Life in Motion • Adverbs in Sentences

🌟 Using Japanese Adverbs in Sentences 🌟

Now that you understand what adverbs are, let's learn how to use them in sentences! Adverbs make your Japanese more expressive and natural by adding detail about how, when, or to what degree an action happens.

Adverb Position in Japanese Sentences

In Japanese, adverbs usually come right before the word they modify. This is different from English where adverb position can be more flexible.

Basic Japanese Word Order:

[Topic/Subject] → [Time] → [Place] → [Adverb] → [Object] → [Verb]

Remember: The verb always comes at the end of a Japanese sentence!

わたしは

ゆっくり

あるきます。

I walk slowly.

The adverb ゆっくり (slowly) comes right before the verb あるきます (walk).

せんせいは

はやく

きました。

The teacher came early.

The adverb はやく (early) comes before the verb きました (came).

Common Adverbs in Sentences

Common adverbs like とても (very) and あまり (not very) modify the intensity of actions or qualities. Pay special attention to negative adverbs like あまり and ぜんぜん which are usually used with negative verbs.

Important Note

あまり (not very) and ぜんぜん (not at all) are almost always used with negative verbs in Japanese, unlike in English.

とても

このケーキはとてもおいしいです。

This cake is very delicious.

とても intensifies the adjective おいしい (delicious).

あまり

あまりテレビをみません。

I don't watch TV much.

あまり is used with a negative verb to mean 'not very much'.

ぜんぜん

にほんごがぜんぜんわかりません。

I don't understand Japanese at all.

ぜんぜん makes the negative verb わかりません stronger.

ちょっと

ちょっとまってください。

Please wait a little.

ちょっと softens the request, making it more polite.

Time Adverbs in Sentences

Time adverbs tell us when or how often something happens. In Japanese, they usually appear near the beginning of the sentence, often right after the topic or subject.

Time Adverbs Positioning

In Japanese, time expressions often come early in the sentence:

[Topic/Subject] → [Time Adverb] → [Rest of sentence]

いつも

わたしはいつも７じにおきます。

I always wake up at 7 o'clock.

いつも (always) shows this is a regular, consistent habit.

ときどき

ともだちとときどきえいがをみます。

I sometimes watch movies with friends.

ときどき shows this happens occasionally but not regularly.

よく

かのじょはよくうたいます。

She often sings.

よく indicates a frequent action.

もう

もうごはんをたべました。

I have already eaten.

もう shows the action is already completed.

Manner Adverbs in Sentences

Manner adverbs describe how an action is performed. In Japanese, they come right before the verb they modify, adding important details about the way something is done.

Creating Manner Adverbs

Many manner adverbs in Japanese come from い-adjectives. Remove the final い and add く:

はやい

→

はやく

(quickly)

ゆっくり

おばあさんはゆっくりあるきます。

The elderly woman walks slowly.

ゆっくり describes the slow manner of walking.

はやく

はやくはなしてください。

Please speak quickly.

はやく modifies how the speaking should be done.

いっしょに

いっしょにべんきょうしましょう。

Let's study together.

いっしょに describes how the studying will happen - together.

じょうずに

かれはにほんごをじょうずにはなします。

He speaks Japanese skillfully.

じょうずに describes the quality of his speaking ability.

Combining Multiple Adverbs

You can use multiple adverbs in a single Japanese sentence to provide more detail. The general order for multiple adverbs is: time adverbs first, followed by frequency adverbs, then manner adverbs closest to the verb.

Multiple Adverbs Order:

[Time] → [Frequency] → [Manner] → [Verb]

Example: "Yesterday, I often ran quickly" would be structured with adverbs in that order.

きのう、

よく

はやく

はしりました。

Yesterday, I often ran quickly.

Time (きのう/yesterday) → Frequency (よく/often) → Manner (はやく/quickly) → Verb (はしりました/ran)

わたしは

まいにち

ときどき

ゆっくり

あるきます。

I sometimes walk slowly every day.

Time (まいにち/every day) → Frequency (ときどき/sometimes) → Manner (ゆっくり/slowly) → Verb (あるきます/walk)

Tips for Using Adverbs

Here are some helpful tips to remember when using Japanese adverbs in sentences:

✅
Position Matters
Adverbs usually come right before the word they modify. For verbs, this means just before the verb.
✅
Negative Adverbs Need Negative Verbs
Remember that あまり and ぜんぜん need to be used with negative verbs.
✅
No Changes Needed
Unlike verbs and adjectives, adverbs don't change form - they're always the same!
✅
Start Simple
Begin with one adverb per sentence until you're comfortable, then try combining them.

Practice Exercise

Try making your own sentences using these adverbs. Start with a simple structure like:

[わたしは] + [adverb] + [verb]

For example: わたしはよくおよぎます。(I often swim.)

Adverbs Assessment