The Animated Book
of SpanishGrammar Reference

Spanish Adverbs

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

Adverbs tell you how, when, where, or how much. Unlike adjectives, they never change for gender or number, so there's only one form to learn.

  • Mi abuela camina despacio.

    My grandma walks slowly.

  • Siempre llegas tarde.

    You always arrive late.

  • La película es muy larga.

    The movie is very long.

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Adverbs with -mente

Spanish -mente works like English -ly. For adjectives ending in -o, take the feminine form, ending in -a, and add -mente.

  • rápido
    rápidamentequickly
  • lento
    lentamenteslowly
  • tranquilo
    tranquilamentecalmly
  • claro
    claramenteclearly

Adjectives that don't have a separate feminine form, like those ending in -e or a consonant, just add -mente.

  • fácil
    fácilmenteeasily
  • feliz
    felizmentehappily
  • triste
    tristementesadly
  • amable
    amablementekindly
  • normal
    normalmentenormally

  • Maneja lentamente, por favor.

    Drive slowly, please.

  • Normalmente cenamos a las nueve.

    We normally have dinner at nine.

  • Lo hicieron fácilmente.

    They did it easily.

Two -mente adverbs in a row

When two -mente adverbs are joined by y, o, or pero, only the last one keeps -mente. The first stays in its feminine form.

  • Habla clara y lentamente.

    She speaks clearly and slowly.

  • Trabajan rápida pero cuidadosamente.

    They work quickly but carefully.

Adjectives used as adverbs

In everyday speech, a few adjectives work as adverbs without -mente: rápido, claro, alto, fuerte, and duro. They always stay in the masculine singular, whoever you're talking about.

  • No hables tan rápido.

    Don’t talk so fast.

  • Habla más alto, por favor.

    Speak louder, please.

  • Ellas trabajan duro.

    They work hard.

Common adverbs

Many of the most common adverbs don't end in -mente at all. It helps to group them by the question they answer:

¿Cómo?How?
  • bienwell
  • malbadly
  • asílike this, like that
  • despacioslowly
  • mejorbetter
  • peorworse
¿Cuándo?When?
  • ahoranow
  • siemprealways
  • nuncanever
  • yaalready
  • todavíastill, yet
  • prontosoon
  • tardelate
  • tempranoearly
¿Dónde?Where?
  • aquíhere
  • allíthere
  • cercanearby
  • lejosfar away
  • arribaup, upstairs
  • abajodown, downstairs
  • dentroinside
  • fueraoutside
¿Cuánto?How much?
  • muyvery
  • muchoa lot
  • poconot much
  • bastantequite, enough
  • demasiadotoo much
  • casialmost

  • Ya comí, gracias.

    I already ate, thanks.

  • Mis primos viven lejos.

    My cousins live far away.

  • Ustedes hablan bastante bien.

    You speak quite well.

Adverbs never change

An adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, never a noun, so it has nothing to match. Watch out for mucho, poco, and demasiado, which can be either. Before a noun, they're adjectives and match it. After a verb, they're adverbs and don't change.

  1. Adjective: matches
    Tengo muchas ideas.

    I have lots of ideas.

    Adverb: never changes
    Ella piensa mucho.

    She thinks a lot.

  2. Adjective: matches
    Hay poca gente.

    There aren’t many people.

    Adverb: never changes
    Comemos poco.

    We don’t eat much.

  3. Adjective: matches
    Tienes demasiados zapatos.

    You have too many shoes.

    Adverb: never changes
    Trabajan demasiado.

    They work too much.

Bien or bueno?

Bueno and malo are adjectives: they describe a noun and match it. Bien and mal are adverbs: they describe how something is done, and never change.

  1. Bueno: adjective
    Es una buena cantante.

    She’s a good singer.

    Bien: adverb
    Canta muy bien.

    She sings very well.

  2. Bueno: adjective
    La sopa está buena.

    The soup tastes good.

    Bien: adverb
    Me siento bien.

    I feel good.

  3. Bueno: adjective
    Son malos estudiantes.

    They’re bad students.

    Bien: adverb
    Duermo mal.

    I sleep badly.

Muy or mucho?

Both can mean very or a lot, but they go in different places. Muy goes right before an adjective or adverb, and never changes. After a verb, use mucho.

