Adverbs: Time, Place and Manner
Learn common German adverbs for time, frequency, place, direction, and manner. Practise their unchanging form, meaning, and position in a sentence.
Explanation
What are adverbs?
Adverbs specify **when**, **how often**, **where**, **where to**, **where from**, or **how** something happens. They never take an ending: **heute**, **oft**, **hier**, and **gern** remain unchanged.
| Function | Question | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| time | wann? | gestern, heute, morgen, später |
| frequency | wie oft? | immer, oft, manchmal, selten, nie |
| place | wo? | hier, dort, oben, unten, links, rechts |
| direction | wohin? | nach links, nach rechts, geradeaus |
| origin | woher? | von links, von oben, von unten |
| manner | wie? | gern, leider, anders, besonders |
| degree | how strongly / to what extent? | sehr, kaum, ein bisschen |
Time and sequence
Use **zuerst, dann, danach, anschließend, zuletzt** to order steps. These words can occupy the first position. The conjugated verb remains in position 2:
- **Zuerst öffne** ich das Fenster.
- **Danach mache** ich das Licht an.
- **Zuletzt verlasse** ich den Raum.
An adverb in first position
When an adverb occupies position 1, the conjugated verb comes immediately after it and the subject follows:
- **Heute arbeitet** Lina zu Hause.
- **Später rufe** ich dich an.
- **Dort wartet** der Bus.
If the subject comes first, the verb is still in position 2: **Lina arbeitet heute zu Hause.**
Opposites
Useful opposite pairs include **oben/unten**, **links/rechts**, **früh/spät**, **oft/selten**, **sehr/kaum**, and **morgens/abends**.
Notice the question: **wo?** - *links*; **wohin?** - *nach links*; **woher?** - *von links*.
> **Note:** Alongside single-word adverbs, this lesson practises fixed adverbial expressions such as **nach rechts** and **von links**. They answer the same questions about direction or origin.
Exercises
- Build correct sentences. Remember that the conjugated verb occupies position 2. (11)
- Insert the suitable adverbs of time and frequency from the word bank. (10)
- Complete each sentence with the opposite of the highlighted adverb. (10)
- Turn the cue into a complete sentence using the given sequence or direction adverb. (10)
A2 · German · Grammar