6.1 Principal Types of Adverb
6.1.1 The adverb is used to qualify a verb, verbal noun, adjective, preposition, conjunction or other adverb. The following are the principal types of adverb according to function:
(a) adverb of manner, e.g. amhlaidh, ar chor ar bith, go breá, go dona, go hard, freisin, os íseal:
| Shiúil sí go mall. |
| Tá sí á rá os íseal. |
(b) adverb of time and frequency, e.g. amárach, anois, arís, arú inné, choíche, Dé Sathairn, go hannamh, go minic, go míosúil, inné, riamh:
| Beidh sí anseo amárach. |
| Is annamh a fheicim anois iad. |
(c) adverb of place and direction, e.g. abhaile, abhus, amach, amú, amuigh, ann, anseo, ansin, isteach, ó thuaidh, siar, soir:
| Ní fhaca mé ann í. |
| D’imigh sé amach. |
(d) interrogative adverb (even though these particles are interrogative pronouns (see 8.5), they are often referred to as interrogative adverbs), e.g. cá (cá bhfuil, cá háit), cad (cad a …, cad as, cad chuige, cad é, cad é mar), cathain (cathain a …), céard (céard a …, céard é), cén (cén chaoi, cén uair), conas (conas a …):
| Cá rachaimid? |
| Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? |
(e) adverb of quantity, e.g. ar fad, beagnach, sách:
| Níl sé sách te fós. |
| Bhí sibh beagnach in am. |
(f) comparative adverb, e.g. níos, ní ba:
| Tá Seán níos airde ná Máire. |
| Bhí siad ní ba ghile ná an sneachta. |
Note that it is possible to use níos in all tenses, but ní b’/ní ba is used only in the past tense, the imperfect tense and the conditional mood. The form ní b’ is used before an adjective that begins with a vowel or fh- + vowel, e.g. Ba ghá dóibh dréimire níos fearr / ní b’fhearr a fháil anuraidh; Dá mbeinn bliain níos óige / ní b’óige, d’imreoinn an cluiche; and ní ba is used before a consonant, e.g. Bhí na braillíní níos gile / ní ba ghile ná an sneachta.
(g) emphatic adverb, e.g. féin:
| Má bhí sé tuirseach féin, chuaigh sé chuig an Oireachtas. |
| Is ócáid thábhachtach í; beidh an tUachtarán féin ann. |
(h) noun used as an adverb of measure, e.g. ar leithead, ar fad:
| Bhí an seomra suite sé mhéadar ar fad. |
| Tá an bóithrín trí mhéadar ar leithead. |
(i) adjective used as an adverb, e.g. gann, gearr:
| Bhí siad duine gearr. |
| Bhí muid gann i mbainne. |
(j) adverb used as an adjective, e.g. amach, aniar, anuas, isteach:
| An bhfeiceann tú an fear amach? |
| Seo chugainn an bhean isteach. |
| Tá an bhean aniar ar an teilifís. |
| Tá braon anuas sa seomra codlata. |
| Is é Tomás an cliamhain isteach. |
| Tá an ghaoth anoir is an fhearthainn aniar air. |
(k) noun or verbal noun based on an adjective, e.g. ganfhiosaíocht, istoícheadóireacht:
| Tá an bleachtaire ag ganfhiosaíocht ar gach duine. |
| Tá an iomarca istoícheadóireachta ar siúl san áit seo. |
6.2 Adverbs of Manner and Adverbs of Time and Frequency
In the following cases, for adverbs of manner and adverbs of time and frequency that are based on an adjective, go is not added:
(a) in the comparative degree:
(b) if the adverb is being qualified by another adverb:
(c) if an adjectival adverb precedes the adverb:
(d) after the adverbs cuibheasach and sách, if they are qualifying a word directly following them:
6.3 Adverbs of Place and Direction
| Movement towards the location | The location | Movement away from the location |
| suas Tá sé ag dul suas an staighre. | thuas Tá sé thuas staighre. | anuas Tá sé ag teacht anuas an staighre. |
| síos Tá sí ag dul síos an staighre. | thíos Tá sí thíos staighre. | aníos Tá sí ag teacht aníos staighre. |
| amach An bhfuil tú ag dul amach don oíche? | amuigh Táim amuigh. | amach Tá sí ag teacht amach chomh fada leat. |
| isteach An bhfuil tú ag dul isteach sa teach? | istigh Is istigh sa teach a tharla an timpiste. | isteach Tar isteach chugam! |
| Movement towards the location | The location | Movement away from the location |
| ó thuaidh Rachaimid ó thuaidh amárach. | ó thuaidh / thuaidh Tá an siopa sin ar an taobh ó thuaidh / thuaidh den chontae. | aduaidh Tháinig siad aduaidh inné. |
| ó dheas D’imigh sé ó dheas ar maidin. | ó dheas / theas Tá teach acu ar an gcósta ó dheas / theas. | aneas Tá sí ag teacht aneas faoi láthair. |
| soir An ndeachaigh tú soir chucu? | thoir Chuaigh, ach ní raibh aon duine thoir. | anoir Bhí orm teacht anoir arís. |
| siar An bhfuil tú ag dul siar anocht? | thiar An raibh tú thiar aréir? | aniar An mbeidh siad ag teacht aniar ar cuairt? |
| anonn/sall An ndeachaigh Áine sall/anonn go Sasana inné? | thall Chuaigh, tá sí thall le seachtain. | anall Cén uair a thiocfaidh sí anall? |
6.4 Points of the Compass
In order to distinguish between the directions, the compass points in the diagram below are labelled with the first letter of the word:
Below are detailed the abbreviations of the secondary directions relating to the quadrant of the compass shown above.
| Abbreviation | Movement towards the location | The simple location | Movement away from the location |
| I | siar | an t-iarthar | aniar |
| ILD | siar lámh ó dheas | thiar lámh theas | aniar lámh aneas |
| IID | siar siar ó dheas | thiar thiar theas | aniar aniar aneas |
| IDLI | siar ó dheas lámh siar | thiar theas lámh thiar | aniar aneas lámh aniar |
| ID | siar ó dheas | thiar theas | aniar aneas |
| IDLD | siar ó dheas lámh ó dheas | thiar theas lámh theas | aniar aneas lámh aneas |
| DID | ó dheas siar ó dheas | theas thiar theas | aneas aniar aneas |
| DLI | ó dheas lámh siar | theas lámh thiar | aneas lámh aniar |
| D | ó dheas | an deisceart | aneas |