Quick answer
lentamente · bien · muy despacio
Build them from the feminine adjective plus -mente, or reach for the short everyday ones that have no ending at all.
From adjective to adverb
Take the feminine singular form and add -mente. If the adjective has no separate feminine, use it as it is.
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
| lento / lenta | lentamente |
| rápido / rápida | rápidamente |
| fácil | fácilmente |
| normal | normalmente |
| claro / clara | claramente |
A written accent on the adjective stays where it was: fácil keeps its accent in fácilmente.
The short ones matter more
These have no ending and cover most of daily speech.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| bien / mal | well / badly |
| despacio | slowly |
| deprisa | quickly |
| siempre / nunca | always / never |
| ya / todavía | already / still |
| aquí / allí | here / there |
| muy / mucho | very / a lot |
Two adverbs in a row
When two -mente adverbs are joined, only the last one keeps the ending.
Spanish also prefers a phrase where English would pile on -ly: de forma segura, con cuidado.
Memory trick
Adverbs never agree with anything. If the word is changing for gender or number, it is an adjective, not an adverb.
Typical mistakes
Ella canta buena.
Ella canta bien.
Buena is an adjective. Describing how someone sings needs the adverb bien.
Corre rápidamente y fácilmente.
Corre rápida y fácilmente.
In a pair, only the second adverb keeps -mente.
Es muy mucho caro.
Es muy caro.
Muy goes before adjectives and adverbs; mucho stands alone or before a noun.
Check yourself
Mi abuela conduce ___.