Adverbien (adverbs), aka circumstance words, tell how, where, when, to what degree, or how often something happens.
They describe the circumstances of a single word (a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but not a noun) or a whole sentence more precisely. They are placed close to the word they modify or at the beginning of the sentence.
Rule 1: Adverbs are invariable, meaning that their ending does not change.
Adverbs of Place
Rule 2: Adverbs of place answer the question Wo? (Where?). We use them to point out a specific location. Here are the main adverbs you'll use to indicate a place:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| hier | here |
| dort | there |
| links | left |
| rechts | right |
| oben | up |
| unten | down |
| hinten | behind |
| vorne | in front |
| überall | everywhere |
| irgendwo | anywhere |
For example:
Adverbs of Time
Rule 3: We use the adverbs of time to indicate when something happens or how long something lasts. They answer the questions: Wann? Wie lange? (When? How long?)
Here's a short list of the most common adverbs of time:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| bald | soon |
| jetzt | now |
| früher | earlier |
| vorher | before |
| jemals | ever |
| später | later |
| zuerst | first |
| nachher | afterwards |
| neuerdings | recently |
| seitdem | since then |
| damals | at that time |
| eben | just |
| heute | today |
| gestern | yesterday |
| morgen | tomorrow |
For example:
Indicating the Time Without an Adverb
Rule 4: You can also express when something is going to happen or has happened without an adverb. In that case, use the following construction:
- preposition + article + noun