placement of מאוד

Le Bélier

Le Bélier

Senior Member
USA
English/USA
And it's probably the same for other adverbs, too. But I'm reading something that I wrote a few years ago and it now looks strange, incorrect. So, here's an easy question. Does מאוד typically follow the adjective that it describes? For example, does one typically say יפה מאוד or מאוד יפה (ignoring the fact the the placement doesn't change the meaning). Do other adverbs typically follow the adjective?

Thanks!
 
    • למיטב זכרוני, יש שרשור על זה. יש לך מושג איך למצוא אותו? אני אנסה למצוא
     
    A native speaker translated this sentence for me:

    ישראל היא אומה מאוד הטרוגנית
    ​
    "Israel is a very heterogeneous nation"

    Why did he put the מאוד before the adjective?
     
    You can use it before and after
    the right way is to put it after

    in the bible there are very rare occusions that it is used before a verb
    (and probably this is to emphasized, maybe)

    but not before an adjective

    (Edit: i correct myself and deleted)

    it is better and nicer to say
    ישראל היא אומה הטרוגנית מאוד
     
    Last edited:
    The neutral way is to place מאוד after the adjective, but if you want to emphasize 'very', you may place it before the adjective.

    Israel is a very heterogeneous nation => ישראל היא אומה הטרוגנית מאוד
    Israel is a *very* heterogeneous nation => ישראל היא אומה מאוד הטרוגנית
     
    sawyeric1 said:
    A native speaker translated this sentence for me:

    ישראל היא אומה מאוד הטרוגנית
    ​
    "Israel is a very heterogeneous nation"

    Why did he put the מאוד before the adjective?
    Click to expand...

    He did it because the "מאוד" describes the adjective that follows it. It serves as an adverb, same way "very" does.
    דניאל הוא מאוד שמן - Daniel is very fat.
     
    I noticed that the examples my Hebrew tutor gave me always had מאוד before the adjective. I asked him about it, and he said he usually does that just to be more emphatic. Do you think that's strange or is it just a stylistic preference that's okay?
     
    ehsawy said:
    I noticed that the examples my Hebrew tutor gave me always had מאוד before the adjective. I asked him about it, and he said he usually does that just to be more emphatic. Do you think that's strange or is it just a stylistic preference that's okay?
    Click to expand...
    As said above, placing מאוד before an adjective makes it more emphatic. But if your tutor consistently places it before an adjective, it may be his stylistic preference. I don't think it would look so strange to me.

    ehsawy said:
    Also, which has stronger emphasis - ממש or מאוד before the adjective?
    Click to expand...
    ממש is stronger.
     
    Last edited:
    If someone said הוא אוהב מאוד לצחוק, would it cause confusion to a native speaker? It seems to be ambiguous, for מאוד could refer to either לצחוק or אוהב.
     
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