How can you tell how often you study Spanish, in Spanish? Just as adjectives modify nouns, the main function of adverbs is to modify verbs and, sometimes, adjectives.
Spanish
English
Voy a la universidad mañana.
I'm going to college tomorrow.
What are Adverbs of Time?
Rule 1. Adverbs of time indicate how often or when an action is performed. They generally answer the questions when, at what time, how many times, how often, etc.
Spanish
English
Me encanta hacer ejercicio. Hago pilates a menudo.
I love to exercise. I do pilates often.
What are the Adverbs of Time in Spanish?
Rule 2. Here is a list of the most commonly used adverbs divided into four categories.
Adverbs to Talk About the Past
| Adverb | Translation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ayer | yesterday | Ayer fui a comer con mis amigas. | Yesterday I went to lunch with my friends. |
| anoche | last night | Anoche salí de fiesta. | I went out partying last night. |
| antiguamente | formerly | Antiguamente se creía que la tierra era plana. | In the past, it was believed that the earth was flat. |
| antes | before | Antes me gustaba el helado. | Before, I used to like ice cream. |
| Adverb | Translation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ayer | yesterday | Ayer fui a comer con mis amigas. | Yesterday I went to lunch with my friends. |
| anoche | last night | Anoche salí de fiesta. | I went out partying last night. |
| antiguamente | formerly | Antiguamente se creía que la tierra era plana. | In the past, it was believed that the earth was flat. |
| antes | before | Antes me gustaba el helado. | Before, I used to like ice cream. |
Adverbs to Talk About the Present
| Adverb | Translation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| hoy | today | Hoy tengo clase de español. | I have Spanish class today. |
| ahora\t | now | Ahora como mariscos, antes no. | Now I eat seafood, not before. |
| actualmente | currently | Actualmente estoy enfocada en mi trabajo. | I am currently focused on my work. |
| hoy por hoy\t | nowadays | Hoy por hoy hay más información global. | Nowadays there is more global information. |
| Adverb | Translation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| hoy | today | Hoy tengo clase de español. | I have Spanish class today. |
| ahora\t | now | Ahora como mariscos, antes no. | Now I eat seafood, not before. |
| actualmente | currently | Actualmente estoy enfocada en mi trabajo. | I am currently focused on my work. |
| hoy por hoy\t | nowadays | Hoy por hoy hay más información global. | Nowadays there is more global information. |
Adverbs to Talk About the Future
| Adverbs | Translation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| mañana | tomorrow | Mañana voy al dentista. | Tomorrow I go to the dentist. |
| después | after | Compro la comida después de salir de clases | I buy food after I get out of class. |
| pasado mañana | the day after tomorrow | Hoy es domingo, pasado mañana es martes. | Today is Sunday, the day after tomorrow is Tuesday |
| proximamente/pronto | soon\t | Proximamente se estrena la película. | The film will be released soon. |
| por la tarde/mañana | in the afternoon/morning | Por la tarde saldré a caminar con mi perro | In the afternoon I will go for a walk with my dog. |
| Adverbs | Translation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| mañana | tomorrow | Mañana voy al dentista. | Tomorrow I go to the dentist. |
| después | after | Compro la comida después de salir de clases | I buy food after I get out of class. |
| pasado mañana | the day after tomorrow | Hoy es domingo, pasado mañana es martes. | Today is Sunday, the day after tomorrow is Tuesday |
| proximamente/pronto | soon\t | Proximamente se estrena la película. | The film will be released soon. |
| por la tarde/mañana | in the afternoon/morning | Por la tarde saldré a caminar con mi perro | In the afternoon I will go for a walk with my dog. |
Adverbs to Talk About Duration or Frequency
| Adverbs | Translation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| siempre | always | Siempre desayuno huevos. | I always eat eggs for breakfast. |
| nunca | never | Nunca tomo café. | I never drink coffee. |
| frecuentemente | frequently\t | Frecuentemente voy a ver al doctor. | I frequently go to the doctor. |
| ocasionalmente | occasionally | Ocasionalmente como pescado, pero no todos los días. | I occasionally eat fish, but not every day. |
| semanalmente | weekly | Compro mi despensa semanalmente. | I buy my groceries weekly. |
| normalmente | normally | Normalmente bebo mucha agua. | I normally drink a lot of water. |
| a veces\t | sometimes | A veces voy al gimnasio. | Sometimes I go to the gym. |
| de vez en cuando | from time to time | De vez en cuando salgo de fiesta. | From time to time I go out partying. |
| Adverbs | Translation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| siempre | always | Siempre desayuno huevos. | I always eat eggs for breakfast. |
| nunca | never | Nunca tomo café. | I never drink coffee. |
| frecuentemente | frequently\t | Frecuentemente voy a ver al doctor. | I frequently go to the doctor. |
| ocasionalmente | occasionally | Ocasionalmente como pescado, pero no todos los días. | I occasionally eat fish, but not every day. |
| semanalmente | weekly | Compro mi despensa semanalmente. | I buy my groceries weekly. |
| normalmente | normally | Normalmente bebo mucha agua. | I normally drink a lot of water. |
| a veces\t | sometimes | A veces voy al gimnasio. | Sometimes I go to the gym. |
| de vez en cuando | from time to time | De vez en cuando salgo de fiesta. | From time to time I go out partying. |
Where are Adverbs Placed?
Rule 3. Adverbs in Spanish tend to be very flexible as to their position. Most often their position depends on what you want to emphasize in the sentence.
As a rule of thumb, adverbs follow the verb they modify. However, this rule applies more to adverbs of quantity and adverbs of manner. When it comes to adverbs of time, they can go at the beginning of the sentence, after the verb, or at the end of the sentence.
Spanish
English
Siempre voy al gimnasio.
I always go to the gym
Voy siempre al gimnasio.
I always go to the gym.
Voy al gimnasio siempre.
I go to the gym all the time.
Now you can tell your friends how often you study Spanish.
Spanish
English
Voy a clases de español frecuentemente.
I go to Spanish classes frequently.
Quiz
1/3
Voy al gimnasio __________ (always).
0
correct answers.