clara e rapidamente

Coordinated Adverbs in -mente

Level 5

When you join adverbs in -mente, only the last one keeps the ending: Falou clara e rapidamente (she spoke clearly and quickly).

How It Works

The rule

Adverbs in -mente are built on the feminine adjective. When two or more are joined with e, ou, pero or mais, only the last one carries -mente:

  • clara e rapidamente (clearly and quickly)
  • lenta e pacientemente (slowly and patiently)
  • educada pero firmemente (politely but firmly)

Keep the feminine. The first adverb stays in the feminine form: tranquila e eficazmente, not tranquilo e eficazmente. Adjectives with one form for both genders simply stay as they are: fácil e rapidamente.

Keep the accent. A single adverb in -mente never has a written accent (rapidamente), but the shortened adverb before it is an ordinary adjective form and keeps any accent it has: rápida e facilmente. The Galician spelling rules state this explicitly.

Repeating -mente on each adverb is not wrong, but it sounds heavy. Use it only for deliberate emphasis.

Examples (5)

  1. Falou clara e rapidamente.

    She spoke clearly and quickly.

  2. Explicouno lenta e pacientemente.

    He explained it slowly and patiently.

  3. Resolvémolo rápida e facilmente.

    We solved it quickly and easily.

    Rápida keeps its written accent because it is an ordinary adjective form.

  4. Respondeu educada pero firmemente.

    She answered politely but firmly.

  5. Os dous traballan tranquila e eficazmente.

    They both work calmly and efficiently.

    Tranquila stays feminine even though the subject is masculine: -mente is built on the feminine.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the masculine form for the first adverb.

    Os dous traballan tranquilo e eficazmente.
    Os dous traballan tranquila e eficazmente.

    The shortened adverb is the feminine form that -mente would attach to: tranquila. It stays feminine whatever the subject is.

  • Dropping the accent from the first adverb.

    Resolvémolo rapida e facilmente.
    Resolvémolo rápida e facilmente.

    Only a full -mente adverb loses the accent. Rápida on its own keeps it.

How It Connects

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

clara e rapidamenteLevel 5Coordinated Adverbs in -mente

Learn This First

Coordinated -mente adverbs can leave the suffix only on the final member.

Words in This Pattern

-mente