German Adverbs

What are German Adverbs? (Adverbien)

  • German Adverbs describe circumstances (like in English).
  • They are related verbs. = Adverb ("Add to verb")
  • They describe the location, time, cause, or manner of action.
  • We divide them into the following categories: Locative, Temporal, Causal and Modal.
  • They can't be changed and we do not decline them.

Difference between German Adverbs (Adverbien) and Adjectives (Adjektive)

Adjectives:

  • Adjectives decribe nouns more precisely.
  • They give further information about a thing or a person.
  • If you use them before a noun, you must decline them according to the Adjective declension (Adjektivdeklination).

Adverbs:

  • Adverbs describe circumstances and are related to a verb, NOT to a noun.
  • They are used to describe how, when, why or where something happens.
  • Adverbs are unchangeable and can't be declined ( = no change of endings!).

Examples

  • Gestern war ich bei einem tollen Konzert.” // Yesterday, I was at a great concert.
  •  „Ich habe ganz vorn gestanden.“ //  I was right in the front.
  •  „Ich habe die Band sehr gut sehen können.“ //  I could see the band very well.
  •  „Deshalb konnte ich auch viele geniale Fotos machen.“ //  That’s why I could shoot so many great photos.
  •  „Das Einzige, was mir nicht gefallen hat, war, dass ich kaum Platz hatte. Ich konnte kaum atmen. //  The only thing I really disliked was that I had almost no space. I could barely breathe.

Gestern, blue = Adverbs (Adverbien)

ganz, brown = Particles (Partikel) (special type of adverb)

tollen, black = Adjective (Adjektive)

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In the following section you will get a short summary of all the topics related to adverbs. If you want more detailed explanations, watch the linked video and/or watch the entire lesson.

Overview: German Adverbs

Lokale Adverbien

Locative adverbs tell you something about locations.

They go with the questions: Wo? (Where?), Wohin? (Where to?), Woher? (From Where?)

Example: Wo ist dein Vater?“ – „Unten!“

To the Lesson: Lokale Adverbien

Temporale Adverbien

Temporal adverbs tell you things related to time - the point in time, time period, order, repetition, frequency, etc. of something happening.

They are connected to the questions: Wann?, Ab wann?, Wie lange?, Wie oft?, Bis wann?, Seit wann?

Example: „Ich gehe morgen einkaufen.“

To the LessonTemporale Adverbien

„Hin oder Her?“

The adverb "hin" describes movement away from the speaker.

The adverb "her" describes movement towards the speaker.

Example: Komm bitte her! Ich muss mit dir reden.“

To the Lesson: Lokale Adverbien „hin oder her?“

Konjunktionaladverbien

Conjunctive adverbs are adverbs that combine sentences, clauses, words, and phrases with each other.

The difference between conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs: conjunctive adverbs are grammatically a part of the sentence while conjunctions are not.

Example: „Anna kommt später, außerdem kommt Jan auch später.“

To the Lesson: Konjunktionaladverbien

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Entire lesson in German only: Adverbien

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