Adverbs and adverbials

Adverbs are those words or phrases that modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbials, or whole sentences. In terms of their meaning, they may express time, manner, place, quantity, degree, or respect. In terms of their form, they may be simple or derived. Words such as şimdi ‘now,’ hemen ‘right away,’ asla ‘never,’ belki ‘maybe’ are some of the simplex adverbs in Turkish. We use the term ‘adverb’ for such words that stand as one single word functioning as an adverb. Groups of words or phrases such as ‘in front of the library’ or ‘by a new regulation’ that are nouns or noun phrases most of the time but have adverb function are called ‘adverbials.’ These phrases modify verbs by describing how, where, or when the event happens.

Derivation of adverbs

Adjectives can be used as adverbs in Turkish. In other words, the same form can be used as an adverb or as an adjective. This is similar to the use of the word fast in English.

1. Ahmet hızlı arabalardan hoşlanıyor. Adjective, hızlı modifies ‘car.’

2. Ahmet çok hızlı koşuyor. Adverb, hızlı modifies ‘running.’

Adverbs may be derived by reduplication of adjectives and, marginally, nouns. Some examples are as follows. In some reduplicated adverbs (e.g., yavaş yavaş ‘slowly’) the interpretation also implies an action that is done in steps. In the first example below, the woman eats her meal slowly but also piece by piece.

1. Yaşlı kadın yavaş yavaş yemeğini bitirdi.

2. ‘The old woman finished her meal slowly.’

3. (yavaş ‘slow,’ yavaş yavaş ‘slowly’)

4. Biz kolay kolay bu işten vazgeçmeyiz.

5. ‘We don't give upon this job easily.’

6. (kolay ‘easy,’ kolay kolay ‘easily’)

7. Ahmet hızlı hızlı nereye gidiyor?

8. ‘Where is Ahmet going this fast?’

9. (hızlı ‘fast,’ hızlı hızlı ‘fast – adverb’)

10. Çocuklar bahçe duvarında kardeş kardeş oturuyorlar.

11. ‘The children are sitting on the wall in a sisterly/brotherly manner.’

12. (kardeş ‘sibling,’ kardeş kardeş ‘sisterly/brotherly manner’)