Sentence adverbs
B2 · Upper-Intermediate · Style & Precision
The rule
leider, hoffentlich, offenbar, anscheinend.
How it works
Sentence adverbs such as leider (unfortunately), hoffentlich (hopefully), offenbar (apparently), anscheinend (seemingly) and glücklicherweise (fortunately) express the speaker's attitude toward the whole statement. They usually come at the start of the sentence, and they are very common in both speech and writing.
When to use it
Express the speaker’s attitude with leider (unfortunately), hoffentlich (hopefully), offenbar (apparently) and anscheinend (seemingly).
Use cases
- Expressing an opinion about a fact: Leider kann ich nicht kommen
- Expressing hope: Hoffentlich ist das Wetter morgen gut
- Reporting an apparent situation: Offenbar hat er vergessen, anzurufen
Examples
- Leider ist er krank – Unfortunately he is ill
- Glücklicherweise ist niemand verletzt. – Fortunately nobody was injured.
- Anscheinend ist der Zug ausgefallen. – Apparently the train was cancelled.
- Sicherlich kommt sie später. – She is certainly coming later.
Common mistake
Translating each adverb literally: hoffentlich means "hopefully", not "hopefully-ish".
Memory tip
These sentence adverbs usually come at the start of a sentence: Leider kann ich nicht kommen.