Adverbs

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Adverbs Derived From Adjectives

Many adverbs are formed from the stem of the corresponding adjective by adding the -a suffix.

E.g.

regluleg/ur (regular) gives regluleg/a (regularly);

drengileg/ur (brave) gives drengileg/a (bravely), etc.

Such adverbs have degrees of comparison:

prýðilega -- prýðilegar -- prýðilegast

Some have different suffixes:

lengi -- lengur -- lengst -- for a long while;

fram -- fremur -- fremst -- forward/preferably/most of all;

nærri -- nær -- næst -- nearly/almost/next. Back to the Top.

Neuter Adjectives Used As Adverbs

Some adjectives in the neuter form are used directly as adverbs. Examples are given below, together with methods of comparison. 

bágt	-	bágar/a		-	bágast	(difficult)
hart	-	harðar/a	-	harðast	(hard)
hátt	-	hærra		-	hæst	(highly)
langt	-	lengra		-	lengst	(long, far)
seint	-	seinna		-	seinast	(late)
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Irregular Comparison of Adverbs


gjarna/n	-	heldur	-	helst	(gladly/willingly)
illa		-	verr	-	verst	(badly)
lítt		-	midur	-	minnst	(little)
lítið		-	minna	-	minst	(little)
mjög		-	meir	-	mest	(very)
snemma		-	fyrr	-	fyrst	(soon/early)
vel		-	betur	-	best	(well)
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Adverbs of Time

nú/þá/lengri -- now/then/for a long time;

aldrei/sjaldan/stundum/oft/(alltaf/ávalt) -- never/seldom/sometimes/often/always.

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Adverbs of Place

hingað -- hér/na -- héðan -- to here/here/from here;

þangað -- þar/na -- þaðan -- to there/there/from there;

hvert -- hvar -- hvaðan -- where to/where/where from;.

úti -- inni -- out(side)/in(side);

ofan -- undan -- fyrir -- heima -- down(from above)/before/in front of/at home.

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Adverbs of Manner and Degree

vel -- well;

illa -- badly;

þannig -- thus;

hvernig -- how;

svona -- thus;

svo -- so;

mjög -- very;

alveg -- quite.

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Adverbs of Cause

hversvegna -- why;

þessvegna -- therefore.

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Adverbs of Adversity

þö -- however;

samt -- yet;

þar á möt/i -- on the other hand;

annars -- or else, otherwise.

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Affirmative Adverbs

já, jú -- yes (jú is used to deny negative statements or questions);

sannlega, sannarlega -- indeed, really;

vissulega, vist -- certainly;

raundar, raunar -- really.

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Negative Adverbs

nei -- no;

ekki, eigi -- not.

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