Adverbs
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Regular AdverbsCommon Adverbs
Interrogation Adverbs
Comparatives
Superlatives
Regular Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
In Portuguese, most adverbs are formed from adjectives by adding -mente to the end of the feminine form.
rápido → rápida → rapidamente - quickly
Adverbs typically follow the verb.
correu rapidamente - he ran quickly
The adverb precedes the adjective or adverb which it modifies.
chegou muito tarde - he arrived very late
Common Adverbs
An adverb usually answers the questions when, how, where, or why. Here are some of the most common:
Time
| Adverb | Translation |
|---|---|
| hoje | today |
| ontem | yesterday |
| amanhã | tomorrow |
| agora | now |
| depois | after |
| dantes | before |
| já | in this moment |
| logo | soon |
| nunca | never |
| sempre | always |
Manner & Degree
| Adverb | Translation |
|---|---|
| bem | well |
| mal | badly |
| assim | like so, in this way |
| quase | almost |
| devagar | slowly |
| depressa | fast |
| tão | so, like this |
| aliás | otherwise |
| como | like |
| demais | too much |
Place
| Adverb | Translation |
|---|---|
| aqui | here |
| cá | hither |
| aí | there (near you) |
| ali | there (yonder) |
| lá | over there |
| acolá | there yonder |
| abaixo | below |
| acima | above |
| fora | outside |
| dentro | inside |
Interrogation Adverbs
Question words are also adverbs:
| Adverb | Translation |
|---|---|
| como? | how? |
| onde? | where |
| quando? | when? |
| quanto? | how much? |
| por que? | why? |
Comparatives
Adverbs are compared just like adjectives.
| Comparison | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mais ... que | more ... than | mais cedo que - earlier than |
| menos ... que | less ... than | menos tarde que - less late than |
| tão ... como | as ... as | tão caro como - as dear as |
Superlatives
Adverbial superlatives are similar to adjective superlative forms. Some examples:
- If the adverb ends in -mente, replace the -a at the end of the adjective base with -issima.
rapidamente → rapidissimamente - very quickly - Use muito before the adverb.
muito rapidamente - very quickly - Use relative superlative words like o mais before the adverb.
o mais rapidamente - the most quickly