Formation of adverbs in Spanish (-mente)
Sign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for freeSpanish adverbs appear in a wide variety of forms:
- adverbs with -mente
- adverbial expressions
- adverbs with no pattern of origination
- adjectives as adverbs
Lesson outline
Hide1. Adverbs with -mente
Most Spanish adverbs are formed by adding the suffix -mente to the feminine form of adjectives.
This ending corresponds to -ly in English.
| Adjective | Feminine form | Adverb | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| lento | lenta | lentamente | slowly |
| tranquilo | tranquila | tranquilamente | calmly |
When adjectives end in -e or a consonant, the suffix -mente is added in the singular form.
| Adjective | Adverb | English |
|---|---|---|
| triste | tristemente | sadly |
| fácil* | facilmente | easily |
* If an adjective has an accent mark, the corresponding adverb retains the accent mark.
When two adverbs modify the same verb, only the second one uses the -mente ending.
Example:
Juan le habló clara y seriamente. (Juan talked to him/her clearly and seriously.)
Have a question?
Take online language lessons with a professional teacher
- Native & verified teachers
- Free trial lesson
- Learning materials included
Angeles H. 
Rosnen O. 
Vanessa M. 
Laura M.
Ana B. 
Fresia R.
Marie K. 
Federico P.
Paula G.
Camila P.
2. Adverbial expressions
In everyday language, -mente adverbs would be likely replaced by the following adverbial expressions:
- preposition + adjective
- preposition + noun
| Adverbial expression | English translation |
|---|---|
| a menudo | frequently, often |
| a veces | sometimes |
| al final | in the end |
| al mismo tiempo | at the same time |
| con alegría | happily |
| con facilidad | easily |
| con frecuencia | frequently |
| con rapidez | quickly |
| con tristeza | sadly |
| de día | in the daytime |
| de noche | at night |
| de nuevo | again |
| de repente | suddenly |
| de verdad | really |
| por fin | finally |
| por suerte | fortunately |
| por supuesto | of course |
| por último | finally |
| sin duda | without a doubt |
| sin razón | without (a) reason |
Other adverbial expressions
Other adverbial expressions are formed with verb forms and other adverbs.
| Adverbial expression | English translation |
|---|---|
| aquí abajo | down here |
| al atardecer | at dusk |
| al frente de | in front of |
| al parecer | apparently |
| al salir el sol | at sunrise |
| allí arriba | up there |
| cerca de | near (to) |
| de ahora en adelante | from now on |
| de veras | really, truly |
| de vez en cuando | once in a while |
| desde aquí | from here |
| desde entonces | since then |
| hasta aquí | up to here |
| por lo visto | apparently, evidently |
3. Adverbs with no pattern of origination
Some adverbs do not follow any pattern of origination, and need to be memorized.
| Adverb | English translation |
|---|---|
| aquí | here |
| bastante | quite |
| despacio | slowly |
| mucho | many |
| muy | very |
| nunca | never |
| siempre | always |
4. Adjectives as adverbs
Some adjectives serve as adverbs as well.
When used as adverbs, these forms do not change in gender and number.
| Adjective as adverb | English translation |
|---|---|
| alto | loudly |
| bajo | quietly, softly |
| claro | clearly |
| directo | directly |
| duro | hard, intensely |
| fatal | bad(ly), terribly |
| fuerte | loudly, strongly |
| mal | bad(ly) |
| rápido | quickly |
Exercises
- Formation of adverbs with -MENTE practice quiz
- Formation of adverbs in Spanish - Quiz
- Formation of Spanish adverbs - Fill in the blanks
Formation of adverbs with -MENTE practice quiz
Formation of adverbs in Spanish - Quiz
Formation of Spanish adverbs - Fill in the blanks
Exercises
- Formation of adverbs with -MENTE practice quiz
- Formation of adverbs in Spanish - Quiz
- Formation of Spanish adverbs - Fill in the blanks