Part 2 · Verbs, adjectives and the everyday basics · Lesson 22
Adverbs: how much, how often, how, and もう and まだ
The adverbs that appear in nearly every sentence: degree (とても, あまり), frequency (いつも, よく), time (もう, まだ, すぐ), and manner (ゆっくり, ちゃんと). With the ones that need a negative.
Adverbs describe a verb, an adjective or another adverb. In Japanese they go just before what they describe, and most never change shape.
Degree: how much
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| とても | very | positive and negative |
| すごく | extremely | casual |
| かなり | quite | |
| ちょっと / 少し | a little | |
| もっと | more | |
| 一番 | the most | |
| あまり | not very | needs a negative |
| 全然 | not at all | needs a negative (casual: any) |
| ほとんど | almost (all / none) | with negative for "almost none" |
Frequency: how often
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| いつも | always |
| よく | often |
| 時々 (ときどき) | sometimes |
| たまに | occasionally |
| めったに | rarely (negative) |
| 全然 | never (negative) |
| 毎日 | every day |
Time: when, and how soon
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| すぐ | right away |
| もう | already / any more |
| まだ | still / not yet |
| ずっと | all along; far (more) |
| やっと | finally (after effort) |
| ついに / とうとう | at last |
| そろそろ | soon, about time |
| いつか | someday |
| さっき | a moment ago |
もう and まだ
The two words make four combinations:
| もう | まだ | |
|---|---|---|
| + positive | already | still |
| + negative | no longer | not yet |
Think of もう as "the change has happened" and まだ as "the change has not happened". If you ask もう食べましたか? ("Have you eaten already?"), the polite answer is はい、もう食べました or いいえ、まだです.
Another useful もう: もう一つ (one more), もう少し (a little more), もう一度 (once more).
Manner: how
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ゆっくり | slowly, leisurely |
| はっきり | clearly |
| ちゃんと | properly |
| しっかり | firmly, solidly |
| きちんと | neatly, correctly |
| 急いで | in a hurry (from 急ぐ) |
| 一緒に | together |
| 一人で | alone |
Judgment: how sure
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| たぶん | probably |
| きっと | surely, I'm sure |
| もちろん | of course |
| 絶対 (ぜったい) | absolutely |
| 必ず (かならず) | without fail |
| たしか | if I recall correctly |
| もしかして | by any chance |
Making adverbs from adjectives
You know this one. い-adjectives swap い for く; な-adjectives take に.
Sound-and-feeling adverbs
Onomatopoeia act as adverbs, often with と: ゆっくりと, はっきりと, どきどきする, ぐっすり寝る (sleep soundly).
Where to put them
An adverb goes before the verb or adjective it modifies, usually after the topic and subject:
Time words (毎朝) tend to go first, manner words (ゆっくり) closest to the verb.
Longer sentences
Adverbs spread through a paragraph, steering your sense of how often and how much.
Key points
- Adverbs go right before the word they describe.
- あまり, 全然, ほとんど, めったに need a negative.
- もう = already / no longer; まだ = still / not yet.
- Adjectives become adverbs with く and に.
- Sound-words add vividness and are normal in everyday Japanese.
Drill these patterns
Short example sentences for the points in this lesson: