You might’ve seen our article regarding Arabic adjectives, so it’s only natural that we should show an example or two of what an adverb in Arabic is since the structure is used in everyday conversation. Moreover, it will help broaden your vocabulary and enable you to make more complex sentences. However, first, we need to know what the role of Arabic adverbs is in the structure of Arabic grammar. Generally, they’re words that modify any part of language other than a noun. Arabic adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives (including numbers), clauses, time, sentences, and other adverbs. Learning to use Adverbs in Arabic effectively is key to fluent communication.
What Is an Adverb in Arabic?
In Arabic grammar, the term for an adverb is ظَرْف (ẓarf). Just like in English, adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They answer questions like:
- When? (مَتَى؟ – matā?)
- Where? (أَيْنَ؟ – ayna?)
- How? (كَيْفَ؟ – kayfa?)
Understanding the adverb in Arabic is a key step towards sounding more natural and precise.
Adverbs of Time (ظروف الزمان)
These tell you when something happens.
| English | Transliteration | Arabic | Example Sentence | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yesterday in Arabic | Aams | أَمْس | ذهبتُ إلى السوق أَمْس | I went to the market yesterday. | Dhahabtu ila as-suqi ams. |
| Today in Arabic | Al-yawm | الْيَوْم | الْيَوْم الجو جميل | The weather is beautiful today. | Al-yawm al-jawu jamil. |
| Tomorrow in Arabic | Ghadan | غَدًا | سأسافر غَدًا | I will travel tomorrow. | Sa’usaafiru ghadan. |
| Now in Arabic | Al-aan | الْآن | أنا مشغول الْآن | I am busy now. | Ana mashghul al-aan. |
| Then in Arabic | Thumma | ثُمَّ | أكلت ثُمَّ خرجت | I ate, then I went out. | Akaltu thumma kharajtu. |
| Later in Arabic | Fiimaa ba’d | فِيمَا بَعْد | سأراك فِيمَا بَعْد | I will see you later. | Sa’araaka fiimaa ba’d. |
| Right now in Arabic | Fi al-waqt al-haali | فِي الْوَقْت الْحَالِي | أنا مشغول فِي الْوَقْت الْحَالِي | I am busy right now. | Ana mashghul fi al-waqt al-haali. |
| Already in Arabic | Saabiqan | سَابِقًا | فعلتُ ذلك سَابِقًا | I did that already. | Fa’altu thalika saabiqan. |
| Recently in Arabic | Mu’akhkharan | مُؤَخَّرًا | لم أرك مُؤَخَّرًا | I haven’t seen you recently. | Lam arak mu’akhkharan. |
| Lately in Arabic | Mu’akhkharan | مُؤَخَّرًا | كنتُ مشغولًا مُؤَخَّرًا | I have been busy lately. | Kuntu mashghulan mu’akhkharan. |
| Soon in Arabic | Qariiban | قَرِيبًا | سأعود قَرِيبًا | I will return soon. | Sa’audu qariiban. |
| Immediately in Arabic | Fawran | فَوْرًا | يجب أن تذهب فَوْرًا | You must go immediately. | Yajibu an tadhhaba fawran. |
| Still in Arabic | Laa yazaal | لَا يَزَال | هو لَا يَزَال نائمًا | He is still sleeping. | Huwa laa yazaal na’iman. |
| Yet in Arabic | Ba’d | بَعْد | لم آكل بَعْد | I haven’t eaten yet. | Lam akul ba’d. |
| Ago in Arabic | Mundhu | مُنْذُ | رأيتُه مُنْذُ يومين | I saw him two days ago. | Ra’aytuhu mundhu yawmayn. |
Adverbs of Place (ظروف المكان)
These tell you where something happens.
| English | Transliteration | Arabic | Example Sentence | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Here in Arabic | Hunaa | هُنَا | أنا هُنَا | I am here. | Ana hunaa. |
| There in Arabic | Hunaak | هُنَاك | هو هُنَاك | He is there. | Huwa hunaak. |
| Over there in Arabic | Hunaak | هُنَاك | البيت هُنَاك | The house is over there. | Al-baytu hunaak. |
| Everywhere in Arabic | Fi kulli makaan | فِي كُلِّ مَكَان | هو يبحث عنه فِي كُلِّ مَكَان | He is looking for it everywhere. | Huwa yabḥathu ʿanhu fi kulli makan. |
| Anywhere in Arabic | Fi ayyi makaan | فِي أَيِّ مَكَان | يمكنك الذهاب فِي أَيِّ مَكَان | You can go anywhere. | Yumkinuka adh-dhahabu fi ayyi makan. |
| Nowhere in Arabic | Laa makaan | لَا مَكَان | لَا يوجد لَا مَكَان للذهاب | There is nowhere to go. | Laa yujadu laa makaan lidh-dhahab. |
| Home in Arabic | Manzil | مَنْزِل | أنا ذاهب إلى الْمَنْزِل | I am going home. | Ana dhaahibun ila al-manzil. |
| Away in Arabic | Ba’iidan | بَعِيدًا | هو بَعِيدًا عن هنا | He is far away from here. | Huwa ba’iidan ʿan huna. |
| Out in Arabic | Kharijan | خَارِجًا | هو خَارِجًا | He is out. | Huwa kharijan. |
Adverbs of Manner (ظروف الحال)
These tell you how something happens. Many of these are derived from adjectives, often by adding the indefinite accusative ending (ـًا) or by using the preposition بـ (bi) before the noun form of the adjective.
