clārē, fortiter: adverbs and their comparison
Making adverbs from adjectives, comparing them, and the irregular bene, melius, optimē.
LatinIntermediate Latin · ComparisonAbout 4 min: 1 reading, 3 practiceUpdated
- Form adverbs in -ē and -iter / -ter
- Compare adverbs (-ius, -issimē)
- Learn bene, diū, magnopere, parum, prope, saepe
Latin Level 2: verbs and the other declensions: lesson 33 of 35
- Intermediate Latin · Verbs: the present system
- sum: I am, I was, I shall be 3 min
- The present of amō and moneō 4 min
- The imperfect: was doing 4 min
- The future: will do 3 min
- The dative with adjectives 3 min
- The present of regō and audiō 4 min
- The imperfect of regō and audiō, and verbs that take the dative 3 min
- The future of regō and audiō 3 min
- capiō, and giving orders 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · The passive voice
- The passive: being done to 3 min
- The passive of regō, audiō and capiō; passive infinitives 3 min
- Synopses, and the ablative of "from" 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · The perfect tenses
- fuī, fueram, fuerō: the perfect tenses of sum 3 min
- The perfect active: did, have done 5 min
- Had done, will have done: pluperfect and future perfect active 3 min
- amātus sum: the perfect passive 4 min
- Principal parts, prepositions, and yes-or-no questions 5 min
- possum, "I can", and the infinitive 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
- quī, quae, quod: who, which, that 4 min
- Intermediate Latin · The third declension
- rēx, rēgis: the third declension 4 min
- hostis, urbs, mare: i-stems 4 min
- vīs and iter; gender in the third declension 4 min
- omnis, ācer, pār: third-declension adjectives 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · The fourth and fifth declensions
- manus, cornū: the fourth declension 3 min
- Rōmae, domī, Athēnīs: place and the locative 4 min
- diēs, rēs: the fifth declension and the ablative of time 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
- ego, tū, sē: personal and reflexive pronouns 4 min
- ipse, "himself", and īdem, "the same" 3 min
- hic, iste, ille: this and that 4 min
- aliquis, quīdam, quisque: someone, a certain, each 3 min
- Intermediate Latin · Comparison
- clārior, clārissimus: comparing adjectives 4 min
- melior, optimus: irregular comparison, plūs, and "by how much" 3 min
- clārē, fortiter: adverbs and their comparison 4 min
- Intermediate Latin · Numerals
- ūnus, duo, trēs: numerals, "of" the whole, and "for how long" 5 min
- Intermediate Latin · Deponent verbs
- hortor, sequor: deponent verbs 3 min
Try first
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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lesson LVII ("Formation and Comparison of Adverbs"), §§ 319–325
What it is
Adverbs tell you how, when or how much. Most are made from adjectives:
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
| clārus, bright | clārē, clearly |
| pulcher, beautiful | pulchrē, beautifully |
| fortis, brave | fortiter, bravely |
| audāx, bold | audācter, boldly |
First and second declension adjectives add -ē to the base; third declension adjectives add -iter, or -ter if they have one ending.
Comparing adverbs: the comparative is the neuter of the comparative adjective (-ius), and the superlative is the superlative adjective with -ē:
| Adverb | Comparative, superlative |
|---|---|
| clārē | clārius, clārissimē |
| fortiter | fortius, fortissimē |
Some adverbs are just a case form: facile (easily), prīmum (first), prīmō (at first), multum (much), multō (by much).
Irregular:
| Adverb | Comparative, superlative |
|---|---|
| bene, well | melius, optimē |
| diū, long | diūtius, diūtissimē |
| magnopere, greatly | magis, maximē |
| parum, little | minus, minimē |
| saepe, often | saepius, saepissimē |
| prope, near | propius, proximē |
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"bravely"
- Third-declension adjectives make -iter
Show answer
fortiter. fortis → fortiter.
Why it matters
"Bravely", "very often", "better": adverbs turn plain reports into vivid ones. Minimē also answers a question: "Not at all!"
Worked example
- Mīlitēs fortissimē labōrāvērunt. → The soldiers worked very bravely.
- Puella bene labōrat. → The girl works well.
- Saepius Rōmam vēnit. → He came to Rome more often.
Common mistake
Using the adjective where you need the adverb: wrong: Mīlitēs fortēs labōrant means "the brave soldiers work". For how they work, use the adverb: fortiter labōrant.
Key terms
- adverb
- modifies a verb, adjective or another adverb
- fortiter
- bravely
- bene, melius, optimē
- well, better, best
- saepe, saepius, saepissimē
- often, more often, very often
- diū
- for a long time
- minimē
- least; not at all
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| adverb | modifies a verb, adjective or another adverb |
| fortiter | bravely |
| bene, melius, optimē | well, better, best |
| saepe, saepius, saepissimē | often, more often, very often |
| diū | for a long time |
| minimē | least; not at all |
Practice
Recognition drill
Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.
All pairs
Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| clārus | clārē |
| fortis | fortiter |
| pulcher | pulchrē |
| audāx | audācter |
| bonus | bene |
| facilis | facile |
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
Comparative of fortiter
- That is the adjective
Show answer
fortius. Comparative adverb = neuter comparative adjective: fortius.
"They work bravely."
- That says brave people work
Show answer
Fortiter labōrant.. How they work: the adverb.
Superlative of bene
- bene is irregular
Show answer
optimē. bene, melius, optimē.
Practise speaking
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You are a patient Latin tutor. Use the classical pronunciation only, never the Church one: c is always k, g is always hard, v sounds like w, ae like the ai in aisle, and long vowels are held longer. Speak slowly. Use only these Latin words: fortiter, fortius, fortissimē, bene, melius, optimē, saepe, saepius, saepissimē, diū, clārē, facile, labōrat, labōrant, venit, puella, mīlitēs. Say English sentences like 'the soldiers work bravely', 'the girl works better' or 'he comes very often', and I will say them in Latin with the right adverb. Do 8 sentences. After each answer, tell me what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again, then tell me one thing to improve. Keep every reply under 2 sentences. If I need a name or a town, I will make one up. Speak English except for the Latin itself.
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In short
- 1st/2nd-declension adjectives: -ē; 3rd-declension: -iter (one ending: -ter).
- Comparative -ius; superlative -issimē.
- bene–melius–optimē; diū–diūtius; magnopere–magis–maximē; parum–minus–minimē; saepe–saepius–saepissimē.
Mastery check
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Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
Give the adverb of līber (free).
Show answer
līberē.
Translate Puer saepissimē labōrat.
Show answer
The boy works very often.
Why is fortius both an adjective form and an adverb?
Show answer
The comparative adverb is the neuter comparative adjective.
Further reading
- D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson LVII, §§ 319–325. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.
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