Making an Adverb: -e and -ter

Level 3

Add -e to a first or second declension stem, and -iter or -ter to a third declension stem.

How It Works

AdjectiveAdverbMeaning
pulcher, pulchrapulchrebeautifully
laetuslaetehappily
clarusclareclearly
fortisfortiterbravely
prudensprudenterwisely
felixfeliciterhappily, luckily
bonusbenewell
malusmalebadly
facilisfacileeasily

An adjective in -ns adds -er to its stem: prudens has the stem prudent-, so the adverb is prudenter. A few use the neuter form: facile comes from facilis.

An adverb never changes. An adjective agrees with a noun, and an adverb stays with the verb.

An adverb usually stands just before the word it describes: bene scribit (writes well) and valde laetus (very happy).

Examples (5)

  1. Iulia pulchre cantat.

    Iulia sings beautifully.

    Pulchre is the adverb of pulcher.

  2. Pueri laete ludunt.

    The boys play happily.

    Laete is the adverb of laetus.

  3. Puella fortiter respondet.

    The girl answers bravely.

    Fortiter is the adverb of fortis.

  4. Marcus bene scribit.

    Marcus writes well.

    Bene is the irregular adverb of bonus.

  5. Populus Deum laete laudat.

    The people praise God joyfully.

    Laete describes how the people praise.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the adjective where the adverb is needed.

    Iulia pulchra cantat.
    Iulia pulchre cantat.

    Pulchra is an adjective, so the sentence says that beautiful Iulia sings. The adverb pulchre says how she sings. The intended meaning was: Iulia sings beautifully.

  • Forming the adverb of bonus with -e.

    Marcus bone scribit.
    Marcus bene scribit.

    The adverb of bonus is irregular: bene. Bone is the vocative of bonus, the form for calling out.

How It Connects

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

Making an Adverb: -e and -terLevel 3

Learn This First

Adverbs are made from adjectives of both kinds.

Words in This Pattern

-e-terbenemalebonusmalus-iter