-ment

Adverbs in -ment

Level 5

Adverbs in -ment are commonly built from an adjective’s feminine singular form.

How It Works

Clara gives clarament, ràpida gives ràpidament and lenta gives lentament. An adjective that has the same form for both genders can contribute that common form, as in fàcilment. The derived adverb itself does not agree with a noun or subject.

A written accent on the base is retained where the derived spelling requires it: ràpidament, fàcilment. Do not remove it merely because adding -ment makes the word longer.

Coordinated adverbs can repeat -ment for clarity: clarament i directament. Catalan also has constructions that omit the ending from a later coordinated adjective, but repeating complete forms avoids ambiguity in a learner's formal prose. A short adverb or phrase may be more natural than a long derived form when meaning is unchanged.

Examples (3)

  1. Ho explica clarament.

    She explains it clearly.

  2. Van respondre ràpidament.

    They answered quickly.

  3. Parla lentament i clarament.

    He speaks slowly and clearly.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-mentLevel 5Adverbs in -ment

Learn This First

Match adjective gender before deriving or coordinating forms. Identify written accents before retaining them in derived forms.

Words in This Pattern

-ment