B1 German GrammarAdverbs & Adverb Position
Master German adverbs and their placement in sentences. Learn how adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, and understand the critical TeKaMoLo rule for ordering multiple adverbs in German sentences.
1Types of German Adverbs
German adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Unlike English, many German adverbs have the same form as their adjective counterparts (schnell = fast/quickly). Adverbs don't change form based on gender, case, or number. They are categorized into temporal (time), kausal (reason), modal (manner), and lokal (place) adverbs.
Common Adverb Types
| Type | German | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporal | heute, morgen, gestern | today, tomorrow, yesterday | Ich komme heute. |
| Kausal | deshalb, trotzdem, darum | therefore, nevertheless | Deshalb bin ich hier. |
| Modal | schnell, gut, gern | quickly, well, gladly | Er läuft schnell. |
| Lokal | hier, dort, oben | here, there, above | Sie wohnt dort. |
Examples
Sie singt sehr schön.
She sings very beautifully.
sehr modifies schön
Ich fahre oft nach Berlin.
I often go to Berlin.
oft = frequency adverb
Er arbeitet fleißig.
He works diligently.
fleißig = manner adverb
Draußen regnet es.
It's raining outside.
Draußen = place adverb
2The TeKaMoLo Rule
When a German sentence has multiple adverbs, they follow the TeKaMoLo order: Temporal (when) → Kausal (why) → Modal (how) → Lokal (where). This is the natural order for German speakers. Violating this order sounds unnatural, though elements can be moved to the front for emphasis.
TeKaMoLo Order
| Position | Type | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Temporal | Wann? (When?) | heute, gestern, morgen |
| 2nd | Kausal | Warum? (Why?) | deshalb, wegen des Wetters |
| 3rd | Modal | Wie? (How?) | schnell, mit dem Auto |
| 4th | Lokal | Wo/Wohin? (Where?) | in Berlin, nach Hause |
Examples
Ich fahre heute wegen der Arbeit schnell nach München.
I'm driving quickly to Munich today because of work.
heute (Te) + wegen (Ka) + schnell (Mo) + nach München (Lo)
Er geht morgen gern ins Kino.
He likes going to the cinema tomorrow.
morgen (Te) + gern (Mo) + ins Kino (Lo)
Sie bleibt heute trotzdem lange zu Hause.
She's staying home for a long time today nevertheless.
heute (Te) + trotzdem (Ka) + lange (Mo) + zu Hause (Lo)
Wir essen abends immer gemütlich im Garten.
We always eat comfortably in the garden in the evening.
abends (Te) + immer (Te) + gemütlich (Mo) + im Garten (Lo)
3Adverb Position in Main Clauses
In German main clauses, adverbs typically come after the conjugated verb. Time adverbs often come right after the verb or even at position 1 for emphasis. The subject-verb inversion rule applies: if an adverb starts the sentence, the verb comes second and the subject follows.
Adverb Positions
| Position | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| After verb | Ich gehe oft spazieren. | Standard position |
| Position 1 | Oft gehe ich spazieren. | Emphasis on 'often' |
| After object | Ich esse Pizza gern. | Modal after object |
| Before infinitive | Ich kann gut schwimmen. | Before infinitive |
Examples
Manchmal lese ich abends ein Buch.
Sometimes I read a book in the evening.
Manchmal in position 1, verb second
Ich bin leider krank.
Unfortunately, I am sick.
leider after the verb
Er hat das Buch wahrscheinlich vergessen.
He probably forgot the book.
wahrscheinlich between auxiliary and participle
Morgen muss ich früh aufstehen.
Tomorrow I have to get up early.
Morgen position 1 + inversion
4Comparative and Superlative Adverbs
German adverbs can be compared like adjectives. The comparative adds -er (schneller = faster), and the superlative uses 'am + -sten' (am schnellsten = fastest). Some common adverbs have irregular forms: gern → lieber → am liebsten; gut → besser → am besten; viel → mehr → am meisten.
Adverb Comparison
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| schnell | schneller | am schnellsten | fast, faster, fastest |
| langsam | langsamer | am langsamsten | slow, slower, slowest |
| gern | lieber | am liebsten | gladly (irregular) |
| gut | besser | am besten | well (irregular) |
| viel | mehr | am meisten | much (irregular) |
Examples
Sie läuft schneller als ich.
She runs faster than I do.
schneller + als for comparison
Ich trinke lieber Kaffee als Tee.
I prefer drinking coffee to tea.
lieber = prefer (irregular)
Er spricht am besten Deutsch.
He speaks German the best.
am besten = superlative
Von allen Sportarten mag ich Fußball am liebsten.
Of all sports, I like soccer the most.
am liebsten = most gladly