Manner Adverbs
Manner adverbs describe how an action is performed and they often modify verbs, giving color to descriptions of events, actions, and states. This short guide focuses on the most useful adverbs of manner and how to form and position them in German sentences.
Key Adverbs
Key adverbs of manner express typical ways of doing things and can be learned quickly through example sentences that show them in context.
| German Adverb | English Adverb |
|---|---|
| langsam | slowly |
| schnell | quickly |
| gründlich | thoroughly |
| leise | quietly |
| laut | loudly |
| vorsichtig | carefully |
| plötzlich | suddenly |
| einfach | simply |
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏃♂️ Er läuft schnell zum Zug. | He runs quickly to the train. |
| 🗣️ Sie spricht laut auf dem Bahnsteig. | She speaks loudly on the platform. |
| 🧳 Er zieht den Koffer vorsichtig über die glatten Fliesen. | He pulls the suitcase carefully over the smooth tiles. |
| ⏰ Sie hat den Fahrplan genau gelesen. | She read the timetable attentively. |
| 🧍♂️ Er steht entspannt an der Säule. | He stands relaxed by the pillar. |
Forming Adverbs
Many manner adverbs come from adjectives and keep the same form when they modify a verb; they do not take an ending and they typically appear after the verb or at the sentence end.
Placement
Manner adverbs usually follow the verb they modify or come at the end of the sentence, and placing them immediately after the verb helps signal that they are commenting on how the action was done.
Examples
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏃♂️ Er ist schnell zum Gleis gelaufen. | He ran quickly to the platform. |
| 🧍♂️ Sie wartet ruhig auf den nächsten Zug. | She waits calmly for the next train. |
| 🗣️ Er hat laut gerufen, als der Zug ankam. | He shouted loudly as the train arrived. |
| 🧳 Sie hat vorsichtig ihren Koffer auf das Gepäckband gestellt. | She carefully placed her suitcase on the luggage belt. |
| ⏰ Er hat interessiert den Ansagen gelauscht. | He listened to the announcements with interest. |
Adjectives vs Adverbs
Adjectives describe nouns and agree in gender, number, and case when required, while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and remain uninflected.
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧴 Das Handdesinfektionsmittel ist sehr effektiv. | The hand sanitizer is very effective. |
| 🧼 Sie wäscht sich gründlich die Hände. | She washes her hands thoroughly. |
| 🧽 Das Reinigungspersonal arbeitet schnell. | The cleaning staff works quickly. |
| 🧹 Der Bahnsteig wurde sauber gekehrt. | The platform was swept clean. |
Summary
Manner adverbs tell us how an action is performed; learn common adverbs like langsam and vorsichtig, keep adverbs distinct from adjectives, and place manner adverbs after the verb or at sentence end for natural German.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025