Expressing Your Attitude
Sometimes you want to share your opinion or attitude about an entire statement, rather than just modifying a single verb. To do this, you can use sentence adverbs (adverbios oracionales).
These adverbs typically appear at the very beginning of the sentence and are separated from the rest of the statement by a comma. They are perfect for giving candid personal opinions.
| Honestly, I think you are right about this. | Sinceramente, creo que tienes razón con esto. |
| Personally, I think this movie is very boring. | Personalmente, creo que esta película es muy aburrida. |
Evaluating Situations
Sentence adverbs are also incredibly useful for evaluating a situation or reacting to an update. For example, you can use words like desgraciadamente (unfortunately) or lamentablemente (regrettably) to soften the blow of bad news.
| Unfortunately, the boss still has not arrived. | Desgraciadamente, todavía no ha llegado el jefe. |
| Regrettably, the patient has worsened this afternoon. | Lamentablemente, el paciente ha empeorado esta tarde. |
Conversely, you can use them to highlight that a development is completely unexpected or unavoidable.
| Surprisingly, this has worked very well. | Sorprendentemente, esto ha funcionado muy bien. |
| Inevitably, you have to go out for bread. | Inevitablemente, tienes que salir a por el pan. |
Stating the Obvious and Certain
When a situation seems clear-cut, undeniable, or just makes perfect sense, adverbs like evidentemente (evidently), lógicamente (logically), and obviamente (obviously) help frame your sentence as a known fact or a natural conclusion.
| Evidently, this is a very serious problem. | Evidentemente, esto es un problema muy grave. |
| Logically, do not buy that old car. | Lógicamente, no compres ese coche viejo. |
| Obviously, do not open that door. | Obviamente, no abras esa puerta. |
