Vocabulary: Adverbs

INTRODUCTION

Adverbs are those words which modify the meaning of a verb, an adjective or even other adverbs. Adverbs are very important, as they expand upon the action’s or the description’s quantity, location, manner or time of occurrence. For example, an adverb (in bold) in English would be:
It is raining heavily.

Adverbs are called क्रियाविशेषण (kriyāviśeṣaṇ) in Nepali, coming from क्रिया (kriyā) meaning ‘action’ and विशेषण (viśeṣaṇ) meaning ‘adjective’. Note that the /v/ sound is more closer to /b/. Use of adverbs is described in Sentence Structure.

Translations may be approximate and its use depends on the context. All adjectives listed are in Dictionary form. Adverbs do not get declined in speech and are thus a part of words called indeclinables. The list is not exhaustible.

LIST

Adverbs describing location

Above/Up = माथि (māthi)
Around = वरपर (warpar)
Behind = पछाडि (pachāḍi)  
Below =  मुनि (muni)
Cis (on this side of) = वारि (wāri)
Down = तल (tala)
Here = यहाँ (yahām̐)
Inside = भित्र (bhitra)
In front of = अगाडि (agāḍi)
Outside = बाहिर (bāhira)
There = त्यहाँ (tyahām̐)
Trans (on the other side of) = पारि (pāri)

Adverbs describing time

Always = सधैँ (sadhaim̐)
After this/ Now = अब (aba) 
Day after tomorrow = पर्सि (parsi)
Day before yesterday = अस्ति (asti)
Later = पछि (pachi)
Never = कहिल्यै (kahilyai)
Now = अहिले (ahile)
Nowadays = अचेल (acel)
Quickly = छिटो (chiṭo)
Slowly = बिस्तारै (bistārai)
Sometimes = कहिलेकाहीँ (kahilekāhīm̐)
Then (at that time) = उहिले (uhile)
Today = आज (āja)
Tomorrow = भोलि (bholi)
Yesterday = हिजो (hijo)

Adverbs describing quantity

A bit/ Little = अलिकति (alikati)
A lot/ More/ Very* = धेरै (dherai)
Even (comparing)^ = झन (jhan)
Excessively = बेसि (besi)
Less = थोरै (thorai)
Little-by-little = अलिअलि (aliali)

* = Very as an intensifier exists in many forms in Nepali, thus the given translation is not the only valid one
^ = Comparing, as in ‘Gold is more expensive than silver. Compared to gold, platinum is even more expensive.’

Adverbs describing manner

Even (also/emphasis) = पनि (pani) **
How/ In what manner = कसरी (kasarī)
That way/manner = त्यसरी (tyasarī)
This way/manner = यसरी (yasarī)
Properly/ Well (in a good manner)= राम्ररी (rāmrarī)

** = Can be used to mean also (he also went home) and as an emphasis (he didn’t even know Spain!)

EXERCISE

IDENTIFY THE ADVERB(S) AND WRITE ITS NEPALI TRANSLATION ALONG WITH THE MEANING

1. Yesterday night
2. Behind the door
3. I ate the pizza slowly.
4. Honey is reputed to never spoil.
5. You should fill the forms properly.
6. Her daughter is very intelligent.
7. Nowadays, even the less tech-savvy people are using the internet.

ANSWERS

1. Yesterday = हिजो (hijo)
2. Behind =  पछाडि (pachāḍi)
3. slowly =  बिस्तारै (bistārai)
4. never =  कहिल्यै (kahilyai)
5. properly =  राम्ररी (rāmrarī)
6. very =  धेरै (dherai)
7. Nowadays = अचेल (acel), even = पनि (pani)