THE ADVERBS.


Adverbs are used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

The following are the principal Spanish adverbs--


Spanish Word
English Word

     
Abajo
     
Below


     
Además
     
Besides


     
Adelante, delante 
     
Before, in point of place


      
Ahora
      
Now


       
Alrededor, *entorno
 
       
Around


        
Amenudo, á menudo
        
Often


        
Antes
        
Before, in point of time


        
Antes, antes bien
        
Rather


        
Anoche
        
Last night


        
Anteanoche 
        
The night before last


         
Apenas, así que
         
As soon as


         
Aquí, acá 
         
Here, hither


         
Allí, allá 
         
There, thither


         
De aquí, de allí 
         
Hence, thence


         
Aun, todavía 
         
Still, yet


         
Ayer 
         
Yesterday


         
Anteayer
         
The day before yesterday


         
Bastante
         
Sufficiently


         
Bien
         
Well


         
Cerca
         
Near


         
Debajo
         
Under


         
Por debajo
         
Underneath


         
Demasiado
         
Too, too much


         
Dentro
         
Within


         
Después
         
After, afterwards


         
Detrás
         
Behind


   
Donde[160]
   
Where


   
En breve
   
Shortly


    
Encima
    
Upon, above


   
Enfrente
   
Opposite


  
Entonces
  
Then


  
Fuera
  
Outside


  
Hacia
  
Towards


  
Hacia Adelante
 
  
Forwards



Hacia abajo
 
(downwards)



Hasta
 
(till, until)



Hoy
 
(to-day)



*Junto
 
(next)



*Lejos
 
(far)



Luego
 
(presently, soon, then)



Mañana
 
(to-morrow)



Mal
 
(badly)



Más
 
(more)



Mejor
 
(better)



Menos
 
(less)



Mientras
 
(whilst)



Mientras tanto
 
(in the meantime)



Mucho
 
(much)



Muy[161]
 
(very)



Nunca, jamás
 
(never)



Ni ... ni ...
 
(neither ... nor ...)



Ni tampoco
 
(not either)



Peor
 
(worse)



Pronto
 
(soon)



Tal vez, acaso, quizá, quizás
 
(perhaps)



Tan, así 
(so)



Tanto 
(so much)



Tarde
 
(late)



Temprano 
(early)



Ya[162]
 
(already)






[Footnote 160: After verbs of motion also "á donde." After verbs of rest
also "en donde."]

[Footnote 161: Used as in English, but always muy before a past part.,
as: Muy apreciado (much esteemed). Such phrases as "He is rich but not
very" are translated "Es rico pero no mucho or tanto."]

[Footnote 162: Ya is also used for "now." "Ya no"--no longer.]

Those marked with an asterisk may govern a noun or pronoun through the
preposition de with the exception of junto, which governs these
words through á.

Adverbs may be formed from adjectives as in English.

The English termination ly is rendered by mente added to the
feminine form of the adjective, when this changes for the feminine.

Adverbs are compared like the adjectives, but the superlative relative
of adverbs is formed with lo más, and lo menos, as--

Es el más rico: He is the richest.

Esta adornado lo más ricamente posible: It is ornamented in the richest
manner possible.

Es el menos exacto: He is the least exact.

Cotice lo menos que pueda: Quote the least you can.

Besides the primitive adverbs given in our list, there are many
adverbial locutions--

á toda prisa (with all speed).
á la española (in the Spanish fashion).
á troche y moche, á trochimoche (in a slipshod way).
con blandura (gently).
de mala gana (unwillingly).
de vez (or de cuando) en cuando (from time to time).
tal cual vez (once in a while).
un si es, no es (ever so little).

When an adverb is followed by a verb in English que must be inserted
in Spanish before a finite mood and de before an infinitive, as--

Después de venir (after coming).

Después que vino (after he came).

The phrases "I say so," " I think it is (so)," "I do not think so," are
rendered "Digo que si" (or "lo digo"), "Creo que sí" (or "lo creo"),
"Creo que no" (or "no lo creo").

Some adjectives are used adverbially, as in English, without the
addition of mente, as--

Vender barato, caro (to sell cheap, dear).

Hablar alto, bajo (to speak loud, low).

When two or more adverbs ending in mente occur in the same sentence,
the termination is added only to the last, as--

Escribe clara,[163] concisa[163] y elegantemente: He writes clearly,
concisely and elegantly.

[Footnote 163: Notice "clara" and "concisa" in the feminine.]


     Caer (to fall).

Pres. Ind.,  Caigo --   --   --   --   --
Pres. Subj., Caiga, caigas, caiga, caigamos, caigáis, caigan.


