Italian adverbs of manner (good, bad, so)
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Sign up for freeAdverbs of manner (gli avverbi di modo) describe how an action is carried out.
Adverbs of manner are the most used adverbs in the Italian language.
Take a look at some common manner adverbs.
Manner | English |
---|---|
Bene | Good/Well |
Male | Bad |
Davvero | Really/For real |
Volentieri | With pleasure |
Apposta | On purpose |
Così | So |
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Adverbs of manner are generally formed by adding the suffix -mente to qualifying adjectives on their singular feminine form ending in -a:
Masculine adjective | Feminine adjective | Adverb | English |
---|---|---|---|
Furioso | Furiosa | Furiosamente | Furiously |
Sereno | Serena | Serenamente | Calmly |
Tranquillo | Tranquilla | Tranquillamente | Quietly |
Onesto / Sincero | Onesta / Sincera | Onestamente / Sinceramente | Honestly |
Here are some common exception when it comes to the formation of adverbs of manner with the suffix -mente.
To form adverbs with adjectives ending in -e simply add the suffix -mente.
Adjective | Adverb | English |
---|---|---|
Veloce | Velocemente | Fast |
Dolce | Dolcemente | Sweet(ly) |
To form adverbs with adjectives ending in vowel + le/re, drop the final -e of the adjective and add the suffix -mente.
Adjective | Adverb | English |
---|---|---|
Gentile | Gentilmente | Kind(ly) |
Regolare | Regolarmente | Regular(ly) |
Some masculine adjectives can be used as adverbs without adding the suffix -mente.
The translation in English is generally carried out with the expression "way".
Lui parla chiaro.
He talks in a clear (straighforward) way.
It's still possible to add the suffix -mente, the meaning remains unchanged.
Lui parla chiaramente.
He talks clearly (straightforward).
Some adverbs have completely irregular formations; they must be learned by heart.
Leggero → Leggermente
Light → Lightly
Violento → Violentemente
Violent → Violently
An adverbial phrase is a construction of two or more words that act as an adverb.
Let's see some examples with adverbs of manner.
Adverbial phrase | English |
---|---|
A squarciagola | At the top of one's lungs |
Di/In fretta | In a hurry |
Di corsa | Running |
A piedi | On foot |
Così così | So and so |
Nè bene, nè male | Not good, not bad |