Page 10: Adverbs and Comparative Forms
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They can provide information about the manner, place, time, frequency, certainty, or other circumstances of the activity
verb. Unlike English, Hebrew adverbs are not a distinct word class but are usually expressed by using prepositional phrases, nouns in the construct state, or other means. Let’s take a look at some examples of how adverbs are used in Hebrew:
- Manner: These adverbs describe how an action is performed. In Hebrew, they often take the form of a prepositional phrase. For example, the adverb באופן מהיר (be’ofen mahir) means “quickly” and can be used in a sentence like הוא רץ באופן מהיר (Hu rats be’ofen mahir), which translates to “He runs quickly.”
- Place: These adverbs describe where an action is performed. For example, the adverb בבית (ba’bayit) means “at home” and can be used in a sentence like אני לומד בבית (Ani lomed ba’bayit), which translates to “I study at home.”
- Time: These adverbs describe when an action is performed. For example, the adverb היום (hayom) means “today” and can be used in a sentence like אני הולך לקניות היום (Ani holech le’kniyot hayom), which translates to “I am going shopping today.”
Comparative forms are used to compare two or more nouns. In Hebrew, the comparative is often expressed with the word “מ-” (me-), equivalent to “-er” in English, or with “יותר” (yoter), meaning “more.” For example:
- גבוה (gavoah) means “tall,” but to say “taller,” you would say גבוה יותר (gavoah yoter).
- If you want to say “the tallest,” you would use the word הכי (hachi) before the adjective, like so: הכי גבוה (hachi gavoah).
Keep practicing these adverbs and comparative forms in your conversations and writing in Hebrew. Understanding and using them correctly will enrich your language skills and enable you to express complex ideas and comparisons.
