Italian Adverbs

Formation of Adverbs

Adverbs are often formed by taking an adjective and adding the suffix -mente to the feminine singular form.
For instance, ‘lenta’ (slow) becomes ‘lentamente’ (slowly), and ‘felice’ (happy) becomes ‘felicemente’ (happily).
If the adjective ends in -e, the adverb is formed by simply adding -mente. ‘Facile’ (easy) becomes ‘facilmente’ (easily).
Not all adverbs follow these formation rules, there are many irregular adverbs.

Types of Adverbs

There are several types of adverbs: manner, time, place, quantity, affirmation, doubt, negation and interrogative adverbs.
Adverbs of manner describe how something is done, for example ‘bene’ (well) or ‘male’ (badly).
Time adverbs describe when something happens, like ‘oggi’ (today) or ‘domani’ (tomorrow).
Place adverbs describe where something happens, e.g. ‘qui’ (here) or ‘lontano’ (far away).
Quantity adverbs describe how much or how many, such as ‘molto’ (much) or ‘poco’ (little).
Affirmation adverbs express certainty, like ‘certo’ (certainly).
Doubt adverbs express uncertainty, such as ‘forse’ (perhaps).
Negation adverbs express a negative, like ‘no’ (no) or ‘mai’ (never).
Interrogative adverbs are used to ask questions, like ‘quando’ (when) or ‘dove’ (where).

Position of Adverbs

In sentences, adverbs usually follow the verb they modify. For instance, ‘Io canto bene.’ (I sing well).
Some adverbs, such as adverbs of frequency, can also be placed before the verb. For example, ‘Io sempre canto.’ (I always sing).
However, many position rules can have exceptions. Always be aware, and refer back to grammar notes.

Irregularities

Be aware of irregular adverbs, as they do not follow the usual rules. For instance, ‘bene’ is an irregular adverb of ‘buono’.
Learn these exceptions by heart, practising and using them often.

Remember that reading, listening and practising are key to mastering Italian adverbs. Try to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Writing sentences and using adverbs can also be a good exercise to reinforce your learning.