The Spanish Adverb
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- 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 XXVIII - The Pronoun we add the following adverbs and adverbial locutions:
Á la noche - at night
Á manos llenas - profusely
Á ojos cegarritas - blindly
Á ojos vistas - obviously
Á pie juntillas - firmly
Á rienda suelta - recklessly
Á todo escape - at full speed
Ayer tarde or por la tarde - yesterday evening
Cuanto antes - as soon as possible
De buena, mala gana - willingly, unwillingly
De buenas á buenas - willingly
De buenas á primeras - at first sight, straight away
De hoy en quince - to-day fortnight
Hoy hace quince días - just a fortnight ago
De propósito - on purpose
De tiempo en tiempo - from time to time
Día sí, y otro no - every other day
Mañana por la mañana - to-morrow morning
Nunca jamás - never--emphatic
Para siempre jamás - for ever and ever
Pasado mañana - the day after to-morrow
Por mal (bien) que - (however badly well)
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.
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