Spanish manner adverbs are words that describe how an action is performed, providing more detail about the verb in a sentence.
Spanish manner adverbs are used to describe the way in which an action takes place. They answer the question “how?” and often end in -mente in Spanish (similar to “-ly” in English), but there are also many irregular or short adverbs. They can modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Common Manner Adverbs
- rápidamente – quickly
- lentamente – slowly
- cuidadosamente – carefully
- fácilmente – easily
- ruidosamente – noisily
- perfectamente – perfectly
- alegremente – happily
- seriamente – seriously
- bien – well
- mal – badly
These adverbs can be placed before or after the verb, but are often found after it.
Ella habla ___.
How do you say 'slowly' in Spanish?
lentamente
'Lentamente' means 'slowly' in Spanish, derived from the feminine adjective 'lenta' plus the suffix '-mente'.
Using Manner Adverbs in Sentences
- Ella corre rápidamente. – She runs quickly.
- Habla lentamente para que todos entiendan. – He speaks slowly so everyone understands.
- Terminé el trabajo cuidadosamente. – I finished the work carefully.
- Puedes hacerlo fácilmente. – You can do it easily.
- Los niños juegan ruidosamente. – The children play noisily.
- Todo salió perfectamente. – Everything went perfectly.
- Bailan alegremente en la fiesta. – They dance happily at the party.
- Él respondió seriamente a la pregunta. – He answered the question seriously.
- Ella canta bien. – She sings well.
- Yo escribo mal cuando tengo prisa. – I write badly when I’m in a hurry.
Position of Manner Adverbs
- After the verb: Ella escribe cuidadosamente.
- Before the verb (for emphasis or style): Cuidadosamente escribe ella.
- At the beginning of the sentence (for emphasis): Cuidadosamente, terminé el informe.
Forming Manner Adverbs
- Start with the feminine singular form of the adjective: rápida, lenta, cuidadosa.
- Add -mente: rápidamente, lentamente, cuidadosamente.
- If the adjective begins with a vowel, simply add -mente (no change).
- If the adjective ends in -o, change the -o to -a before adding -mente.
Irregular and Short Adverbs
Not all manner adverbs end in -mente. Some common short forms include:
- bien – well
- mal – badly
- así – like this/that
- mejor – better
- peor – worse
These do not follow the regular formation rules and must be memorized.
What does the irregular adverb 'así' mean in English?
like this/that
'Así' means 'like this' or 'like that' and is used to describe the manner of an action.
Summary
Spanish manner adverbs describe how an action is done. Most are formed by adding -mente to the feminine singular adjective, but some common adverbs are irregular or short. They usually follow the verb but can appear before or at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis.
Can all Spanish manner adverbs be formed with -mente?
No, some common adverbs are irregular or short forms
Not all adverbs follow the '-mente' rule; some, like 'bien' and 'mal', are irregular and must be memorized.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
