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Quick Grammar Reference
P o r t u g u e s e O n l i n e

>>Adverbs > Forming Regular Adverbs

Adjectives are words used to modify or describe an action (a verb), an adjective, or another adverb. In the English phrase he sings poorly, the adverb poorly modifies the quality of the verb sing.

Most Portuguese adverbs are formed from adjectives. An adjective has separate forms to reflect the number and gender of a noun. The adverb is created by taking the feminine singular form of any adjective and attaching the ending -mente to it (this is like adding -ly). The adverb formed from that adjective is then invariable. Since verbs have no number or gender, the adverbs that describe them never change in form (they have only one possible form).

Example: the adjective rápido quick, speedy, rapid has the feminine singular form rápida, so its adverb is rapidamente quickly, rapidly (notice that the word loses its written accent).

Another example: the adjective contente happy, content has the feminine singular form contente, so its adverb is contentemente happily, contentedly.

Adverbs typically follow the verb. Correu rapidamente means he ran quickly. The rest of the sentence may precede the adverb for emphasis, but this is atypical.