Spanish: An Essential Grammar

Tu padre está fuera [SP]/afuera[LA].

Your father is outside.

Los niños están dentro [SP]/adentro[LA].

The children are inside.

¡Ven adentro/afuera! Come inside/outside!

(d) Detrásindicates position ‘behind’ and atrásdirectional movement

‘behind’ or ‘backwards’:

¿Has mirado detrás? Have you looked behind?

Dio un paso atrás. He took a step backwards.

(e) Delanteindicates position ‘in front’, whereas adelanteindicates direc-

tional movement ‘forward(s)’ or ‘onward(s)’:

El general marchaba delante. The general marched in front.

Decidió seguir adelante. He decided to continue onwards.

(f) Directional movement is often indicated in Spanish by the use of a

preposition (especially por) before the adverb of place:

Saltó por encima. He jumped on top.

Se arrastró por debajo. He crawled underneath.

hacia arriba/abajo upwards/downwards

(g) An adverb of place can sometimes be placed after a noun to create an

adverbial phrase:

cuesta arriba/abajo uphill/downhill

río arriba/abajo upstream/downstream

tierra adentro inland

For the use of adverbs of place with deto form compound prepositions

such as delante de, see Chapter 21.

Adverbs of time

Comments on individual adverbs of time:

(a)Ya‘already’ combines with a negative word to express the idea of ‘no

longer’:

7.2.3

1111

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1011

1

12111

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

20111

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

30111

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

40

41111

7

Adverbs

66