Learning a language involves not just knowing the right words, but also how to use them effectively. One key aspect of this is understanding adverbs of manner, which describe how actions are performed. In this article, we’ll review how to form adverbs of manner in Spanish.
Adverbs of Manner in Spanish
Adverbs of manner describe the way in which something is done, that is, they describe how an action takes place. In English, adverbs of manner frequently end in -ly, as in She came towards me slowly. In Spanish, the ending –
Formation of Adverbs of Manner
As a general rule, adverbs of manner in Spanish are built using a feminine adjective and adding –
| Feminine Adjective | Adverb of Manner |
| tranquila | tranquilamente |
| intensa | intensamente |
| perfecta | perfectamente |
| rápida | rápidamente |
| seca | secamente |
Yo ordené la habitación tranquilamente.
I arranged the room calmly.
Las hormigas trabajan intensamente cada día.
Ants work intensely every day.
No tienes que repetirlo. Te he entendido perfectamente.
You don’t have to repeat it. I understood you perfectly.
Después de la fiesta, ellos limpiaron el salón rápidamente.
After the party, they cleaned the living room quickly.
Le pregunté si estaba casado. Me contestó secamente y se fue.
I asked him if he was married. He answered dryly and went away.
Adjectives that don’t have separate masculine and feminine forms, such as
| Feminine Adjective | Adverb of Manner |
| valiente | valientemente |
| impaciente | impacientemente |
| fácil | fácilmente |
| elegante | elegantemente |
| insistente | insistentemente |
El ciempiés se defendió de la araña valientemente.
The centipede bravely defended itself from the spider.
El público esperaba al artista en la puerta impacientemente.
The audience waited impatiently for the artist by the door.
Él olvida fácilmente los nombres y los números de teléfono, por eso siempre los anota.
He forgets names and telephone numbers easily, so he always writes them down.
Las orugas se mueven lentamente mientras las libélulas se posan elegantemente sobre las hojas.
Caterpillars move slowly while dragonflies elegantly land on the leaves.
Las pulgas y las avispas pican insistentemente a los visitantes y eso afecta negativamente al turismo.
Fleas and wasps insistently sting visitors and this affects tourism negatively.
Notice that if the adjective has a written accent mark (
Ellas se marcharon rápidamente porque empezó a llover.
They left quickly because it started to rain.
Se confunden fácilmente porque son colores muy similares.
They are confused easily because they are very similar colors.
Por supuesto, puedes viajar cómodamente a Burgos en autobús.
Of course, you can travel comfortably to Burgos by bus.
Si no cambian la fecha, difícilmente podremos asistir al congreso.
If they don’t change the date, we are unlikely to attend the congress.
Nos llevamos como el perro y el gato. Él siempre me trata fríamente.
We don’t get along. He always treats me coldly.
Finally, if you’re using two or more adverbs together, add –
Este producto elimina las manchas rápida y eficazmente.
This product removes stains fast and efficiently.
¿Lo recuerdas? Aquel año vivimos loca y peligrosamente.
Do you remember it? That year we lived crazily and dangerously.
No te entiende. Por favor, ¿puedes hablar lenta y claramente?
I don’t understand you. Can you speak slowly and clearly, please?
Piensa en tus tareas pausada y tranquilamente y hazlas una a una.
Think about your tasks slowly and calmly, and do them one by one.
Carmen se negó a hacer la presentación diplomática y educadamente.
Carmen refused to make the presentation diplomatically and politely.
Exercises
In this article, we have learned to form adverbs of manner in Spanish by adding the suffix –