Adverbial Phrases 2 Flashcards
Using Phrases That Function as Adverbs
Adverbs can often be formed in Spanish by adding -mente to many adjectives, just as “-ly” can be used to form adverbs in English. But the creation of adverbs using -mente has its limits. For one, there are plenty of times where one needs an adverb (a word that modifies a verb, adjective, other adverb or an entire sentence) when there’s no adjective that will do as a root word. Also, sometimes for no apparent reason, some adjectives in Spanish simply aren’t combined with -mente. Finally, many Spanish speakers tend to frown on the use of several -mente adverbs in one sentence, especially in writing.
The solution is one that is also used in English: use of an adverbial or prepositional phrase. These phrases are typically formed by using a preposition and a noun, sometimes including an article. For example, we might say “anduvo a la izquierda” for “he walked leftward” or “he walked to the left.” In that case, a la izquierda and “to the left” are adverbial phrases. The difference is that in Spanish, there is no one-word adverb that can be used.
Adverbial phrases seem to be more common in Spanish than in English. In many cases, the same thought can be expressed using either an adverb or an adverbial phrase. Spanish tends to prefer the phrase, while English tends to prefer the simple adverb, even though both are grammatically correct. For example, it is possible to say either ciegamente or a ciegas for “blindly” or “in a blind manner.” But Spanish more often uses the phrase, English the one word. Even so, in most cases there is no practical difference in meaning between a -mente adverb and a corresponding adverbial phrase, so they are freely interchangeable. In many contexts there’s no distinguishable difference, for example, between perfectamente (“perfectly”) and sin errores (“without mistakes”).
in the long run
a la larga
clearly
a las claras
finally
al fin
jointly,
together
conjuntamente
juntos
like a crazy person
a lo loco
by hand, manually
a mano
by machine
a máquina
unwillingly
a regañadientes
knowingly
a sabiendas
jumping
Tom dared Mary to jump over the ditch.
a saltos
Tom retó a Mary a saltar sobre la zanja.
alone
a solas
on time, in time
a tiempo
continually
at all hours
continuamente
a todas horas
sometimes
a veces
under control
bajo control
underhandedly
under the counter
despiadadamente
anxiously
con ansiedad
daringly
con audacia
safely
con bien
hopefully
con esperanza
