Time adverbs tell us when, how often, or for how long something happens, and they shape the meaning of sentences in useful ways. This guide groups common adverbs by function and gives brief notes on usage so you can spot them and use them naturally.
Expressions of Past Time
Expressions of past time anchor an action to a specific moment or period that has already ended, and they often appear with the preterite or past perfect. Use phrases like ayer, el año pasado, or hace dos días to signal a concrete past time.
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
ayer
yesterday
el mes pasado
last month
hace una semana
a week ago
la semana pasada
last week
el año pasado
last year
Spanish Example
English Translation
✈️ Llegué ayer por la tarde y todo estaba listo.
I arrived yesterday afternoon and everything was ready.
🌅 Esta mañana salimos temprano para aprovechar el día.
This morning we left early to make the most of the day.
🏨 Anoche descansamos en un hotel cerca del centro.
Last night we rested in a hotel near the downtown.
🚗 Hace una semana hicimos un viaje por carretera.
A week ago we took a road trip.
🗓️ El mes pasado conocimos varias ciudades nuevas.
Last month we visited several new cities.
Expressions of Future Time
Expressions of future time indicate when an action will happen and are used with the simple future, periphrasis like ir a + infinitive, or the present tense for near future. Phrases like mañana, en una hora, and la próxima semana set the time frame clearly.
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
mañana
tomorrow
en una hora
in an hour
la próxima semana
next week
el mes que viene
next month
dentro de dos días
in two days
Spanish Example
English Translation
🌇 Mañana por la tarde llegará nuestro tren.
Tomorrow afternoon our train will arrive.
🧳 Esta noche prepararemos las maletas.
Tonight we will pack the suitcases.
🗺️ Pronto comenzaremos una excursión al campo.
Soon we will start a trip to the countryside.
📅 La próxima semana viajaremos a la playa.
Next week we will travel to the beach.
⏳ Dentro de un rato saldremos hacia el aeropuerto.
In a little while we will leave for the airport.
Expressions of Habit and Frequency
Expressions of habit and frequency describe how often an action occurs, and they appear with the present tense, imperfect, or sometimes with adverbs that quantify repetition. Use adverbs like siempre, a menudo, and cada día to convey regularity.
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
siempre
always
a menudo
often
cada día
every day
frecuentemente
frequently
a veces
sometimes
Spanish Example
English Translation
☕ Siempre desayunamos café en la terraza del hotel.
We always have coffee on the hotel terrace for breakfast.
🧭 Normalmente exploramos un barrio nuevo cada día.
We usually explore a new neighborhood each day.
🎡 A menudo visitamos mercados locales durante los viajes.
We often visit local markets during trips.
🏕️ De vez en cuando hacemos una noche de camping.
Occasionally we go on a camping night.
🧴 Nunca olvidamos llevar protector solar en las excursiones.
We never forget to bring sunscreen on excursions.
Duration and Continuity
Adverbs and expressions of duration tell us how long an action lasts and can appear with the preterite, imperfect, or present depending on whether the action is completed, ongoing, or habitual. Use phrases like durante dos horas and por mucho tiempo to specify length.
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
durante dos horas
for two hours
por mucho tiempo
for a long time
desde hace un año
for a year (up to now)
hasta ahora
until now
mientras
while
Spanish Example
English Translation
🚶 Caminamos por la ciudad durante horas sin cansarnos.
We walked around the city for hours without getting tired.
⛵ Estuvimos navegando todo el día en el lago.
We spent the whole day sailing on the lake.
🕒 He estado organizando el itinerario desde esta mañana.
I have been organizing the itinerary since this morning.
🔥 Mientras cocinaban en la fogata, contaron historias.
While they cooked on the campfire, they told stories.
🌙 Pasaron la noche hablando bajo las estrellas.
They spent the night talking under the stars.
Immediate Time Adverbs
Immediate time adverbs situate an action right before or after another, and they are useful for sequencing events. Words like en seguida, justo después and poco antes help signal rapid succession and appear naturally with the preterite or present.
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
en seguida
immediately
justo después
right after
poco antes
shortly before
al momento
at the moment
inmediatamente
immediately
Spanish Example
English Translation
🏃 Ahora mismo salgo a explorar el mercado cercano.
I am leaving right now to explore the nearby market.
⚡ Enseguida llegamos al mirador del canyon.
We will arrive at the canyon lookout immediately.
🔑 Acabo de llegar y ya estoy guardando las maletas.
I just arrived and am already putting away the suitcases.
🧍 Ya estoy listo para la caminata por el bosque.
I am already ready for the hike in the forest.
⏬ Pronto bajaremos del autobús para comenzar la visita.
Soon we will get off the bus to start the tour.
General Time Adverbs
General time adverbs give a more vague indication of time and can modify sentences in the past, present, or future. Words like antes, después, and más tarde help place actions relative to one another without pinpointing an exact moment.
Spanish Word(s)
English Word(s)
antes
before
después
after
más tarde
later
entonces
then
luego
then / later
Spanish Example
English Translation
🗒️ Generalmente planificamos las rutas antes de viajar.
We generally plan the routes before traveling.
🧳 Actualmente estamos de mochila por Europa.
We are currently backpacking through Europe.
🔄 Frecuentemente cambiamos de hotel durante el viaje.
We frequently change hotels during the trip.
🛎️ A veces pedimos recomendaciones a los locales.
Sometimes we ask locals for recommendations.
💤 Hoy descansamos en el parque después de mucha caminata.
Today we are resting in the park after a long walk.
Summary
Time adverbs group into categories like past expressions, future expressions, frequency, duration, immediate time, and general time, each serving to situate actions precisely or relatively. Learning common markers in each category helps you interpret and convey time nuances clearly in Spanish.
