Adverbs of intensity modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs to indicate degree, quantity, strength, or approximation. They help make information more precise, such as very happy, he ran a lot, and very quickly. Some also function as absolute intensifiers, such as completely, totally, and absolutely, which express the idea of totality. The value of certain adverbs varies with context and with regional variety, especially in colloquial uses such as 'demais' in Brazil.

Very, quite, little, and too much are common forms to indicate intensity or quantity in different contexts. When they modify adjectives, they precede the word they modify, and when they modify verbs, they usually appear after the verb. When modifying another adverb, they come before it, as in very quickly. In Brazilian colloquial uses, 'demais' can function similarly to very much, especially in informal speech.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Muito expressa intensidade elevada.Very expresses high intensity.	Ela está muito contente.She is very happy.
Bastante indica intensidade suficiente ou alta.Quite indicates sufficient or high intensity.	O texto ficou bastante claro.The text became quite clear.
Pouco indica intensidade reduzida.Little indicates reduced intensity.	Ele falou pouco hoje.He spoke little today.
Demasiado indica excesso.Too much indicates excess.	A sopa ficou demasiado salgada.The soup turned too salty.

The position of the intensity adverb helps define the focus of the sentence and its relationship to the word it modifies. Before adjectives, it reinforces a quality, as in very happy, and before another adverb, it intensifies the manner, as in very quickly. After the verb, it usually indicates the degree of the action, as in they ran very much. In spoken and written language, small shifts and pauses can alter the emphasis perceived by the listener.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Antes do adjetivo modifica a qualidade.Before the adjective it modifies the quality.	A menina estava muito serena.The girl was very serene.
Depois do verbo reforça a ação.After the verb it reinforces the action.	Eles trabalharam muito.They worked a lot.
Antes de outro advérbio aumenta o grau.Before another adverb it increases the degree.	Chegou muito cedo.He arrived very early.
Deslocamento altera a ênfase.Displacement alters emphasis.	Muito feliz, saiu de casa.Very happy, he left the house.

Absolute intensifiers express totality or completeness, and therefore carry a stronger nuance than simple reinforcement. Completely, totally, and absolutely are common in contexts where the idea is entire, full, or without restraint. These items tend to sound more emphatic and, in some contexts, more formal than 'muito' or 'bastante'. They are especially useful when the intention is to exclude any intermediate degree.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Completamente indica totalidade.Completely indicates totality.	O plano mudou completamente.The plan changed completely.
Totalmente indica inteiro ou pleno.Totally indicates entirety or fullness.	Estou totalmente de acordo.I am totally in agreement.
Absolutamente reforça com forte ênfase.Absolutely reinforces with strong emphasis.	Isso é absolutamente certo.That is absolutely certain.
Pouquíssimo indica grau mínimo.Very little indicates a minimal degree.	Ele entende pouquíssimo de música.He understands very little about music.

Almost marks a value close to the limit, but still incomplete, and therefore is different from almost nothing, which reduces quantity to a minimum. The expression 'almost never' does not indicate almost non-occurrence, but rather rare occurrence, not total absence. These values are important for distinguishing approximation, low frequency and emphatic negation. In combination with other elements, the sense of proximity can be reinforced or softened by context.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Quase indica proximidade do limite.Almost indicates proximity to the limit.	Ela quase caiu.She almost fell.
Quase nunca indica frequência muito baixa.Almost never indicates very low frequency.	Ele quase nunca chega atrasado.He almost never arrives late.
Quase nada indica quantidade mínima.Almost nothing indicates minimal quantity.	Restou quase nada de café.There was almost nothing left of the coffee.
Pouco quase nunca expressa uma ideia de limitação.Little almost never expresses a notion of limitation.	Houve pouco quase nenhum apoio.There was little—almost no—support.

Intensity adverbs also accompany comparatives to reinforce the difference between two terms. Much more and much less are common pairings that amplify the contrast expressed by the comparative. In this context, intensity describes not only a quality but the distance between two degrees. This construction is useful for talking about greater, lesser, superiority and contrast in a natural way.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Muito mais reforça superioridade.Much more reinforces superiority.	Este caminho é muito mais curto.This path is much shorter.
Bem menos reforça inferioridade.Much less reinforces inferiority.	Hoje estou bem menos cansado.Today I am much less tired.
Mais pode receber reforço antes do comparativo.More can receive reinforcement before the comparative.	A segunda proposta é muito mais prática.The second proposal is much more practical.
Menos também aceita reforço.Less also accepts reinforcement.	A versão nova ficou bem menos pesada.The new version is much less heavy.

Muito can function as an adverb or as an adjective, and this difference changes agreement. As an adverb, it is invariable and intensifies another word without changing gender or number. As an adjective, it agrees with the noun and can appear in forms such as muitos, muita, muitas. Forms like muitíssimo and pouquíssimo give a more emphatic tone and tend to appear in more careful or more formal registers.

IdeiaIdea	ExemploExample
Muito como advérbio é invariável.Very as an adverb is invariable.	Ela gosta muito de ler.Very much... as an adverb example: She loves reading very much.
Muito como adjetivo concorda com o nome.Very as an adjective agrees with the noun.	Há muitas pessoas na sala.There are many people in the room.
Muitíssimo intensifica com forte ênfase.Muitíssimo intensifies with strong emphasis.	Agradeço muitíssimo a ajuda.I am extremely grateful for the help.
Pouquíssimo indica grau muito reduzido.Pouquíssimo indicates a very small degree.	Ele falou pouquíssimo sobre o assunto.He spoke very little about the subject.

The intensity adverbs allow you to grade qualities, actions and other adverbs with precision and naturalness. The choice among muito, bastante, pouco, demasiado, completely, almost, and boosters such as muitíssimo depends on the intended degree, context and register. The position in the sentence also alters focus and intonation, especially when the adverb accompanies adjectives, verbs or other adverbs. Mastery of these forms improves clarity in speech and writing and brings usage closer to the most natural pattern of Portuguese.