   
VOCABULARY


   

Spanish Word
English Word

  

á duras penas 
with great difficulty


á la larga
 
 the long run



á medida que
 
in proportion as



á mejor andar
 
at best



á plazos
 
in instalments



ajeno averse



apagado
 
extinguished >dull (colours)



*asentar
 
to book (an order)



chillones
 
gaudy, screaming (colours)



claro
 
light (colours)



claro y redondo
 
(quite clearly)



columna
 
column



con el corazón en la mano
 
quite candidly



confeccionar
 
to make up



*confesar
 
to confess



conservas alimenticias
 
preserves



definir 
to define (also to settle)



dificultad
 
difficulty



ensayo
 
trial, proof, venture



escoger
 
to choose



exceder
 
to exceed



facilidad 
ease, facility



fijo
 
fixed, firm



fondos
 
grounds (pictures, cloth)



gana (de buena, de mala)
 
willingly, unwillingly



ganga 
a bargain



langosta
 
lobster



mariscos
 
shell-fish



muestrarios
 
pattern cards, sets



oscuro
 
dark



paquete
 
packet, parcel



*(no) poder menos de ...,
 
not to be able to help



puntos 
points, spots (in prints)



restos
 
remnants



sacar
 
to pull out, to get out, to get back



sardinas
 
sardines



satines
 
brochados brocaded satins



serie
 
series



sin mirar á gastos
 
regardless of expense



sobrio 
quiet (colour)



solidez
 
solidity



tomar á mal 
to take amiss



vivo
 
vivid, bright (colours)





                       EXERCISE 1

Translate into English--

1. Tiene V. (there is) tanta variedad de dibujos que verdaderamente
cuesta dificultad (it is difficult) el escoger entre diseños con flores,
con puntos, con rayas, y cuadritos.

2. Con facilidad sin embargo (however) podrá V. hacer un surtido entre
las dos series que le enviamos, de fondos claros y oscuros, y de colores
vivos, chillones, sobrios, y apagados.

3. Desde algún tiempo á esta parte tratan Vs. los negocios tan á
trochimoche que ya no sabemos á que atenernos (what to think of it).

4. Hago esta consignación de mala gana y le confieso claro y redondo que
siguiendo V. á vender tan barato y á plazos tan largos no me tendrá
cuenta hacerle otros envíos sino por su propia cuenta ó contra pedidos
fijos de los clientes.

5. Clara y concisamente es como se deben escribir las cartas
comerciales.

6. Á la par que Vs. (same as yourselves) no somos ajenos á la idea de
hacer algún ensayo en la importación de langosta, mariscos, sardinas, y
conservas alimenticias, pero debemos ir á medias en cualquiera
transacción que se decida.

7. Creo que á duras penas sacará su dinero y á mejor andar tendrá que
perder todo su trabajo.

8. Á medida que aumenten los ingresos se aumentarán los dividendos.

9. Recibirá V. en paquete asegurado los nuevos muestrarios que se han
confeccionado sin mirar á gastos.

10. Estos restos son una verdadera ganga y además, podrá V. pagarlos al
contado ó á plazos largos (easy) como más le convenga.

11. Dejaremos en suspenso su reclamo hasta definirlo personalmente en su
próximo viaje á Inglaterra.

12. No puede menos de admitir (to admit) que á la larga esto no puede
convenirme, y espero que V. no lo tome á mal que se lo exponga con el
corazón en la mano.


                           EXERCISE 2 

Translate into Spanish--

1. After writing you by last mail we are informed by the maker of the
Brown Linens (lienzos morenos) that he will be able to book your order
which will be delivered before the end of next month.

2. The Brocaded Satins will range between (costarán desde) 4d. and 5d. a
yard, and we shall ship them within six weeks but only after receiving
your letter confirming them.

3. These shapes are not worn (gastan, llevan) outside England.

4. Not far from here and next to the Bank there is the Insurance Office,
which is much admired for its solidity and fine appearance.

5. It cost £20,000 and they never thought it would exceed half that
amount.

6. Perhaps it is too large an outlay (gasto) for the Company, but there
was no money wasted.

7. The columns in the porch have cost so much because they are of the
best Carrara marble (mármol).

8. Whilst we admit that the prints sent may have been just a little bit
(un si es no es) off shade (diferentes al color pedido) your claim is
quite out of the question.

9. Towards the beginning of the autumn our Mr. So-and-So will make a
trip (hará un viaje) to your place, and he will have the honour of
waiting upon you (de visitarles) with our latest novelties (novedades).

10. You do not understand how it is possible that your neighbours are
able to undersell you (vender más bajo que V.), nor can we make it out
(explicárnoslo) either.