19.6 - More on adverbs
Basic adverbs of time, place and manner were presented on page 9.7. By now, it is to be hoped, you have gained a better understanding of how Ukrainian words are derived from each other, and will appreciate more complex adverb formation and use.
The simplest adverbs of manner are formed by adding -о or -е to the stem of an adjective, for example, швидкий – швидко, добрий – добре. There are, however, several other ways of forming these. Given below are some examples, but not an in-depth discussion, of the formation process. If you can identify the individual components, it should be easy to work out the meaning of the whole.
Adverbs may be formed by combining:
prefix + adjectival stem + ки
| завдовжки in length |
шість метрів завдовжки |
| по-американськи American-style |
біфштекс по-американськи |
prefix + adjectival stem + ому
| по-доброму amicably |
Віддайте борг по-доброму! |
prefix + adjectival stem + vowel or zero ending
| здавна long ago |
Як здавна святкували Різдво? |
| згори from the top |
отримати допомогу згори |
| вповні fully |
вповні використати можливості |
| попросту simply |
Нам попросту не дають можливості заробляти гроші. |
| наперекір in spite of, counter to |
діяти наперекір |
noun stem + ом/ем
| даром free of charge, as a gift |
віддати даром |
| живцем alive |
зловити когось живцем |
що + noun in genitive
| щороку every year |
Щороку їдемо відпочивати. |
adjective/modifier + noun
| обабіч on either side, on both sides |
обабіч дороги |
(prefix) + noun stem + ки/и
| пошепки in a whisper |
говорити пошепки |
| верхи astride, on horseback |
їхати верхи |
The standard defintion of an adverb is "a word which describes when, where or how an action takes place". However, an adverb can also describe a noun, if that noun has been derived from a verb:
| стрибати вгору to jump up |
стрибок угору a jump up |
| бігти наввипередки to race, try to outrun (someone) |
біг наввипередки a race to outrun (someone) |
| ходити пішки to walk, go on foot |
ходіння пішки walking |
| розмовляти вголос to talk (converse) out loud |
розмова вголос a conversation out loud |
To practise understanding adverbs go to Exercise 19.6A.