Adverbs of frequency and time in Spanish (ahora...)
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Sign up for freeAdverbs of frequency and time (adverbios de tiempo) give information on time, duration, and frequency.
They give an answer to questions starting with “when?” or "how often?”.
Examples:
- Ahora me voy a la cama. (I'll go to bed now.)
- A menudo voy al gimnasio. (I often go to the gym.)
Lesson outline
Hide- 1.Verb-modifier
- 2.Placement
- 3.Adverbs of frequency and time list
- 4.Adverbial expressions
- 4.1.Preposition + adjective
- 4.2.Preposition + noun
- 4.3.Preposition + verb
- 5.Adverb + adverb
- 6.Exercises
- 6.1.Adverbs of frequency and time in Spanish - Practice quiz
- 6.2.Adverbs of frequency and time in Spanish - Quiz
- 6.3.Adverbs of time in Spanish - Fill in the blanks
Verb-modifier
Adverbs of frequency and time generally modify the verb they refer to.
Since they refer to a verb, they do not change according to the gender or number.
Examples:
- Ayer nos fuimos a un restaurante italiano. (Yesterday we went to an Italian restaurant.)
- Nunca te mentí. (I never lied to you.)
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Nathalie A. 
Betania B. 
Bettina F.
Nuria R. 
Araceli L.
Jennifer tatiana C. 
Nerea S.
Matias L.
Inna K. 
Maria Elena C. 
Placement
Adverbs of fequency and time can be placed before or after the verb they modify.
Examples:
- Llegó tarde a clase. (He came to class late.)
- Todavía no ha acabado la universidad. (He has not finished university yet.)
Adverbs of frequency and time list
| Spanish adverb | English adverb | Example | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ahora | now | Ahora me voy a casa. | I'll go home now. |
| anoche | last night | Anoche salí con unos amigos. | Last night I went out with some friends. |
| anteanoche | night before last | Anteanoche ví a Juan. | The night before last I saw Juan. |
| anteayer | day before yesterday | Anteayer me fui de compras. | The day before yesterday I went shopping. |
| antes | before | Volví a casa antes de que se levantara. | I arrived home before he got up. |
| aún | still, yet | Aún no se ha ido. | He has not left yet. |
| ayer | yesterday | Ayer me fui a Madrid. | Yesterday I went to Madrid. |
| después | after | Después, nos fuimos al teatro. | Then we went to the theatre. |
| hoy | today | Hoy tengo una cita por Skype. | Today I have a Skype meeting. |
| jamás | never | Jamás sería capaz de hacerte daño. | I would never be able to hurt you. |
| luego | after, then | Ahora ceno y luego voy al cine. | Now I have dinner and then I'll go to the cinema. |
| mañana | tomorrow | Mañana es mi cumpleaños. | Tomorrow is my birthday. |
| nunca | never | Nunca te mentiría. | I would never lie to you. |
| pronto | soon | Te llamaré pronto. | I will call you soon. |
| siempre | always | Siempre tomo un café en ese bar. | I always have a coffee in that bar. |
| tarde | late | Esa noche volvímos a casa tarde. | That night we came back home late. |
| temprano | early | Ayer me desperté temprano. | Yesterday I got up early. |
| todavía | still, yet | Todavía no he visto esa película. | I have not watched that movie yet. |
| ya | already | Ya te dije que fumar no está permitido. | I already said to you that smoking is not allowed. |
Adverbial expressions
In addition to single words, Spanish uses adverbial expressions to express time as well.
There are different types of adverbial expressions:
- preposition + adjective
- preposition + noun
- preposition + verb
- adverb + adverb
1. Preposition + adjective
| Adverbial expression | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a menudo | often | A menudo voy a la piscina. ( I often go to the swimming pool.) |
| de nuevo | again | Tengo que ir a la farmacia de nuevo. (I have to go to the pharmacy again.) |
| de pronto | suddenly | Se fue de pronto. (Suddenly he went away.) |
| de repente | suddenly | La tierra empezó a temblar de repente. (Suddenly the earth started shaking.) |
2. Preposition + noun
| Adverbial expression | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a veces | sometimes | A veces desayuno huevos. (Sometimes I have eggs for breakfast.) |
| de día | in the daytime | Llegamos a Gante de día. (We arrived in Ghent in the daytime.) |
| de noche | in the nighttime | Nos fuimos de la oficina de noche. (We left the office in the nighttime.) |
| por la mañana | in the morning | Por la mañana suelo tomarme un café. (I usually have a coffee in the morning.) |
| por la noche | at night | Llegué a casa por la noche. (I arrived home at night.) |
| por la tarde | in the afternoon | Por la tarde me fui al parque. (In the afternoon, I went to the park.) |
3. Preposition + verb
| Adverbial expression | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| al amanecer | at dawn | Nos fuimos a la playa al amanecer. (We went to the beach at dawn.) |
| al anochecer | at nightfall | Miguel llegó a Cádiz al anochecer. (Miguel arrived in Cadiz at nightfall.) |
| al atardacer | at dusk | Paseamos por la playa al atardecer. (We strolled along the beach at dusk.) |
| al salir el sol | at sunrise | Salieron al salir el sol. (They set off at sunrise.) |
4. Adverb + adverb
| Adverbial expression | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| de ahora en adelante | from now on | Desde entonces, no podemos quejarnos ya. (From now on, we cannot complain anymore.) |
| de vez en cuando | once in a while | De vez en cuando voy a Valencia a ver a mi novio. (I go to Valencia to visit my boyfriend once in a while.) |
| desde entonces | since then | He madurado desde entonces. (I have grown up since then.) |
Exercises
- Adverbs of frequency and time in Spanish - Practice quiz
- Adverbs of frequency and time in Spanish - Quiz
- Adverbs of time in Spanish - Fill in the blanks
Adverbs of frequency and time in Spanish - Practice quiz
Adverbs of frequency and time in Spanish - Quiz
Adverbs of time in Spanish - Fill in the blanks
Exercises
- Adverbs of frequency and time in Spanish - Practice quiz
- Adverbs of frequency and time in Spanish - Quiz
- Adverbs of time in Spanish - Fill in the blanks