Adverbs of manner describe how an action is performed. In English they often end in '-ly' (slowly, quickly, clearly). In Italian, most adverbs of manner are formed by adding -mente to the feminine singular form of an adjective. They answer the question 'How?' and are invariable — they never change for gender or number.
| Adjective (masc.) | Feminine form | Adverb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| lento | lenta | lentamente | slowly |
| veloce | veloce | velocemente | quickly |
| chiaro | chiara | chiaramente | clearly |
| gentile | gentile | gentilmente | kindly |
| vero | vera | veramente | truly / really |
| sicuro | sicura | sicuramente | certainly |
| probabile | probabile | probabilmente | probably |
| fortunato | fortunata | fortunatamente | fortunately |
| normale | normale | normalmente | normally |
| corretto | corretta | correttamente | correctly |
When an adjective ends in -le or -re, drop the final -e before adding -mente. This keeps the word from having two consecutive e sounds. Examples: • facile → facil- → facilmente (easily) • difficile → difficil- → difficilmente (with difficulty) • regolare → regolar- → regolarmente (regularly) • particolare → particolar- → particolarmente (particularly) • singolare → singular- → singolarmente (singularly) • popolare → popular- → popolarmente (popularly) This rule applies only to adjectives whose stem ends in -l or -r. Adjectives ending in other letters simply add -mente to the feminine form as normal.
| Adverb | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bene | well | irregular — from buono |
| male | badly | irregular — from cattivo/malo |
| meglio | better | irregular comparative of bene |
| peggio | worse | irregular comparative of male |
| molto | very / a lot | same form as adjective molto |
| poco | a little / not very | same form as adjective poco |
| tanto | so much / so | same form as adjective tanto |
| abbastanza | quite / enough | invariable |
| troppo | too / too much | same form as adjective troppo |
| davvero | really / truly | invariable |
| proprio | really / exactly | invariable in adverb use |
| purtroppo | unfortunately | invariable |
| finalmente | finally | from finale + -mente |
A very common error is using an adjective where an adverb is needed. Remember: adjectives agree with nouns in gender and number; adverbs are invariable and modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. • È una persona lenta. (adjective — agrees with 'persona', feminine) • Cammina lentamente. (adverb — modifies the verb, no agreement) • È una cantante brava. (adjective — she is a good singer) • Canta bene. (adverb — she sings well) • Sono ragazzi veloci. (adjective — they are fast boys) • Corrono velocemente. (adverb — they run quickly)
These words can intensify adjectives ('È molto stanco' — He is very tired), other adverbs ('Parla troppo velocemente' — She speaks too quickly), or appear alone after a verb ('Ha mangiato poco' — He ate little). When 'molto' modifies a noun it agrees with it ('molte persone — many people'), but when it modifies a verb or adjective it is invariable ('Ho mangiato molto', 'È molto bella'). The same applies to poco, tanto, and troppo.
10 exercises · 0 completed
Forming Adverbs with -mente (1)
10 questions
Basic Adverbs of Manner in Context
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Identifying Adverbs of Manner
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Forming Adverbs: Matching Adjectives
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Fill in the Adverb of Manner
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Common Adverbs: Meanings and Usage
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Adverb Formation: Spot the Error
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Translating Adverbs of Manner
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Adverbs in Sentences: Fill the Gap
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Group 1 Review: Adverb Formation Basics
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10 exercises · 0 completed
Adjectives Ending in -le: Drop the -e
10 questions
Adjectives Ending in -re: Drop the -e
10 questions
Mixed -le/-re Drop Rule Practice
10 questions
Applying the -le/-re Rule in Sentences
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Fill in the -le/-re Adverbs
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Comparing -le/-re Rule vs. Standard Formation
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Group 2 Fill: Mixed -le/-re Adjectives
10 questions
Real-World Sentences: -le/-re Adverbs
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Adverb Formation: Comprehensive -le/-re Practice
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Group 2 Review: The -le/-re Drop Rule
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Irregular Adverbs: bene, male, meglio, peggio
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bene vs. buono, male vs. cattivo
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meglio vs. migliore, peggio vs. peggiore
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Irregular Adverbs in Context
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Common Irregular and Fixed Adverbs
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molto, poco, tanto, abbastanza as Adverbs
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Irregular Adverbs: Fill the Gap
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davvero and proprio as Intensifiers
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Common Adverbs: purtroppo, fortunatamente, finalmente, probabilmente
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Group 3 Review: Irregular and Common Adverbs
10 questions
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Adverb Position: After the Verb
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Adverb Position After the Verb
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Adverbs Modifying Adjectives
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Adverbs Modifying Other Adverbs
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Adverb Position — Fill in the Gap
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Adverb Position in Compound Tenses
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Choosing the Right Intensifier
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Adverb vs. Adjective — Form Recognition
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Common Adverbs — Usage in Context
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Adverb Position — Advanced Fill in the Blank
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Mixed Review — Adverb Formation
10 questions
Adverb vs. Adjective — Choosing the Correct Form
10 questions
Irregular Adverbs — Meglio and Peggio
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Mixed — All Adverb Types in Context
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Mixed Adverbs — Fill in the Blank
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Intensifiers with Adverbs — Advanced Practice
10 questions
Adverb or Adjective? — Full Distinction Test
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Real-Life Sentences — Choosing the Right Adverb
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Final Review — Comprehensive Adverbs of Manner
10 questions
Final Fill-in-the-Blank — All Adverb Forms
10 questions