Adverbs in Polish Language - a full easy to understand guide!

What are adverbs

How do you form adverbs in Polish

Adverbs are generated by adding an ending (often -o or -e) to the end of the stem of an adjective

You can form an adverb from an adjective.

There are three main groups:

Adjective words ending in -i or -y: replace with -o.

For example Szybki (which is an adjective, it means 'fast/quick') changes to szybko (quickly)

Adjective words ending in -ry: replace with -rze

For example dobry (adj. good) » dobrze (adverb.)

Adjective words ending in -ny: replace with -nie

Adjectives ending in -ny are made into adverbs by changing it to -nie ending.

But not for jasny (clear/bright), which changes to jasno!

Some exceptions to the rules!

As well as the jasny (jasno) example above, there are a few other exceptions that are very common:

Zły (bad) changes to żle

Stary (old) changes to staro

Some useful adverbs in Polish

Coming soon!

Comparing with adverbs

The comparative of an adverbs is normally formed by adding -ej or -iej to an adjective.

Example:

trudno (hard, adverb). Comparative: trudniej (harder). (superlative: najtrudniej - hardest

Superlative of adverbs

The superlative is normally formed by adding naj- to the start of the comparative.

How to actually compare

You use 'niz' to compare. For example "this xxxx is [comparative adverb] than [other item]". Other item is in Genitive

To stoł jest drożej niz [something] - this table is more expensive than [something]

The [something] will be in Genitive!

How to say something is 'more and more' (coraz)

Coraz is used to mean that something is happening more and more. (Actually, it can mean less and less too if the adverb being used is something like mniej (less))

After coraz use the adverb (as normal).

E.g. jesteś coraz szybko = you are faster and faster / you are getting faster and faster

To jest coraz mniej = this is less and less. (note that coraz doesn't actually mean 'more' but it is most things (like faster) are increasing. But when used with words like mniej then it can be less and less.

Further reading

This page is a good guide.



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