Forming Adverbs in Spanish Grammar

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How to make an adverb in Spanish?

We form Spanish adverbs (los adverbios) by adding the ending -mente to the feminine form of the adjective. Some adverbs have the same form as masculine singular adjectives.

Learn to form Spanish adverbs correctly with Lingolia’s quick and easy examples, then put your knowledge to the test in the interactive exercises.

Example

Carmen estaba sentada plácidamente en una silla y comía tranquilamente un helado. Acababa de empezar a comérselo hacía solo dos minutos y pensaba que su helado estaba realmente bueno. Estaba saboreando verdaderamente el helado.

Por eso Carmen no vio la araña que descendía lentamente detrás de ella colgando de un hilo. Al verla, se asustó enormemente y reaccionó precipitadamente. Pero enseguida Carmen vio que la araña se portaba bien y que ciertamente no le iba a hacer ningún daño. Decidió entonces actuar amablemente y no cazar la araña. Finalmente, Carmen continuó comiéndose el helado y la araña descendió a lo largo del hilo.

How to form adverbs in Spanish grammar

The guidelines below show how to change an adjective into an adverb in Spanish grammar:

Adverbs ending in -mente

  • We take the feminine form of the adjective and add the ending -mente.
    Example:
    Carmen comía tranquilamente un helado. Carmen calmly ate an ice-cream.

    tranquilo, tranquila → tranquilamentecalm – calmly

  • If the adjective ends in e or a consonant, we simply add the ending -mente.
    Example:
    Finalmente, Carmen continuó comiéndose el helado.Finally Carmen continued eating the ice-cream.
    final → finalmentefinal – finally
  • When a sentence contains consecutive adverbs, we only add the ending -mente to the last adverb. The adverbs before take the feminine form of the adjective.
    Example:
    La araña descendió lenta y silenciosamente.The spider descended slowly and silently.
    lento, lenta → lenta(mente), silencioso → silenciosamenteslow – slowly, silent – silently
  • If the original adjective contains an accent, this is also present in the adverb.
    Example:
    Carmen estaba sentada plácidamente en una silla.Carmen was sitting placidly on a chair.
    plácido, plácida → plácidamente

Adverbs that look like adjectives

Some adverbs take the masculine singular form of the adjective. These are known as adverbial adjectives.

Example:
Carmen reaccionó rápido.Carmen reacted quickly.

Common examples include: bajo, alto, claro, duro, estupendo, fatal, lento, rápido, etc.quietly, loud, surely, hard, wonderfully, terribly, slowly, quickly

Like other adverbs, they modify the verb in the sentence, meaning that they do not agree with the gender of the noun.

Example:
Carmen reaccionó rápido.Carmen reacted quickly.
not: Carmen reaccionó rápida.

In many cases, these adverbs can also be used with -mente.

Example:
Carmen reaccionó rápidamente.Carmen reacted quickly.

Some adverbs that end in -mente can be changed into adverbial phrases as follows:

  • con/en/por + noun
Example:
Carmen decidió actuar amablemente. → Carmen decidió actuar con amabilidad.Carmen decided to act friendly.
  • de forma/manera/modo + adjective
Example:
Carmen decidió actuar amablemente. → Carmen decidió actuar de forma/manera/modo amable.Carmen decided to act in a friendly manner.

Exceptions

Some adjectives have completely different forms when they are adverbs:

Masculine Adjective Feminine Adjective Adverb
bueno buenagood bienwell
malo malabad malbadly