As a beginner in Spanish, it is important to understand the basic concepts of adverbs. Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, and provide additional information about the manner, place, time, frequency, or degree of the action or quality being described. Adverbs are usually placed after the verb they modify, but they can also be placed at the beginning or the end of the sentence.
In Spanish, there are many adverbs that have similar meanings to their English counterparts. For example, entonces means “then,” también means “also,” and tampoco means “neither” or “not either.” However, it is important to note that the usage of these adverbs may differ from English in some cases.
When using entonces, it is important to remember that it is often used to indicate a sequence of events or actions. For example, “Se casará con él y entonces se irán a vivir a Francia.” (She/He will marry him, and then they will go to live in France)
También and tampoco are often used to express agreement or disagreement with a statement. También means “also” and is used to agree with a positive statement, while tampoco means “neither” or “not either” and is used to agree with a negative statement.
For example, “Me gusta el helado. También me gusta el pastel.” (I like ice cream. I also like cake.) Or, “No me gusta el café. Tampoco me gusta el té.” (I don’t like coffee. Neither do I like tea.)
It is important to note that adverbs in Spanish can be formed by adding -mente to the singular form of an adjective, by combining a noun with the Spanish preposition con, or by using simple phrases. For example, “lentamente” (slowly), “con cuidado” (carefully), or “de vez en cuando” (from time to time).
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How to use Entonces in Spanish
Entonces is the Spanish word for “then” and is used to indicate a sequence of events. It can be translated as “so” or “therefore” in some contexts. For example, “Si tu padre fue a la farmacia, entonces se habrá llevado el coche” (If your father went to the pharmacy, then he must have take the car).
It also means “that” or “that time, moment or occasion” and it is usally precedeed by a preposition. For example, “La juventud de entonces trabajaba desde temprana edad” (The youth of the time worked from an early age).
Expressions with the word entonces
- en aquel entonces, o en ese entonces: It refers to “at that time” or “then” as in a long time ago. For example, “En aquel entonces, nos escribíamos cartas que tardaban tres meses en llegar” (At that time, we would write each other letters that would take three months to arrive.)
- por aquel entonces, o por ese entonces: It referes “around that time.” For example, “Por aquel entonces, yo trabajaba de empleado en un períodico.” (Around that time, I was working as an employee in a newspaper.)
También and tampoco are used to express agreement or disagreement with a statement. También means “also” or “too” and is used to agree with a positive statement. For example, if someone says “Me gusta el chocolate” (I like chocolate), you can respond with “A mí también” (Me too).
On the other hand, tampoco means “neither” or “not either” and is used to agree with a negative statement. For example, if someone says “No me gusta el café” (I don’t like coffee), you can respond with “A mí tampoco” (Me neither).
It is important to note that these adverbs do not have a direct translation in English, so it is essential to learn their usage in context. With practice, you will become more comfortable using entonces, también, and tampoco in your Spanish conversations.
How to use También in sentences
When using the Spanish adverb “también“, it is important to understand how it works in both positive and negative statements. “También” is used to express agreement with a positive statement.
Using También in Positive Statements
When you want to agree with a positive statement in Spanish, you can use “también.” This adverb is usually placed before the verb, and it means “also” or “too.” For example:
- A: “Me gusta el fútbol.” B: – “A mí también.” (“I like soccer.” – “Me too.”)
In this example, “también” is used to agree with the positive statement “Me gusta el fútbol.”
In affirmative sentences, “también” means “as well” or “too,” for example:
- A: “Ella habla inglés y francés.” B: – “Yo también.” (“She speaks English and French.” – “I do too.”)
How to use Tampoco in sentences
When you want to agree with a negative statement in Spanish, you can use “tampoco.” This adverb is usually placed before the verb, and it means “neither” or “not either.” For example:
- A: “No me gusta el brócoli.” B: – “A mí tampoco.” (“I don’t like broccoli.” – “Me neither.”)
- A: “No me gusta el café ni el té.” B: – “Yo tampoco.” (“I don’t like coffee or tea.” – “Me neither.”)
In this example, “tampoco” is used to agree with the negative statement “No me gusta el brócoli.”
- A: No me gusta el fútbol. (I don’t like soccer.)
- B: A mí tampoco. (Me neither.)
In this example, person B is expressing agreement with person A’s negative statement using “tampoco.” They are saying that they also don’t like soccer.
- A: No voy a la fiesta esta noche. (I’m not going to the party tonight.)
- B: Yo tampoco voy. (I’m not going either.)
In this example, person B is expressing agreement with person A’s negative statement using “tampoco.” They are saying that they also are not going to the party tonight.
It’s important to note that in Spanish, the use of “tampoco” implies a negative response, so it’s not appropriate to use it to agree with a positive statement. For example:
- A: Me gusta la pizza. (I like pizza.)
- B: A mí tampoco. (This is incorrect. It should be “A mí no.”)
In this case, person B is using “tampoco” to agree with a positive statement, which is not correct. They should use “no” instead to express disagreement with person A’s statement.
The Verb ‘Gustar’ with También and Tampoco
When it comes to expressing likes and dislikes in Spanish, the verb gustar is commonly used. The verb gustar is unique because it requires an indirect object pronoun to indicate who likes or dislikes something. For example, “Me gusta el chocolate” translates to “I like chocolate,” with the indirect object pronoun “me” indicating that the speaker is the one who likes chocolate.
When using the adverbs también and tampoco with gustar, it’s important to keep in mind that they must agree with the indirect object pronoun, not the subject. For example, if someone says “Me gusta el helado,” and you want to express that you also like ice cream, you would say “A mí también me gusta el helado.” The adverb también agrees with the indirect object pronoun “mí,” not the subject.
On the other hand, if someone says “No me gusta el brócoli,” and you want to express that you also don’t like broccoli, you would say “A mí tampoco me gusta el brócoli.” The adverb tampoco also agrees with the indirect object pronoun “mí,” indicating that the speaker shares the same dislike as the person who originally expressed it.
Here’s a table to summarize the use of también and tampoco with gustar:
| Situation | Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Agreeing with a positive statement | Me gusta la pizza. | A mí también (me gusta la pizza.) |
| Agreeing with a negative statement | No me gusta el fútbol. | A mí tampoco (me gusta el fútbol.) |
| Disagreeing with a positive statement | Me gusta el té. | A mí no me gusta el té. |
| Disagreeing with a negative statement | No me gusta el café. | A mí sí me gusta el café. |
Remember, when using gustar with también and tampoco, always pay attention to the indirect object pronoun and use the appropriate adverb to indicate agreement or disagreement.
