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German · Grammar · A1 to B2

German adverbs: gut means well, and the TeKaMoLo order

Te · Ka · Mo · Lo · tap a slot
Ich fahre
.
temporal · when?: Time comes first among the adverbs: heute, morgen, am Montag, um acht.
IchIfahretravelmorgentomorrowwegen der Arbeitbecause-of the workmit dem Zugwith the trainnach Berlin.to Berlin
ikh FAA-re MOR-gen VAY-gen dair AR-bait mit daym TSOOK naakh bair-LEEN · “Tomorrow I’m going to Berlin by train for work.”Why: English puts place before time (“to Berlin tomorrow”); German puts time first.

Short answer: an adverb tells you how, when, where or why something happens. In German, most adjectives work as adverbs with no change at all: gut means both “good” and “well” (Sie singt gut, she sings well). There is no German “-ly”. When several adverbs meet, the usual order is TeKaMoLo: temporal (when), kausal (why), modal (how), lokal (where): Ich fahre morgen wegen der Arbeit mit dem Zug nach Berlin. Putting an adverb first sends the verb to second place and the subject after it: Morgen fahre ich…

The same word as adjective and adverb

Gut, schnell, laut

goodwellgut ein gutes Buch: a good book(adjective: takes an ending)Sie singt gut: she sings well(adverb: no ending)
The difference is the ending. As an adjective before a noun, gut takes an ending (gutes). As an adverb, it never does.
Adverbs you need first

Heute, deshalb, gern, dort

Zeitwann? · when?
Grundwarum? · why?
Artwie? · how?
Ortwo? wohin? · where?
gern, lieber, am liebsten

Ich schwimme gern

German has no verb for “to like doing”: you add the adverb gern (gladly) to any verb. Its comparative forms are irregular.

gern · like
IchIschwimmeswimgern.gladly
ikh SHVI-me GERN · “I like swimming.”Why: gern goes after the verb.
lieber · prefer
IchItrinkedrinklieberratherTee.tea
ikh TRIN-ke LEE-ber TAY · “I prefer tea.”Why: lieber = more gladly: the comparative of gern.
am liebsten · like most
Am liebstenmost-gladlylesereadich.I
am LEEP-sten LAY-ze ikh · “Reading is what I like best.”Why: The adverb first, so verb second and subject third.
Hin and her: towards and away

Komm her! Geh hin!

Her means towards the speaker, hin means away. They combine with other adverbs and verbs, and everyday speech shortens them to r-: rein, raus, rauf.

Comment on the whole sentence

Leider, hoffentlich, zum Glück

Unfortunately
LeiderunfortunatelykanncanichInicht kommen.not come
LAI-der KAN ikh nikht KO-men · “Unfortunately I can’t come.”Why: Leider first, verb second.
Hopefully
Hoffentlichhopefullyregnetrainsesitnicht.not
HO-fent-likh RAYK-net es NIKHT · “Hopefully it won’t rain.”Why: No “I hope that” needed.
Luckily
Zum Glückto-the luckwarwasniemandnobodyzu Hause.at home
tsum GLÜK vaar NEE-mant tsoo HAU-ze · “Luckily nobody was home.”Why: zum Glück = fortunately.
Probably
Erhekommtcomeswahrscheinlichprobablyspäter.later
air KOMT vaar-SHAIN-likh SHPAY-ter · “He’s probably coming later.”Why: In the middle, after the verb.
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Related guides

Word order →Verb second and the subject after it.Morgen fahre ichAdjective endings →When gut becomes gutes.gutesComparatives →schneller, am schnellsten.schnellerConnectors →deshalb, trotzdem and more.deshalb