Adverbs in -ām
Most adverbs end in -i, but a few end in -ām: pamazām (little by little), lēnām (slowly), klusām (quietly). Brauc lēnām! (Drive slowly!)
How It Works
1. The common ones.
- pamazām (little by little, gradually)
- lēnām and palēnām (slowly)
- klusām (quietly)
- gaužām (very, bitterly)
- kājām (on foot): iet kājām
2. Twins with -i. Several have an -i adverb beside them with the same meaning: lēnām and lēni, klusām, klusi and klusu. You cannot add -ām to just any adjective, though. Most adjectives only have the -i form: ātri, labi.
3. Comparing. The -ām drops off in the comparative and superlative: lēnām → lēnāk → vislēnāk.
4. Where -ām comes from. The ending looks like the feminine plural dative ending in mājām (see dative endings). It goes back to an old plural case form that froze into an adverb. Today grammars treat -ām as an adverb suffix, a variant of -i, and these adverbs do not agree with anything.
5. Set phrases. Lēnām pār tiltu! means take it easy, do not rush. Pamazām vien means bit by bit.
Examples (6)
- Laiks pamazām kļūst siltāks.
The weather is gradually getting warmer.
- Brauc lēnām, ceļš ir slidens.
Drive slowly, the road is slippery.
- Bērni klusām ienāca istabā.
The children came into the room quietly.
- Mēs iesim uz veikalu kājām.
We will walk to the shop.
Word by Word: We will-go to shop on-foot.
Kājām means on foot.
- Lēnām pār tiltu!
Take it easy! Do not rush!
Word by Word: Slowly over the-bridge!
A set phrase telling someone not to hurry.
- Lūdzu, runājiet lēnāk.
Please speak more slowly.
The comparative of lēnām is lēnāk, without -ām.
Common Mistakes
Keeping -ām in the comparative.
Runā lēnāmāk!Runā lēnāk!The comparative is built on the stem: lēn- + -āk. The -ām ending drops.
Using the -ām adverb to describe a noun.
Tā ir lēnām mašīna.Tā ir lēna mašīna.Lēnām describes how an action is done. A noun needs the adjective: lēna mašīna.
Adding -ām to any adjective.
Viņš runā ātrām.Viņš runā ātri.Only a small set of adverbs end in -ām. Most adjectives, like ātrs, make their adverb with -i.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Adverbs in -ām are fixed forms.
Related Patterns
- Comparative -āksComparing: -āks
The comparative lēnāk drops the -ām ending.
Level 3 - Superlative vis- and -ākaisThe Most: Vis- and -ākais
The superlative adverb is vislēnāk.
Level 3 - Adjective Agreement
Adjectives agree with nouns; -ām adverbs never change.
Level 1 - Dative Endings
The -ām ending looks the same as the feminine plural dative ending, as in mājām.
Level 2 - iet / brauktGoing on Foot or by Vehicle
Iet kājām means to go on foot.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice Adverbs in -ām in Bubblegum
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