Adverb
Adverb is a part of a speech that denotes some characteristic of action or some characteristic of an object and another characteristic.
- Ве́чером мы пойдё́м в теа́тр. (= In the evening we will go to the theater.)
Adverb can refer to a verb and shows как (= how?) , где (= where?) , когда́ (= when?) , заче́м (= why?) , куда́ (= where to?) , с како́й це́лью (= for what aim?) , по како́й причи́не (= for what reason?) , в како́й ме́ре (= to what extent?) how an action takes place:
- Он живёт (как?) ве́село. (= He lives (how?) joyfully.)
- (Где?) Везде́ бы́ло мно́го цвето́в. (= (Where?) There were many flowers everywhere.)
- Он э́то сде́лал мне (с како́й це́лью?) назло́. (= He did this (for what purpose?) to spite me.)
- Мы (когда́?) сего́дня верну́лись из о́тпуска. (= (when?)Today we returned from vacation.)
Adverb can also refer to special forms of the verb - participle and gerund, as well as to the noun, adjective and other adverb and denote their characteristic:
- Учи́тесь (как?) хорошо́, живи́те (как?) дру́жно. (= Study (how?) well, live (how?) amicably.)
- Э́тот студе́нт (в како́й ме́ре?) о́чень стара́тельный. (= This student is (to what extent?) very diligent.)
- Она́ рабо́тает (как?) весьма́ охо́тно. (= She works (how?) with pleasure.)
- Здесь происхо́дит движе́ние (куда́?) вперё́д. (= Here the movement (where?) forward takes place.)
- Он (когда́?) всегда́ приве́тлив. (= He is ( when?) always friendly.)
The adverb doesn't change, i.e. it isn't declined and isn't conjugated, and it usually appears as adverbial modifier in the sentence.
Adverbs that refer to the verb and its forms can denote manner, cause, purpose, measure and degree.
Adverbs that refer to adjective or another adverb can denote measure and degree of characterstic.
Types of adverbs
According to their meaning adverbs are divided into the following main categories:
| The meaning of adverbs | Questions to which ... answer | Examples of adverbs |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adverbs of manner | Как? (= How?) , Каки́м о́бразом? (= How?) | бы́стро (= quickly) , хорошо́ (= good) , ме́дленно (= slowly) , по-но́вому (= anew) , по-дру́жески (= friendly) , по-ру́сски (= in Russian) , внима́тельно (= attentively) , вдруг (= suddenly) , на́бело (= in neat) , так (= as) , е́ле-е́ле (= barely) , ника́к (= no way) |
| 2. Adverbs of time | Когда́? (= When?) , С каки́х пор? (= Since when?) , До каки́х пор? (= How long?) , Как до́лго? (= How long?) | сего́дня (= today) , за́втра (= tomorrow) , вчера́ (= yesterday) , у́тром (= in the morning) , днём (= by day) , ве́чером (= in the evening) , но́чью (= at night) , сейча́с (= now) , ра́но (= early) , тогда́ (= then) , тепе́рь (= at present) , накану́не (= on the eve) |
| 3. Adverbs of place | Где? (= Where?) , Куда́? (= Where?) , Отку́да? (= Where?) | здесь (= here) , там (= there) , вблизи́ (= nearby) , вдали́ (= away) , сюда́ (= here) , туда́ (= there) , отту́да (= from there) , везде́ (= everywhere) , напра́во (= on the right) , нале́во (= on the left) , и́здали (= afar) , вниз (= down) , вверх (= up) , нигде́ (= nowhere) , никуда́ (= nowhere) |
| 4. Adverbs of cause | Почему́? (= Why?) , Отчего́? (= For what reason?) , По како́й причи́не? (= For what reason?) | oттого́ (= that's why) , потому́ (= because) , сгоряча́ (= impulsively) , понево́ле (= against one's will) , со́слепу (= due to poor eyesight) , спросо́нья (= half-awake) |
| 5. Adverbs of purpose | Заче́м? (= Why?) , С како́й це́лью? (= For what purpose?) , Для чего́? (= What for?) | назло́ (= for spite) , наро́чно (= on purpose) , не́зачем (= there is no need) , специа́льно (= intentionally) , напереко́р (= frowardly) , в шу́тку (= jokingly) , умы́шленно (= intentionally) , неумы́шленно (= unintentionally) , неча́янно (= accidentally) |
| 6. Adverbs of quantity and degree | Ско́лько? (= How much?) , Во ско́лько (= In what time?) , Наско́лько? (= How much?) , С како́й сте́пени? (= To what extent?) , В како́й ме́ре? (= To what extent?) | о́чень (= very) , мно́го (= many) , весьма́ (= extremely) , совсе́м (= quite) , попола́м (= in half) , два́жды (= twice) , три́жды (= thrice) , вдвоём (= the two together) , втроём (= the three of us) , сли́шком (= too) , вполне́ (= quite) , дово́льно (= enough) , соверше́нно (= completely) |
Degrees of comparison of adverbs
Adverbs formed from qualitative adjectives have the comparative and the superlative degrees of comparison.
