Language/Standard-estonian/Grammar/Adverbs
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How to form adverbs in Estonian
In today's lesson, we will learn how to form adverbs in Estonian.
While in English adverbs are usually formed by adding -ly to adjectives.
In Estonian many adverbs are formed from adjectives, simply by using the ablative case of the adjective.
Examples
- Aeglane (slow) ➡ becomes aeglaselt (slowly)
- Kaunis (beautiful) ➡ becomes kaunilt (beautifully)
Exceptions
However it's not always the case.
Some words are adverbs by nature.
Examples:
- Nüüd (now)
- tõesti (really)
- varsti (soon)
Behaviour in a Sentence
The following examples use adverbs in different ways and places to demonstrate how it behaves in a sentence.
| Formula | Estonian | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| [pronoun + verb + adverb] | kas saate minust nüüd aru? | Do you understand me now ? |
| [adverb + adjective] | ta on väga intelligentne | She is very intelligent |
| [noun + adverb] | vajan kohe abi | I need help immediately |
| [adverb in a question] | kas me võiksime koos saksa keelt õppida? | Can we learn German together? |
| [verb + adverb] | ma jään teid alati armastama | I will always love you |