-o / -e / -y

Adverbs from Adjectives

Level 2

Adjectives describe things and adverbs describe actions: rýchly vlak (a fast train), but vlak ide rýchlo (the train goes fast).

How It Works

An adverb tells you how, where or how much. Slovak makes many adverbs from adjectives by changing the ending:

  • -o: vysoký → vysoko (high), ďaleký → ďaleko (far), dlhý → dlho (for a long time), tichý → ticho (quietly), teplý → teplo (warmly)
  • -e: pekný → pekne (nicely), dobrý → dobre (well), zlý → zle (badly), krásny → krásne (beautifully)
  • -y: slovenský → slovensky (in Slovak), anglický → anglicky (in English), praktický → prakticky (practically), and a few others such as pomalý → pomaly (slowly)

Some adjectives allow both -o and -e. For example, dictionaries list both rýchlo and rýchle (quickly).

Comparing adverbs. Take the comparative adjective and change -ší to -šie: rýchlejší → rýchlejšie (faster), pomalší → pomalšie (more slowly), teplejší → teplejšie (warmer). Add naj- for the superlative: najrýchlejšie. The irregular ones follow their adjectives: dobre → lepšie → najlepšie, zle → horšie, pekne → krajšie. Also learn veľa → viac → najviac and málo → menej → najmenej.

Adjective or adverb? With a noun, use the adjective: rýchly vlak. With a verb, use the adverb: vlak ide rýchlo. Slovak also uses adverbs to describe the weather or how things are: Vonku je teplo. (It is warm outside.)

Examples (6)

  1. Hovoríš veľmi dobre po slovensky.

    You speak Slovak very well.

    Dobrý → dobre describes how you speak.

  2. Môžete hovoriť pomalšie?

    Could you speak more slowly?

    Pomaly → pomalšie is the comparative adverb.

  3. Vonku je teplo.

    It is warm outside.

    Slovak uses the adverb teplo to describe the weather.

  4. Bývame ďaleko od centra.

    We live far from the centre.

    Ďaleký → ďaleko.

  5. Kto beží najrýchlejšie?

    Who runs the fastest?

    Naj- plus rýchlejšie makes the superlative adverb.

  6. Dnes sa cítim lepšie.

    I feel better today.

    Dobre has the irregular comparative lepšie.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the adjective after a verb.

    Hovoríš veľmi dobrý.
    Hovoríš veľmi dobre.

    Dobrý describes a noun. To describe how someone speaks, use the adverb dobre.

  • Using the adjective to name a language you speak.

    Hovorím slovenský.
    Hovorím po slovensky.

    Slovenský is an adjective. With a verb, use the adverb: po slovensky or slovensky.

  • Forming the comparative of dobre regularly.

    Dnes sa cítim dobrejšie.
    Dnes sa cítim lepšie.

    Dobre has an irregular comparative: lepšie.

How It Connects

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

-o / -e / -yLevel 2Adverbs from Adjectives

Learn This First

Before Adverbs From Adjectives, learn Hard Adjectives Like pekný. Adverbs are formed from adjective stems.

Words in This Pattern

-e