Grammar beginner

Adverbs

Learn how to use adverbs to describe how, when, and where actions happen.

Italian Adverbs (Gli Avverbi)

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They answer questions like “How?”, “When?”, “Where?”, or “How much?”.

  • He runs fast. (Describes the verb run)
  • She is very happy. (Describes the adjective happy)

Forming Adverbs (Manner)

Many adverbs of manner (describing how something is done) end in -mente (similar to English -ly).

Rule: Take the feminine singular adjective and add -mente.

  1. Adjectives ending in -o (4 endings):

    • Lento (slow) -> Lenta -> Lentamente (slowly)
    • Vero (true) -> Vera -> Veramente (truly/really)
    • Raro (rare) -> Rara -> Raramente (rarely)

  2. Adjectives ending in -e (2 endings):

    • Felice (happy) -> Felicemente (happily)
    • Veloce (fast) -> Velocemente (quickly)
    • Semplice (simple) -> Semplicemente (simply)

Exception: If the adjective ends in -le or -re, drop the final ‘e’ before adding -mente.

  • Facile -> Facilmente (easily)
  • Gentile -> Gentilmente (kindly)
  • Particolare -> Particolarmente (particularly)

Common irregular Adverbs

Some adverbs don’t follow the rule or have a unique form.

  • Bene (well) - corresponds to buono (good)
    • Parlo bene l’italiano. (I speak Italian well) NOT Buonamente!
  • Male (badly) - corresponds to cattivo (bad)
    • Sto male. (I feel bad/unwell)
  • Molto (very/much)
  • Poco (little)
  • Spesso (often)
  • Sempre (always)
  • Mai (never)

Types of Adverbs

Adverbs of Time (When?)

  • Oggi (today)
  • Domani (tomorrow)
  • Ieri (yesterday)
  • Adesso / Ora (now)
  • Subito (immediately)
  • Presto (early/soon)
  • Tardi (late)
  • Sempre (always)
  • Mai (never)
  • Spesso (often)

Adverbs of Place (Where?)

  • Qui / Qua (here)
  • Lì / Là (there)
  • Vicino (near)
  • Lontano (far)
  • Sopra (above/on top)
  • Sotto (under/below)
  • Dentro (inside)
  • Fuori (outside)

Adverbs of Quantity (How much?)

  • Molto (very/a lot)
  • Poco (little)
  • Troppo (too much)
  • Tanto (so much/a lot)
  • Abbastanza (enough/quite) - È abbastanza buono. (It’s quite good)

Position of Adverbs

  1. With simple tenses (Present, Imperfect, Future): Usually after the verb.

    • Mangio velocemente. (I eat quickly)
    • Parla bene. (He speaks well)

  2. With compound tenses (Passato Prossimo): Usually between the auxiliary and the participle (for short adverbs like già, mai, sempre, ancora).

    • Ho già mangiato. (I have already eaten)
    • Non sono mai andato. (I have never gone)
    • Longer adverbs (-mente) often go after: Ha risposto gentilmente.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Confusing Adjectives and Adverbs

  • Wrong: Parlo buono italiano. (Using adjective)
  • Right: Parlo bene l’italiano. (Using adverb)
  • Right: Il mio italiano è buono. (Using adjective to describe noun)

❌ Placing frequency adverbs wrong in English order

  • In English: “I always go.”
  • In Italian: “Vado sempre.” (After the verb!)

❌ Double negatives (This is actually correct in Italian!)

  • English: “I never eat.”
  • Italian: “Non mangio mai.” (Required structure: Non + verb + mai)

Practice Exercises

Turn the adjective into an adverb:

  1. Lento → _______
  2. Felice → _______
  3. Facile → _______
  4. Vero → _______
  5. Gentile → _______

Translate or fill in the blank: 6. He speaks well. = Lui parla _______. 7. I eat quickly. = Mangio _______. 8. I (always) _______ go to the cinema. (Vado _______ al cinema). 9. (Never) _______ mangio carne. (Careful with double negative!) -> Non mangio _______ carne. 10. È (very) _______ bello.

Answers

  1. Lentamente
  2. Felicemente
  3. Facilmente (drop the e!)
  4. Veramente
  5. Gentilmente (drop the e!)
  6. bene
  7. velocemente
  8. sempre (Vado sempre…)
  9. mai (Non mangio mai…)
  10. molto

Excellent! Adverbs add precision to your descriptions. Use them frequentemente! 😉