The Spanish Adverb

• El convendría de muy buena gana: He would willingly consent.

But a great liberty is allowed in this respect, as:

• Seguramente firmaría el endoso: He would certainly sign the endorsement.
• Siempre se lo voy repitiendo: I keep always repeating it to him.

Mucho is the only adverb which does not generally admit of "very" for the superlative; it takes ísimo instead. However "muy mucho" is found, especially when used jocularly.

To the adverbs given in Lesson: The Pronoun we add the following adverbs and adverbial locutions:

á la noche - at night
á ojos cegarritas - blindly
á ojos vistas - obviously
á pie juntillas - firmly
á rienda suelta - recklessly
á todo escape - at full speed
ayer tarde - yesterday afternoon
ayer por la tarde - yesterday afternoon
cuanto antes - as soon as possible
de buena gana - willingly
de mala gana - unwillingly
de buenas á buenas - willingly
de buenas á primeras - at first sight, straight away
de hoy en quince - today fortnight
de propósito - on purpose
de tiempo en tiempo - from time to time
mañana por la mañana - to-morrow morning
nunca jamás - never--emphatic
para siempre jamás - for ever and ever
pasado mañana - the day after tomorrow
por mal que - however badly
por poco - nearly, but for little
tal cual vez - once in a while

EXAMPLES:

• Nunca jamás en la vida he hecho esto: Never in my life have I done this.
• Por poco se rompió la cabeza: He nearly broke his head.
• Por mal que le salga: Badly as it may turn out for him.

Adverbs ending in mente are often substituted by con with a noun, as:

• Con lujo--lujosamente (luxuriantly).
• Con dificultad--difícilmente (with difficulty).

This, of course, is found also in English but is more frequently done in Spanish.

Recientemente is generally abbreviated into recién before a past participle, as:

• El recién llegado (the newly arrived).
• El recién venido (the newly arrived).
• El recién nacido (the new born).

Aquí, acá, allí, allá.

Aquí and allí are more circumscribed than acá and allá:

• Venga acá cuando necesite algo: Come here when you want anything.
• Allá, en su tierra esto se hace: There in your country this is done.
• Aquí estoy y aquí me quedo: Here I am, and here I remain.
• Ponga este paquete allí: Put this packet there.

Ahí--there (near the person spoken to[1]) also means your city, your country, there (in correspondence).

Si los precios ahí son razonables podrá hacerse mucho negocio: If prices over there are reasonable, a large business can be done.

Por ahí = about.

• ¿Cuántos había? ¿40? Por ahí: How many were there? 40? About that number.

No is used often redundantly:

• Mejor es sufrir que no hacer sufrir: It is better to suffer than to make others suffer.
• Temo que no llegue demasiado temprano[2]: I am afraid he will arrive too early.