Formation of comparative degree
Simple form
| The root form of adverb | Means of formation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjectives of the type | Suffix | |
| о́стро (= acutely) | -ее- | остре́е (= acuter) |
| бы́стро (= quickly) | -ей- | быстре́й (= quicker) |
| интере́сно (= interestingly) | -ей- | интере́сней (= more interesting) |
| су́хо (= dryly) | -ше- | су́ше (= drier) |
| далеко́ (= far away) | -ше- | да́льше (= farther) |
| бли́зко (= closely) | -же- | бли́же (= closer ) |
Some adverbs, like adjectives, have a suppletive form of the comparative degree (i.e. they are formed from another stem) :
- хорошо́ (= good) – лу́чше (= better)
- пло́хо (= bad) – ху́же (= worse)
Formation of superlative degree
The superlative degree of adverbs usually has compound form which is a combination of two words: the comparative degree of the adverb and the pronoun всех (= of all) or всего́ (= of everything) :
Composite form
Simple form of the comparative degree + pronoun всех (= of all) (for animate objects) or всего́ (= of everything) (for inanimate objects)
| остре́е (= acuter) | остре́е всex (= the acutest) |
| быстре́й (= quicker) | быстре́й всего́ (= the quickest) |
| интере́сней (= more interesting) | интере́сней всего́ (= the most interesting) |
| су́ше (= drier) | су́ше всего́ (= the driest) |
| да́льше (= farther) | да́льше всex (= the fartherst) |
Predicative Adverbs ( the words of category of the status)
Special group comprises predicative adverbs that denote a state and perform the function of predicate in impersonal sentence. It can be:
-
state of living beings (
ве́село
(= cheerily)
,
гру́стно
(= sadly)
,
смешно́
(= funnily)
,
оби́дно
(= offensively)
,
сты́дно
(= shameful)
):
- Без вас мне ску́чно, – я зева́ю; при вас мне гру́стно, – я терплю́... (Пушкин) (= I'm bored when you are off I yawn; I'm sad beside you - I subdue; (Pushkin))
-
the state of the environment, the situation (
хо́лодно
(= coldly)
,
ве́трено
(= windy)
,
жа́рко
(= hot)
,
чи́сто
(= clean)
,
ую́тно
(= cozily)
,
просто́рно
(= spaciously)
):
- На дворе́ ещё хо́лодно, но со́лнце све́тит уже́ по-весе́ннему. (Горький) (= It's still cold outside but the sun already shines as in spring. (Gorky)
Some adverbs (they are called predicative-proper adverbs) can only act as predicate. These are adverbs мо́жно (= can) , ну́жно (= necessary ) , необходи́мо (= necessary) , нельзя́ (= can't) , жаль (= it's a pity ) , пора́ (= it's about time) , не́когда (= there is no time) , бо́язно (= frightened) , со́вестно (= ashamed) , сты́дно (= shameful) and others:
- В э́то невозмо́жно пове́рить. (= it's impossible to believe in this.)
Невозмо́жно пове́рить - compound verbal predicate. Невозмо́жно - predicative adverb.
Notional and pronominal adverbs
Adverbs are divided into notional and pronominal. Notional adverbs denote some characteristic and pronominal adverbs only point to it.
The pronominal adverbs, in turn, are divided into several groups. These groups are similar to the rank of pronouns.
| Adverb | As indicated by | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstrative | They denote certain place, time, reason, etc. Demonstrative pronouns are often used to link sentences in the text. |
здесь (= here) , тут (= here) , там (= there) , туда́ (= there) , отту́да (= from there) , тогда́ (= then) , зате́м (= then) , поэ́тому (= that's why) , так (= so) |
| Interrogative | Are used in interrogative sentences. | где? (= where?) , когда́? (= when?) , куда́? (= where?) , отку́да? (= where from?) , почему́? (= why?) , заче́м? (= what for? ) , как? (= how?) |
| Relative | They coincide with interrogative pronominal adverbs in form: they act as connective words and serve for connection of parts of the sentence in the complex sentences. | где (= where) , когда́ (= when) , куда́ (= where) , отку́да (= where from) , почему́ (= why) , заче́м (= what for) , как (= how) |
| Indefinite | They denote unknown or inexact place, time, reason, etc. They are formed from interrogative pronominal adverbs with the help of suffixes -то, -либо, -нибудь and prefixes кое- and less often не-. | где́-то (= somewhere) , когда́-то (= sometime) , ка́к-то (= somehow) , где́-нибудь (= somewhere) , где́-либо (= somewhere) , кое-где́ (= in some places) , кое-ка́к (= somehow) , не́когда (= there is no time) |
| Negative | They are formed from interrogative pronominal adverbs with the help of prefixes ни- and не-. Не- always under stress, and the syllable ни- is always unstressed. |
никогда́ (= never) , нигде́ (= nowhere) , никуда́ (= nowhere) , не́где (= nowhere) , не́зачем (= there is no need) |