what is it?
Spanish forms most adverbs of manner by adding -mente to an adjective. The result is the equivalent of English adverbs ending in "-lyslowly, clearly). These adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and are invariable — they never change for gender or number. Two common adverbs of manner, bien and mal, are suppletive: they do not use -mente at all and must be learned as separate forms.
when to use it
Describing how an action is done. Use a -mente adverb to modify a verb and say in what manner something happens: Habla lentamente. (She speaks slowly.)
Modifying an adjective or another adverb. -mente adverbs can intensify or qualify another modifier: Es increíblemente fácil. (It is incredibly easy.)
Coordinating two or more adverbs. When two -mente adverbs are joined by a conjunction, drop -mente from all but the last one: lenta y claramente, not «lentamente y claramente».
Expressing quality after a verb (bien / mal). When the meaning is «well» or «badly», use the suppletive adverbs bien and mal — never the adjectives bueno or malo.
formation
The base form depends on whether the adjective has a distinct feminine form.
Adjectives with a feminine form (-o / -a): take the feminine singular and add -mente.
Invariable adjectives (ending in -e, -l, -z, etc.): add -mente directly to the dictionary form.
Written accents: if the adjective carries a written accent, it is kept in the adverb (e.g. fácil → fácilmente).
| adjective (masc.) | base form used | adverb | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| rápido | rápida | rápidamente | quickly |
| lento | lenta | lentamente | slowly |
| claro | clara | claramente | clearly |
| fácil | fácil | fácilmente | easily |
| normal | normal | normalmente | normally |
| triste | triste | tristemente | sadly |
The suppletive pair bien (well) and mal (badly / poorly) are not built from -mente at all. They are the standard adverbs corresponding to the adjectives bueno and malo and must be memorised separately.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Keeping -mente on every coordinated adverb. In careful written Spanish, only the last adverb in a coordinated series keeps -mente. Writing «lentamente y claramente» is not preferred; the correct form is lenta y claramente.
Adding -mente to the masculine form. Always use the feminine form of the adjective as the base. «*rápidomente» is wrong; the correct form is rápidamente (from rápida).
Using bueno / malo as adverbs after a verb. «*Canta muy bueno» is incorrect because bueno is an adjective. After a verb, use the adverb bien: Canta muy bien. The same applies to mal vs. «*malo».
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
El profesor explicó ___ cómo unir las dos partes. (fácil)
Fill in the blank with the correct adverb form of the adjective in parentheses.