The Adverbs “Tan,” “Solo,” “También,” “Tampoco,” “Vez,” and “Veces” in Spanish are very common and useful to know. We will learn how to say expressions such as “me too” in Spanish.
The Adverb “Tan”
Another common adverb in Spanish is “tan,” which is often translated as “such” or “so,” for example:
| ¡Es un gato tan lindo! | He is such a pretty cat. |
| ¡Este gato es tan lindo! | This cat is so pretty. |
The Adverb “Solo”
The word “solo” can be used as an adjective or adverb. When used as an adverb, “solo” means “only” or “just,” and is synonymous with “solamente.” When used as an adjective, on the other hand, it means “alone.”
The adverb used to be written with an accent as “sólo” until 2010, when the Real Academia Española (RAE) changed that rule, leaving it up to the context of a given sentence to determine the meaning. This leaves room for confusion in certain situations. For instance, the sentence “Trabajo solo los fines de semana” could mean “I work alone on weekends” or “I work only on weekends.”
The Adverbs “También” and “Tampoco”
The adverb “también” is used to express agreement with an affirmative statement, whereas the adverb “tampoco” is used to express agreement with a negative statement.
This is how we say “me too” and “me neither” in Spanish.
For example:
| A: Yo hablo español. B: Yo también. | A: I speak Spanish. B: Me too. |
| A: Yo no hablo español. B: Yo tampoco. | A: I don’t speak Spanish. B: Me neither. |
To show disagreement with affirmative and negative statements, we simply use “no” (no) and “sí” (yes), respectively, for example:
| A: Yo hablo español. B: Yo no. | A: I speak Spanish. B: I don’t. |
| A: Yo no hablo español. B: Yo sí. | A: I don’t speak Spanish. B: I do. |
If a verb like “gustar” is used, the subject pronoun is replaced with a prepositional “a” followed by the prepositional object pronoun. For example:
| A: Me gusta el té. B: A mí también. | A: I like tea. B: Me too. |
| A: No me gusta el té. B: A mí tampoco. | A: I don’t like tea. B: Me neither. |
Notice that “a mí también” here is translated as “me too,“ and “a mí tampoco” is translated as “me neither.“
We apply the same concept in the case of disagreement, for example:
| A: Me gusta el té. B: A mí no. | A: I like tea. B: I don’t. |
| A: No me gusta el té. B: A mí sí. | A: I don’t like tea. B: I do. |
Adverbial Phrases with “Vez” and “Veces”
The feminine noun “vez” and its plural “veces” are used to describe the frequency of occurrence. The English equivalents are often “time,” and its plural “times,” e.g., “how many times did you win?” Here is a list of some adverbial phrases that use “vez”:
| esta vez | this time | rara vez [1] | rarely seldom |
| la próxima vez | next time | la última vez | last time |
| cada vez | each time every time | tal vez | perhaps maybe |
| por primera vez | for the first time | por última vez | for the last time |
| a la vez [2] | at the same time | alguna vez[3] | sometime once |
| en vez de | instead of | de vez en cuando | from time to time |
| una vez | one time once | a mi vez | for my part in my turn |
| otra vez [4] | again | cada vez menos | less and less |
Examples of adverbial verbs that use the plural noun “veces” include:
| a veces | sometimes | tres veces | three times |
| muchas veces | many times often | varias veces | several times |
| algunas veces | at times sometimes | ¿Cuántas veces? | How many times? |
[1] An alternative expression is “raramente.”
[2] An alternative expression is “al mismo tiempo.”
[3] If used in a question, it can also mean “ever,” e.g., “¿Alguna vez has ido a Paraguay? ” (Have you ever been to Paraguay?).
[4] An alternative expression is “de nuevo.”
Other lessons in Level III:
Level III – Elementary
3. The Verb “to Know”: “Saber” vs. “Conocer”
4. Indefinite Adjectives & Pronouns
7. Special Uses of “Haber” & “Tener”
8. Telling Time & Describing The Weather
9.1. The Adverbs “Tan,” “Solo,” “También,” “Tampoco,” “Vez,” and “Veces”
