Adverb Placement
Adverbs in German tweak meaning and emphasis, and their placement follows clear patterns tied to sentence structure. This guide goes over the main types of adverbs and where to stick them so your German sounds natural.
Types of Adverbs
Adverbs can tell us when, where, how, how much, or why something happens. Each type tends to appear in predictable positions in the sentence.
Time Adverbs
Time adverbs (Zeitadverbien) say when something happens and usually come early in the sentence or right after the verb. Examples are heute (today), bald (soon), and gestern (yesterday).
Manner Adverbs
Manner adverbs (Art und Weise Adverbien) describe how something is done and typically follow the verb or the thing they modify. They include words like langsam (slowly) and sorgfältig (carefully).
Place Adverbs
Place adverbs (Ortsadverbien) tell where something happens and usually come after time adverbs or directly after the verb. Examples are dort (there), hier (here), and überall (everywhere).
Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of degree (Gradadverbien) modify the intensity of an action or quality and often appear before the word they modify. Common ones are sehr (very), ziemlich (quite), and extrem (extremely).
Reason Adverbs
Reason adverbs (Grundadverbien) explain why something happens and can appear at the beginning of the sentence or after the verb. Examples include deshalb (therefore), darum (because of that), and wegen (because of).
Position in Main Clauses
In main clauses, the finite verb normally occupies the second position, and adverbs fit around this so the sentence flows naturally. Time adverbs often come first, followed by place and manner.
Position in Subordinate Clauses
Subordinate clauses push the verb to the end, and adverbs usually stay near the elements they modify, appearing before the final verbs. This keeps the intended meaning clear even with the changed word order.
Adverbial Phrases
Adverbial phrases can consist of multiple words and function as a single adverbial unit; they slot into the sentence where a simple adverb would go, often at the beginning or after the verb. Examples are am frühen Morgen (early in the morning) and mit großer Sorgfalt (with great care).
Fronting for Emphasis
Adverbs or adverbial phrases can be fronted to give emphasis or to set the scene, which places them at the very start of the sentence and keeps the verb in second position. This technique highlights time, place, or reason.
Summary
German adverbs fall into categories like time, manner, place, degree, and reason, each with typical positions that align with the sentence's word order. Paying attention to whether you're in a main or subordinate clause helps you place adverbs so the sentence sounds natural and the meaning stays clear.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025