Adverbs of Quantity or Degree

The adverbios de cantidad o grado (adverbs of quantity or degree) are those that indicate how much or to what degree an action is carried out. In order to identify this type of adverbs in a sentence, we need to ask the verb the question “how much?” as in “how much/to what degree is the action happening?”

Adverbios de cantidad

1. Más (more), menos (less) - más expresses an idea of superiority, increase or magnification while menos expresses an idea of inferiority or decrease.

No digas más. Lo haremos a tu manera. Say no more. We'll do it your way. Estos pantalones cuestan menos en la otra tienda. These pants cost less at the other store.

2. Mucho/Demasiado (a lot, too much), poco (little, few, not much) - mucho/demasiado express an idea of excess or abundance while poco expresses an idea of lack or dearth; scarcely.

He comido mucho/demasiado y ahora me duele la barriga. I ate a lot/too much and now my tummy hurts. Él habla poco pero dice cosas interesantes. He doesn't say much but says interesting things.

3. Muy (very), bastante (very, a lot or enough) - muy intensifies the meaning of adjectives, other adverbs or adjective or adverbial clauses; bastante can either function as a synonym of mucho or express an idea of no more or less than the regular.

Me gustó mucho la presentación de Sandra. Ella fue muy elocuente y dio muy buenos argumentos. I liked Sandra's presentation a lot. She was very eloquent and made very good points. Todos nos divertimos bastante en la fiesta de cumpleaños. We all had a lot of fun at the birthday party. No hubo bastante pastel para los que llegaron tarde a la fiesta de cumpleaños. There wasn't enough cake for those who made it late to the birthday party.

4. Casi (almost), apenas (just) - both adverbs express an idea of approximately or a limited quantity of something.

Ya son casi las tres en punto. Es hora de tomarte la pastilla. It's almost 3 o'clock. It's time for you to take your pill. Este fin de semana apenas salí de casa porque estaba cansado. I barely left the house this weekend because I was exhausted.

5. Nada (nothing), todo (all) – these adverbs indicate absolute quantity of something or the complete opposite.

No hay nada más que discutir por ahora así que continuaremos la reunión el viernes. There's nothing else to discuss so we'll resume the meeting on Friday. Esta tenista tiene una gran ambición. Lo gana todo y siempre quiere ganar más trofeos. This tennis player is very ambitious. She wins it all and always wants to win more trophies.

6. Cuanto - it is used in the correlation cuanto más/menos... mayor/menor..., mejor/peor...

Cuanto más te prepares, mejor te saldrá el examen. The more you prepare yourself, the better you will do in the test.

7. Tan (so, such, as) - tan can be used to express an idea that modifies something to such a degree or to indicate equivalence or compare something to something else. It also appears in the correlation tan... que.

Me encanta ese humorista de la tele. ¡Es tan gracioso! I love that comedian on TV. He is so funny! Francisco es tan tozudo como una mula. Francisco is as stubborn as a mule. Tu hijo es tan guapo que me lo comería a besos. Your son is so handsome I could eat him.

8. Many adverbs ending in -mente that are formed with an adjective of quantity: excesivamente, infinitamente, excesivamente, abundantemente, extremadamente, absolutamente, aproximadamente, sobradamente.

El rastreo de la zona fue absolutamente necesario para buscar pruebas en la desaparición de tres niños del pueblo. Searching the area was absolutely necessary to look for evidence in the case of the abduction of three children from the village. Te voy a amar infinitamente. I am going to love you indefinitely.