| English | Transliteration | Arabic | Example Sentence | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very in Arabic | Jiddan | جِدًّا | هو سعيد جِدًّا | He is very happy. | Huwa sa’iidun jiddan. |
| Quite in Arabic | Tamaaman | تَمَامًا | هو على حق تَمَامًا | He is quite right. | Huwa ʿala ḥaqqin tamaaman. |
| Really in Arabic | Haqqan | حَقًّا | هو ذكي حَقًّا | He is really smart. | Huwa dhakiyyun ḥaqqan. |
| Fast in Arabic | Sarii’an | سَرِيعًا | هو يجري سَرِيعًا | He runs fast. | Huwa yajrii sarii’an. |
| Well in Arabic | Jayyidan | جَيِّدًا | هو يتكلم العربية جَيِّدًا | He speaks Arabic well. | Huwa yatakallamu al-ʿarabiyyata jayyidan. |
| Hard in Arabic | Bi-shiddah | بِشِدَّة | هو يعمل بِشِدَّة | He works hard. | Huwa yaʿmalu bi-shiddah. |
| Quickly in Arabic | Bi-sur’ah | بِسُرْعَة | هو يأكل بِسُرْعَة | He eats quickly. | Huwa ya’kulu bi-sur’ah. |
| Slowly in Arabic | Bi-but’in | بِبُطْء | هو يمشي بِبُطْء | He walks slowly. | Huwa yamshii bi-but’in. |
| Carefully in Arabic | Bi-‘inayah | بِعِنَايَة | هو يقود بِعِنَايَة | He drives carefully. | Huwa yaqudu bi-‘inayah. |
| Hardly in Arabic | Bi-al-kaad | بِالْكَاد | هو يسمع بِالْكَاد | He can hardly hear. | Huwa yasma’u bi-al-kaad. |
| Barely in Arabic | Bi-al-kaad | بِالْكَاد | هو يتكلم بِالْكَاد | He barely speaks. | Huwa yatakallamu bi-al-kaad. |
| Mostly in Arabic | Fi al-ghalib | فِي الْغَالِب | هو فِي الْغَالِب في المنزل | He is mostly at home. | Huwa fi al-ghalib fi al-manzil. |
| Almost in Arabic | Taqriiban | تَقْرِيبًا | هو انتهى تَقْرِيبًا | He is almost finished. | Huwa intaha taqriiban. |
| Absolutely in Arabic | Mutlaqan | مُطْلَقًا | هو على حق مُطْلَقًا | He is absolutely right. | Huwa ʿala ḥaqqin mutlaqan. |
| Together in Arabic | Ma’an | مَعًا | هم يذهبون مَعًا | They go together. | Hum yadhhabun ma’an. |
| Alone in Arabic | Wahdahu | وَحْدَهُ | هو يعيش وَحْدَهُ | He lives alone. | Huwa ya’iishu wahdahu. |
Adverbs of Frequency (ظروف التكرار)
These adverbs will let you know how often an action happens
| English | Transliteration | Arabic | Example Sentence | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always in Arabic | Da’iman | دَائِمًا | هو دَائِمًا متأخر | He is always late. | Huwa da’iman muta’akhkhir. |
| Frequently in Arabic | Kathiiran | كَثِيرًا | هو يذهب إلى السينما كَثِيرًا | He goes to the cinema frequently. | Huwa yadhhabu ila as-sinama kathiran. |
| Usually in Arabic | Aadatan | عَادَةً | هو عَادَةً يأكل في المنزل | He usually eats at home. | Huwa ‘aadatan ya’kulu fi al-manzil. |
| Sometimes in Arabic | Ahyaanan | أَحْيَانًا | هو أَحْيَانًا يذهب إلى الحديقة | He sometimes goes to the park. | Huwa ahyaanan yadhhabu ila al-hadiiqah. |
| Occasionally in Arabic | Ahyaanan | أَحْيَانًا | هو أَحْيَانًا يسافر | He occasionally travels. | Huwa ahyaanan yusaafiru. |
| Seldom in Arabic | Nadiran maa | نَادِرًا مَا | هو نَادِرًا مَا يزورنا | He seldom visits us. | Huwa nadiran maa yazuuruna. |
| Rarely in Arabic | Nadiran | نَادِرًا | هو نَادِرًا ما يخرج | He rarely goes out. | Huwa nadiran maa yakhruju. |
| Never in Arabic | Abadan | أَبَدًا | هو أَبَدًا لا يدخن | He never smokes. | Huwa abadan laa yudakhkhinu. |
Putting It All Together: Adverbs in Arabic in a Sentence
Let’s see how these adverbs in Arabic work within a full sentence. Notice how they add crucial details and make the sentences more descriptive.
- I always drink tea in the morning.
- أَنَا أَشْرَبُ الشَّايَ دَائِمًا فِي الصَّبَاحِ
- (ʾanā ʾashrabu ash-shāya dāʾiman fī aṣ-ṣabāḥi)
- She is sitting there.
- هِيَ تَجْلِسُ هُنَاك
- (hiya tajlisu hunāk)
- He writes slowly.
- هُوَ يَكْتُبُ بِبُطْءٍ
- (huwa yaktubu bi-buṭʾin)
- The meeting is today.
- الِاجْتِمَاعُ الْيَوْمَ
- (al-ijtimāʿu al-yawma)
Tips for Mastering Arabic Adverbs
- Practice with Context: Instead of memorizing a long Arabic adverbs list in isolation, try using them in full sentences.
- Listen Actively: Pay attention to how native speakers use adverbs in Arabic in everyday conversations. You’ll quickly notice how much they are used.
- Don’t Be Afraid of the Forms: The “bi-” prefix for adverbs of manner is a very common and easy-to-use pattern.
Once you’re done with Arabic adverbs, you might want to check the rest of our Arabic lessons. And never forget – practice makes perfect! So make sure you revise your lessons for maximum acquisition. Learning adverbs in Arabic is a crucial step in learning the language.
If you wish to learn more about Arabic grammar or the Arabic language in general, download our Arabic learning app.
