In grammar, adverbial means doing the job of an adverb. An adverbial can be one word (quickly) or a longer group (in the morning, with a smile, because she was tired). So adverbial is wider than adverb: an adverb is a kind of word; an adverbial is a job in the sentence.

In grammar, adverbial means doing the job of an adverb在文法裡，adverbial的意思是做副詞的工作。An adverbial can be one word (quickly) or a longer group (in the morning, with a smile, because she was tired)一個adverbial可以是一個字(quickly)，也可以是比較長的一組字(in the morning、with a smile、because she was tired)。So adverbial is wider than adverb所以adverbial的範圍比adverb廣：an adverb is a kind of wordadverb是一種詞類; an adverbial is a job in the sentenceadverbial是句子裡的一種功能。

A whole phrase can be adverbial even when no single word in it is an adverb.

even when no single word in it is an adverb即使片語裡沒有任何一個字本身是adverb, A whole phrase can be adverbial整個片語仍然可以是adverbial。

Teachers also use adverbial as a noun: this is an adverbial of time. It is classroom language, not everyday talk. You will meet adverbial phrase and adverbial clause in school books.

Teachers also use adverbial as a noun老師也會把adverbial當名詞用：this is an adverbial of timethis is an adverbial of time(這是一個表示時間的adverbial)。It is classroom language, not everyday talk這是教室裡的用語，不是日常對話會說的。You will meet adverbial phrase and adverbial clause in school books你會在學校課本裡遇到adverbial phrase和adverbial clause。

Though actually, grammarians argue about the edges — is yesterday an adverb or a noun doing adverbial work? For learners, it is enough to ask: is this bit telling us how, when, where, or why?

Though actually, grammarians argue about the edges不過其實文法學家也會爭論邊界在哪裡 — is yesterday an adverb or a noun doing adverbial work?yesterday到底是adverb，還是一個在做adverbial工作的noun？For learners, it is enough to ask對學習者來說，只要問：is this bit telling us how, when, where, or why?這部分是在告訴我們怎麼樣、什麼時候、在哪裡，還是為什麼，就足夠了。