Adverbs of manner: bien, mal, así, despacio

Explication

Adverbs of manner say how an action happens. The core single-word set: bien ('well'), mal ('badly'), así ('like this/that'), despacio ('slowly'), deprisa/rápido ('quickly'), plus the comparatives mejor and peor (cocina mejor que yo).

Don't confuse bien/mal (adverbs, modifying verbs — canta bien) with bueno/malo (adjectives, modifying nouns — un buen cantante). This bien-vs-bueno mix-up is one of the most common learner errors.

Spanish very often uses a bare masculine singular adjective as an adverb of manner: hablar claro ('speak clearly'), trabajar duro ('work hard'), jugar limpio, pisar fuerte, respirar hondo. The regular way to build manner adverbs from adjectives is the -mente suffix — see that rule.

Exemples

Règles liées

• Making -mente adverbs
• Where adverbs go