Temporal Adverbs in English: Meaning, Rules, and Usage

01/12/2026 Learning & Grammer created by Saima Siddiqui

Temporal adverbs are among the most important elements of conversation in English. They are used in most sentences because they allow us to place the actions being discussed in a temporal context.

Their use is fundamental to understanding English, both in writing and listening, as well as for the ability to express oneself orally, which is why they are among the first subjects studied when learning English. But first, let's look at what adverbs of time are in English and how they are used. To facilitate understanding, we will supplement the explanation with translations and examples.

What is an Adverb of Time?

Adverbs of time include all invariable phrases used to comment on an action described by a verb and to add important information about the temporal aspect . They serve in particular to express the duration of the action described by the verb, the frequency of its occurrence, or its temporal location.

In practice, adverbs of time in English answer two main questions: "when?" or "for how long?". They can also indicate the temporal relationship between two sentences . Adverbs of time are a part of the text that can be used in every verbal tense: they serve to indicate the context in the present, the past, and also the future.

The Basic Formation of Temporal Adverbs

There are different types of time expressions, and they can be formed in various ways. Like all adverbs, they can be formed by adding the suffix "-ly" to the words that are to be converted into adverbials. These are usually adjectives or nouns.

Here are some practical examples using adverbs of time:

Original Word	Adverb
frequent	frequent ly
rare	rare ly
day	dai ly
night	night ly
occasional	occasionally
month	month ly
week	week ly

Learn English on Holiday

You get to learn English in a relaxed atmosphere. Why not take a language course abroad and combine a relaxing holiday with an Engish course?

Adverbs of Time in English Explained with Translations

To better distinguish English temporal adverbs and learn how to recognize and use them correctly, we can divide them into different categories. We can categorize them according to the type of information they provide.

Adverbs of time: This category of temporal adverbs indicates when something happened. A precise point in time is specified.
Adverbs of duration: Temporal adverbs of duration indicate the length of the action described by the verb.
Adverbs of frequency: This type of temporal adverb indicates how often something happens or will happen.

With which this action occurred or occurs, depending on the tense in which the sentence is written.

Take a look at the following lists of the three categories of adverbs of time mentioned above in the English language and learn with them at your convenience.

The Three Categories of Temporal Adverbs Explained

Adverbs of Time		Adverbs of Duration		Adverbs of Frequency
Adverb	German	Adverb	German	always	immer
today	heute	permanently	dauerhaft	usually	normalerweise
tomorrow	morgen	temporarily	vorübergehend	often	oft
now	jetzt	constantly	ständig	sometimes	manchmal
then	dann	intermittently	zeitweise	rarely	selten
tonight	heute	regularly	regelmäßig	seldom	selten
immediately	sofort	frequently	häufig	never	nie
soon	bald	briefly	kurz	occasionally	gelegentlich
already	bereits	continuously	durchgehend	frequently	häufig
recently	vor kurzem	temporarily	vorübergehend	constantly	ständig

The Word Order of Temporal Adverbs

Temporal adverbs, which indicate when an action is performed , generally appear at the end of the sentence. When a temporal adverb is placed in this way, its presence is meaningless. However, if the temporal element is important to the meaning of the sentence, it can occupy different positions; that is, it can appear at the beginning of the sentence to give it more emphasis, or between the subject and verb in more administrative and formal situations.

Here are a few examples that will explain the position of adverbs of time in more detail:

Mary went home later . = The time element is irrelevant; it is neutral.
Later Mary went home. = In this case, I emphasize the time element because it is important.
Mary later went home = This is how it would be written, for example, in a police report or in particularly formal situations.

The situation is different with time adverbs, which indicate the duration of an action . This category of English time adverbs always appears at the end of the sentence.

My father has been living in Spain for seven years .
I have been playing tennis since 2004 .
You have been studying all day !

Finally, adverbs of time, which indicate the frequency of an action , can occupy various positions within a sentence. They usually come after the auxiliary verb (for example, must, have, be, or do) and before the main verb.

You always have to pay attention to the lesson.
She often eats pasta.

An exception must be made: If the main verb is "to be", the adverb must follow it:

You are always late.

One final case is the adverbs of time in English, which indicate frequency with precise numbers: They always appear at the end of sentences:

We played tennis together twice a week .
They have a road trip monthly .

English with Sprachcaffe

Learn English with us at its birthplace!

How to Use Adverbs of Time in English Questions

Questions are always the most difficult part of learning English because they have a completely different structure than what we're used to. Adding other elements besides the subject and verb makes things complicated! Like in this case, where we need to find a place for adverbs of time in English questions.

When asking about the time at which a particular action took place or is taking place, you simply begin the sentence with "When...?", which means exactly "When...?". However, when asking about the duration of an action, you begin the question with "How long...?", which means "How long...?"

When do you think you will come back home?
How long have you lived in Hong Kong?

The situation is different when asking about the frequency of an action, where the corresponding adverbs of time are used. The standard form is the use of the words "How often...?", which literally means "How often...?", but the classic form of questions with the auxiliary verb "do" can also be used:

Do you often eat Chinese food?
Do they always act like this?
Does she ever think of me?
What time do you usually have lunch?

If we want to ask for a precise frequency in English, we can start the question with "How many times ..." :

How many times a week do you eat rice?

It's important to consider the benefits of using adverbs of time in questions. Using adverbs of time allows you to ask questions easily in English. Furthermore, they are essential for navigating all situations in English and always having the right question ready.

How to Use “Still” and “Yet” in English Questions

"Yet" is used in negative or interrogative sentences to express something that has not yet happened but is expected. It comes after "not" or at the end of the sentence.

Have you finished dinner yet ?
Haven't you finished dinner yet ?

"Still" can appear after the auxiliary verb but before the main verb in positive sentences , except with "to be," where it is placed after the auxiliary verb. In questions, it always appears before the main verb .