  1. Muy + adjective or adverb
    Estoy muy cansado.

    I’m very tired.

    Verb + mucho
    Trabajo mucho.

    I work a lot.

  2. Muy + adjective or adverb
    Hablas muy bien.

    You speak very well.

    Verb + mucho
    Te quiero mucho.

    I love you very much.

  3. Muy + adjective or adverb
    Es muy tarde.

    It’s very late.

    Verb + mucho
    Llueve mucho aquí.

    It rains a lot here.

Mucho can also go right before a noun, meaning a lot of or many. There it's an adjective, so it matches the noun. Muy never goes before a noun.

Masculine
  • mucho dineroa lot of money
  • muchos amigosa lot of friends
Feminine
  • mucha aguaa lot of water
  • muchas graciasthanks a lot

That's why it's mucha hambre and mucho frío, even where English says very: hambre and frío are nouns.

  • Tengo mucha hambre.

    I’m very hungry.

  • Hace mucho frío hoy.

    It’s very cold today.

  • Mi tía gana mucho dinero.

    My aunt earns a lot of money.

Where adverbs go

Most adverbs go right after the verb they describe. Words like muy and bastante go right before the word they describe.

  • Mi hermana conduce bien.

    My sister drives well.

  • Es un libro bastante largo.

    It’s a pretty long book.

  • Hablan demasiado rápido.

    They talk too fast.

Adverbs of time and frequency are more flexible. They can go at the start or the end of the sentence.

  1. At the start
    Mañana vamos a la playa.
    At the end
    Vamos a la playa mañana.

    We’re going to the beach tomorrow.

  2. At the start
    Normalmente desayuno en casa.
    At the end
    Desayuno en casa normalmente.

    I normally have breakfast at home.

Common mistakes English speakers make

  1. Adding -mente to the masculine form

    Incorrect:Habla rápidomente.
    Correct:Habla rápidamente.

    -mente always attaches to the feminine form.

  2. Saying estoy bueno for “I’m fine”

    Incorrect:Estoy bueno, gracias.
    Correct:Estoy bien, gracias.

    To say how you are, use bien. About a person, estar bueno means they're attractive!

  3. Putting muy after a verb

    Incorrect:Te quiero muy.
    Correct:Te quiero mucho.

    Muy only goes before an adjective or adverb. After a verb, use mucho.

  4. Using muy with hambre or frío

    Incorrect:Tengo muy hambre.
    Correct:Tengo mucha hambre.

    Hambre is a noun, so it takes mucha, not muy. The same goes for mucho frío, mucho calor, and mucha sed.

  5. Using muy before mejor

    Incorrect:Está muy mejor.
    Correct:Está mucho mejor.

    Before mejor, peor, más, and menos, use mucho.

  6. Making medio match

    Incorrect:Está media dormida.
    Correct:Está medio dormida.

    Before an adjective, medio is an adverb, so it doesn't change.

  7. Splitting a perfect tense

    Incorrect:He siempre querido ir.
    Correct:Siempre he querido ir.

    Nothing goes between haber and the participle.

Questions about adverbs

How do you make adverbs in Spanish?

Take the feminine form of the adjective and add -mente, like English "-ly": rápido → rápidamente, lento → lentamente. If the adjective has no separate feminine form, just add -mente: fácil → fácilmente.

Do Spanish adverbs agree in gender and number?

No. Adverbs have only one form: Ella trabaja mucho, Ellos trabajan mucho. Only adjectives match the noun they describe.

What is the difference between bien and bueno?

Bueno is an adjective that describes a noun and matches it: una buena cantante. Bien is an adverb that describes how something is done, and never changes: Canta bien. To say you're fine, it's Estoy bien.

What is the difference between muy and mucho?

Muy (very) goes before an adjective or adverb: muy cansado, muy bien. Mucho (a lot) goes after a verb: Trabajo mucho. Before a noun, mucho matches it: mucha agua, muchos amigos. Before más, menos, mejor, and peor, use mucho: mucho mejor.

Do -mente adverbs keep the written accent?

Yes. If the adjective has an accent, the adverb keeps it: rápido → rápidamente, fácil → fácilmente.

Next upComparisons and superlativesMás … que, menos … que, tan … como, mejor and peor, and the most and the least.

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