MFLE
Spanish Reference Grammar - Nouns, articles, adjectives and adverbs
Adverbs
Adverbs are used to modify verbs, or to say how actions are performed.
In English, adverbs can generally be recognised by the ending of '-ly'. The most common way of forming an adverb in Spanish is to add '-mente' to the feminine singular form of an adjective.
Unlike adjectives, the endings of adverbs never change.
For example:
| Adjective/adverb | English translation |
| lento | slow |
| lentamente | slowly |
| rápido | quick |
| rápidamente | quickly |
| normal | normal |
| normalmente | normally |
| general | general |
| generalmente | generally |
However, as in English, there are some exceptions.
Adverbs which do not end in '-mente'
Some common adverbs which do not end in '-mente' are:
| Adverb | English translation |
| bien | well |
| mal | badly |
| despacio | slowly (more common than 'lentamente') |
'Much' and 'too much'
Both 'mucho' ('much', 'many') and 'demasiado' ('too much', 'too many') can be used either as adjectives or as adverbs. When used as adjectives, they must agree with the nouns they describe; when used as adverbs the ending never changes.
For example:
| Example of adjective/adverb | English translation |
| Tengo muchos libros. | I have many books. (adjective) |
| La mujer trabaja mucho. | The woman works hard. (adverb) |
| Tengo demasiados libros. | I have too many books. (adjective) |
| La mujer trabaja demasiado. | The woman works too much. (adverb) |