Manner adverbs describe how an action is performed, and they help you make your speech more vivid and precise in Mandarin. This guide goes through common adverbs of manner with clear examples.
Common Manner Adverbs
Adverbs of manner often end in 地 (de) when they modify a verb, turning an adjective into an adverb. This section lists some frequent manner adverbs that learners encounter in everyday speech.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 认真地 | rènzhēn de | seriously / carefully | |
| 慢地 | màn de | slowly | |
| 快地 | kuài de | quickly | |
| 小心地 | xiǎoxīn de | carefully / cautiously | |
| 高兴地 | gāoxìng de | happily | |
| 大声地 | dàshēng de | loudly | |
| 安静地 | ānjìng de | quietly | |
| 努力地 | nǔlì de | diligently |
Usage
An adverb of manner typically comes before the verb it modifies, and when you want to emphasize the way an action is done, you use the adjectival adverb form ending in 地. Some adverbs can appear without 地 in more colloquial speech.
Adverbs That Modify the Whole Sentence
Some adverbs express attitude or evaluation and appear at the beginning of the sentence; they do not take 地 because they do not modify a single verb but rather the entire event or utterance.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 竟然 | jìngrán | unexpectedly / surprisingly | |
| 慢慢地 | màn màn de | slowly (deliberate) | |
| 干脆 | gāncuì | simply / straightforwardly | |
| 一起 | yīqǐ | together | |
| 终于 | zhōngyú | finally | |
| 突然 | tūrán | suddenly | |
| 竟然 | jìngrán | actually / unexpectedly | |
| 马上 | mǎshàng | immediately |
Summary
Manner adverbs tell you how an action is done and usually appear before the verb. Use 地 to turn adjectives into adverbs for clear modification of a verb, and place sentence adverbs at the start when they affect the whole event. Practice with common adverbs to make your descriptions more precise and vivid.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025