/will take place.

  • Iremos al cine mañana. (We’ll go to the cinema tomorrow.)

Since the sentence above places the action of going to the cinema first, that action is more important than the time when it will happen. To shift the emphasis to the time of the action instead, place it first:

  • Mañana iremos al cine. (Tomorrow we’ll go to the cinema.)

Here’s the concept in action once again:

  • Me rompí la pierna el año pasado. (I broke my leg last year.)
  • El año pasado me rompí la pierna. (Last year I broke my leg.)
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6
Q

always, every time

I’m always hungry

A

siempre
syehm-preh”

Siempre tengo hambre.

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7
Q

almost always

(I almost always sleep on the sofa.)

A

casi siempre
kah-see syehm-preh”

Casi siempre duermo en el sofá.

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8
Q

constantly

We’re constantly arguing.)

A

constantemente
“kohns-tahn-teh-mehn-teh”

Estamos peleando constantemente.

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9
Q

frequently

We frequently go for a walk in the woods.

A

con frecuencia
frecuentemente
“freh-kwehn-teh-mehn-teh”

Frecuentemente vamos de paseo por el bosque.

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10
Q

Often

I often go for a run.

A

a menudo
“ah meh-noo-doh”

A menudo salgo a correr.

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11
Q

very often

(I dress in black very often.)

A

muy a menudo
“mooee ah meh-noo-doh”

Me visto de negro muy a menudo

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12
Q

a lot

I travel to Spain a lot.

A

mucho
* “moo-choh”

muchas veces
* Spain: “moo-chahs beh-thehs”
* Latin America: “moo-chahs beh-sehs”

Viajo mucho a España.

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13
Q

many times

Many times I forget to switch the lights off.)

A

muchas veces
* Spain: “moo-chahs beh-thehs”
* Latin America: “moo-chahs beh-sehs”

Muchas veces olvido apagar la luz.

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14
Q

daily, every day

We eat breakfast every day at seven

A

a diario
“ah dyah-ryoh”

A diario desayunamos a las siete

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15
Q

every + [time expression]

We travel to Argentina every summer.)

A

cada + [time expression]
kah-dah”

Vamos a Argentina cada verano.

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16
Q

every + [time expression]

They clean the house every week.

A

todos los + [time expression]
toh-dohs lohs”

Limpian la casa todas las semanas.

17
Q

daily

I go to school daily.

A

diariamente
“dyah-ryah-mehn-teh”

Voy a la escuela diariamente

18
Q

weekly

I study Spanish weekly

A

semanalmente
“seh-mah-nahl-mehn-teh”

Estudio español semanalmente.

19
Q

monthly

I go to the cinema monthly.

I go to the salon every month to prevent split ends and to keep my hair healthy.

A

mensualmente
“mehn-swahl-mehn-teh”

Voy al cine mensualmente.

Voy mensualmente a la peluquería para que no se me abran las puntas y lucir un cabello sano.

20
Q

annually

I receive money from my parents annually.

Felipe pays his taxes annually.

A

anualmente
“ah-nwahl-mehn-teh”

Recibo dinero de mis padres anualmente.

Felipe paga sus impuestos anualmente.

21
Q

normally

I normally get up at six.

A

normalmente
“nohr-mahl-mehn-teh”

Normalmente me levanto a las seis.

22
Q

generally

I generally have breakfast at home

A

generalmente
“heh-neh-rahl-mehn-teh”

Generalmente desayuno en casa.

23
Q

regularly

I regularly do exercise.

This plant needs to be watered regularly.

A

regularmente
“rreh-goo-lahr-mehn-teh”

Regularmente hago ejercicio

Esta planta necesita ser regada regularmente.

24
Q

usually

I usually sleep for eight hours.

A

usualmente
“oo-swahl-mehn-teh”

Usualmente duermo ocho horas.

25
Q

[number] times a [period of time]

I go to the gym five times a week.

I travel to Spain once a year.

A

[number] + vez/veces al/a la + [period of time]

Voy al gimnasio cinco veces a la semana.

Viajo a España una vez al año.

26
Q

sometimes

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night.

A

a veces
“ah beh-thehs”

A veces me despierto en mitad de la noche.

27
Q

occasionally

I visit my uncle occasionally.

A

ocasionalmente
“oh-kah-thyoh-nahl-mehn-teh”

Visito a mi tío ocasionalmente.

28
Q

sometimes, occasionally

Sometimes it rains during soccer matches

A

en ocasiones

En ocasiones llueve durante los partidos de fútbol.

29
Q

from time to time

We go to the cinema from time to time.

We only see each other once in a while but we continue to be good friends.

A

de vez en cuando
“deh behth ehng kwahn-doh”

Vamos al cine de vez en cuando.

Solo nos vemos de vez en cuando pero seguimos siendo buenos amigos.

30
Q

seldom, few times

I very seldom train

There wasn’t much hot water to shower.

A

poco
poh-koh”

Entreno muy poco.

Había poca agua caliente para la ducha

31
Q

seldom, few times

I tried a few times but no one opened the door.

A

pocas veces
Spain: “poh-kahs beh-thehs”
Latin America: “poh-kahs beh-sehs”

Lo intenté unas pocas veces pero nadie abría la puerta

32
Q

hardly ever

(I hardly ever ride a bike.

Adriana rarely gets angry, but when she does, she’s fearsome.

A

rara vez
rrah-rah behth”

Rara vez monto en bicicleta.

Adriana rara vez se enfada, pero, cuando lo hace, es temible

33
Q

rarely, hardly ever

You rarely tell me the truth.

We hardly ever go on vacation.

A

casi nunca
kah-see noong-kah”

Casi nunca me dices la verdad.

Casi nunca salimos de vacaciones

34
Q

scarcely, hardly ever

We hardly ever see each other lately.

I could hardly walk in those high heels.

A

apenas
“ah-peh-nahs”

Apenas nos vemos últimamente.

Apenas podía andar con aquellos tacones.

35
Q

never

I never dress in white.

I’ve never been to Paris.

A

nunca
noong-kah”

Nunca me visto de blanco

Nunca he ido a París.

36
Q

never, ever

I’ve never done drugs.

A

jamás
“hah-mahs

Jamás he tomado drogas.

37
Q

never ever

I’d never ever go back to him.

Me prometí que nunca jamás me volvería a enamorar, pero aquí me tienes.

A

nunca jamás
noong-kah hah-mahs

Nunca jamás volvería con él.

I promised myself never to fall in love again, but here I am.