Time Adverbs | Adverbs | Parts Of Speech | Spanish

Adverbs of time tell us when, how often, or for how long something happens, and they help place actions in a clear sequence. This guide groups common time adverbs by use so you can narrate events smoothly.

Key Time Adverbs

Key time adverbs show when something happens and are useful for placing actions in the immediate past, present, or future. Learn these to signal exact moments and general times.

Spanish Adverb	English Adverb	Spanish Adverb	English Adverb
ahora	now	ayer	yesterday
hoy	today	mañana	tomorrow
luego	later	pronto	soon
antes	before	después	after

Which of these adverbs specifically indicate a general time period rather than an exact moment?

hoy

ahora

mañana

ayer

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency tell you how often something happens, from habitual actions to rare events. Use them to describe routines and to set expectations about timing.

Spanish Adverb	English Adverb	Spanish Adverb	English Adverb
siempre	always	nunca	never
a menudo	often	rara vez	rarely
a veces	sometimes	de vez en cuando	from time to time
frecuentemente	frequently	casi nunca	hardly ever

Expressions for Duration

Expressions for duration indicate how long an action lasts and help add detail to narratives about events, trips, or tasks. They are useful for both short and long time spans.

Spanish Expression	English Expression	Spanish Expression	English Expression
durante	during	por	for
desde	since	hasta	until
una hora	an hour	varios días	several days
dos semanas	two weeks	más tiempo	more time

Adverbs for Sequence

Adverbs for sequence signal the order of events and make it easy to follow a series of actions. They are essential for telling stories, giving instructions, and recounting experiences.

Spanish Adverb	English Adverb	Spanish Adverb	English Adverb
primero	first	después	then / after
luego	later	finalmente	finally
más tarde	more later	entonces	then
a continuación	next	por último	lastly

Adverbs of Approximate Time

Adverbs of approximate time give a general sense of when something happens without an exact moment, useful for more flexible or casual references. They help set a rough timeframe.

Spanish Adverb	English Adverb	Spanish Adverb	English Adverb
pronto	soon	casi	almost
ya	already	todavía	still
más o menos	more or less	aún	yet / still
hace poco	recently	desde hace	for (since)

Summary

Adverbs of time enrich your narration by situating actions clearly in time, whether through exact moments, frequency, duration, or sequence. Practice these to make your storytelling smooth and precise.

Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025