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SPANISH STUDY GUIDE

Adverbs with -mente

Los adverbios · rápidamente, fácilmente y más

Spanish adverbs that end in -mente are the equivalent of English adverbs ending in -ly. They describe how an action is done. The good news is there is a simple formula to build them from adjectives you already know. Plus the bien/mal vs. bueno/malo distinction that trips everyone up.

The formula Common adverbs Bien/mal vs. bueno/malo Study materials

Building adverbs with -mente

Three steps. You start with an adjective, get the feminine form if needed, and add -mente to the end.

1

Start with the adjective

Any descriptive adjective can become an adverb.

rápido, lento, fácil, posible
2

Get the feminine form

If the adjective ends in -o, change it to -a. If it ends in anything else, it stays the same.

rápido → rápida
fácil → fácil (no change)
3

Add -mente

Attach -mente to the end. If the adjective had an accent mark, it stays exactly where it was.

rápida → rápidamente
fácil → fácilmente
Accent marks survive the transformation. rápido keeps its accent: rápidamente. difícil keeps its accent: difícilmente. If the base adjective had no accent, the adverb won't either.

Common adverbs at a glance

The adjective, the feminine form it uses, the adverb, and the English meaning all in one table.

Adjective
Feminine form
Adverb
Meaning
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

Bien/mal vs. bueno/malo

These four words trip almost everyone up. The key is whether you're describing how an action is done (adverb) or what something is like (adjective).

ADVERBS · DESCRIBE ACTIONS

bien / mal

Use bien or mal to describe how someone does something. They modify verbs, not nouns. They never change form.

Estoy bien.
I am well. (how I'm doing)
Mis padres bailan mal.
My parents dance badly.
Sé el alfabeto bien.
I know the alphabet well.
Corro bien.
I run well.
ADJECTIVES · DESCRIBE PEOPLE OR THINGS

bueno/a / malo/a

Use bueno/a or malo/a to describe what something or someone is like. They match gender and number of the noun.

La comida es buena.
The food is good.
Hace mal tiempo.
The weather is bad.
El libro es bueno.
The book is good.
La película es mala.
The movie is bad.
PRACTICE ZONE

Study materials

Tap any card to check your answer.

1 · Build the adverb

Given the adjective, form the -mente adverb. Tap to check.

2 · Bien/mal or bueno/malo?

Decide which word fits. Tap to check and see why.

3 · Fill in the adverb

Complete the sentence with the correct -mente adverb. Then check your answers.

4 · Tips that make it click