Adverbs

Adverbs are used to modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. They usually provide the manner in which something was done, but can serve other purposes: for instance, usually in this sentence is a frequency adverb.

Latin adverbs come in two forms: those that are formed from adjectives and those that are independent of any adjective form.

Adverbs Formed from Adjectives

For adverbs formed from 1st/2nd declension adjectives, the process of creating the adverb form is quite simple. Simply add -e to the adjective base:

laetus, laeta, laetum - happy
- Base: laet- (laeta - a)
- Add -e:
  - laete
sacer, sacra, sacrum - sacred
- Base: sacr- (sacra - a)
- Add -e:
  - sacre
durus, dura, durum - hard.
- Base: dur- (dura - a)
- Add -e:
  - dure

Adverb Translation

Most adverbs in English end in -ly: generally, mostly, highly, etc. As you can see, English uses a similar method of adverb formation: we take the adjective and add -ly.

high → highly.

This will not work 100% of the time, but it is a good rule of thumb. So, the translation of our example adverbs from above are as follows:

laete = happily
sacre = sacredly (in a sacred manner)
dure = hardly

Nota Bene: Some adjectives, like amicus, already have an English meaning ending in -ly: friendly. To use amicus as an adverb, use the phrase in a friendly manner.

Amice diximus. - We spoke in a friendly manner.
Alternatively, you can rearrange the phrase to use it as an adjective: We had a friendly talk.

Irregular Adverbs

Not all adjectives form an adverb in this manner. Let's look at four adjectives that do not follow the above method:

bonus, bona, bonum - good
- Adverb: bene
- Meaning: well
magnus, magna, magnum - great, large
- Adverb: magnopere
- Meaning: greatly, largely
parvus, parva, parvum - small
- Adverb: parum
- Meaning: a little
multus, multa, multum - much (many, pl)
- Adverb: multum
- Meaning: much

Please memorize these four so that you can recognize them when you see them in a Latin text.

Practice Activity