An adverb is the word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, expressing circumstance such as manner, time, or place. In Portuguese, the adverb typically answers questions such as how, when, and where. It does not agree in gender or number with the word it modifies. In a sentence, the adverb can appear in different positions without changing its category. In this module, the focus is on the most natural and frequent position for clarity.

Adverbs of manner generally come after the verb. If there is a short direct object, the adverb can appear after the object. In responses or short sentences, the adverb can close the sentence. In long sentences, the position after the verb keeps the sentence clear. Portuguese tends to avoid separating the subject and the verb with an adverb of manner.

Time adverbs frequently appear at the beginning or end of the sentence. At the beginning, they create a temporal focus and are followed by a comma in writing. At the end, they sound natural in everyday statements. In the middle of the sentence, between the subject and the verb, they are possible but sound more formal or marked. The choice between beginning and end depends on the informational focus, not on a fixed rule.

Place adverbs tend to appear at the end of the sentence. This position answers directly to the question where. At the beginning of the sentence, the adverb of place can be used to emphasize the location, especially in narratives. In the middle of the sentence, between the subject and the verb, it is uncommon and tends to sound artificial. The subject-verb-object-place order is the most stable structure.

When there are two adverbs, one of time and one of place, the time adverb usually comes before the place one at the end of the sentence. It is also common to place one adverb at the beginning and another at the end. Avoid piling several adverbs in the middle of the sentence. The time-place order at the end is predictable and easy to understand.

In sentences with a direct object, the adverb of manner can come after the object to avoid ambiguity. Short adverbs like well can stay right after the verb. If the object is long, it may be more natural to place the adverb after the verb and before the object. The choice aims for clarity and rhythm of the sentence.

In the negative with 'not', the adverb of manner usually stays after the negated main verb. 'Not' does not come before the verb or auxiliary, forming the negation. Time and place adverbs keep their typical positions at the beginning or end. Putting the adverb of manner before 'not' is not standard.

With subject pronouns, the adverb of manner remains after the verb. With unstressed object pronouns, the placement of the pronoun (proclisis, enclisis) follows its own rules, but the adverb of manner remains near the verb. Adverbs at the start of the sentence may attract proclisis. The focus of this module is the position of the adverb in relation to the verb, not pronoun placement.

In questions, time and place adverbs tend to appear at the end of the sentence. If the question begins with when or where, the adverb may not be necessary because the answer provides the information. Adverbs of manner can appear after the verb or after the object. Keeping the adverb at the end avoids ambiguity in everyday speech.

Moving the adverb to the beginning of the sentence creates emphasis on the circumstance. At the end of the sentence, the adverb sounds neutral and informative. In the middle of the sentence, the position between the subject and the verb is grammatical, but marked. The choice is stylistic and depends on what the speaker wants to highlight.