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Italian is a language of passion and precision, and adverbs are the glue that binds clarity and emotion into your sentences. By learning Italian adverbs, you can express yourself more naturally, describing how, when, and to what degree something happens. Whether you’re asking questions, narrating stories, or emphasizing your opinions, adverbs are essential tools in your Italian language journey.
In this guide, we’ll cover what avverbi (adverbs) are, how to use them correctly in Italian, and introduce a useful list of adverbs with examples to get you started on the right foot. We’ll also share practical tips to use these words confidently in real-life conversations, whether you’re chatting over coffee or traveling through the Italian peninsula.
What are Italian adverbs?
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs, answering questions like “how,” “when,” “where,” and “to what extent.” In Italian, adverbs maintain a fixed form, meaning they don’t change with gender or number, unlike how Italian adjectives work.
Look at how you can use them to enhance the description of what’s happening in the sentences below:
- Lui cammina lentamente. = He walks slowly.
- Il treno è incredibilmente veloce. = The train is incredibly fast.
- Sal è tanto simpatico! = Sal is very nice!
Adverbs bring nuance, helping you express subtleties like mood, frequency, degree, or emphasis. Without them, conversations could feel flat or incomplete. Italian adverbs are pretty fascinating when you compare them to English ones. For starters, they’re often more flexible regarding where they appear in a sentence.
In English, you’ll mostly find adverbs in a specific position “He speaks quickly”, but in Italian, you might see the equivalent “adverb” parla velocemente before, after, or even in the middle of a sentence, depending on what you want to emphasize.
Also, common Italian adverbs don’t always need a second word—sometimes, they just modify adjectives directly with the help of short suffixes. For example, in English, you might say someone “does something very well,” but in Italian, this idea can often be expressed with a single word like benissimo (literally, “very well”). The word molto (very) is not needed! Another cool thing is that Italians love to use adverbs like mica (which roughly means “not really” or “not at all”) in a way that has no true equivalent in English.
And let’s not forget the fact that certain Italian adverbs, like già (already) or ancora (still/yet), can have multiple meanings depending on context. It’s one of those areas where the Italian language has this elegant simplicity and a knack for subtle nuances that keep things interesting!
How to use adverbs in Italian correctly
In Italian, adverbs follow specific placement rules depending on the words they modify, making them a powerful tool for fine-tuning your sentences:
- With verbs: Adverbs are usually placed directly after the verb, adding clarity to the action.
- Parla chiaramente. = He speaks clearly.
- With adjectives or other adverbs: These are typically placed before the word they modify to enhance or specify meaning.
- È gentilissima. = She is very kind.
- For emphasis: Certain adverbs, especially those of time or frequency, can take the spotlight by appearing at the beginning of a sentence.
- Oggi fa bel tempo. = Today the weather is nice.
A couple more tips will help you practice using adverbs in Italian until you sound like you’ve been doing it all your life.
- Adverbs don’t conjugate: Unlike adjectives, adverbs remain the same regardless of gender or number.
- Use adverbial phrases: Italians frequently use phrases like di solito, usually instead of single-word equivalents.
Adverbs make sentences more dynamic, helping you sound natural in everyday speech!
7 types of Italian adverbs
Italian adverbs come in many types, each serving a specific function within Italian grammar rules. Let’s break them down with examples and tips for proper use.
Avverbi di tempo (adverbs about time)
These adverbs answer “when.” They’re essential for schedule and storytelling.
- Oggi visitiamo il museo. = Today we are visiting the museum.
- Possono venire adesso? = Can they come today?
- Parto subito! = I’m leaving immediately.
- Vengono dopo il pranzo. = They are coming after lunch.
- Attualmente piove a Roma. = It is currently raining in Rome.
- Finora ho visto solo tre gatti. = So far I have only seen three cats.
- Iniziò a tremare improvvisamente. It suddenly started to shake.
- Ho comprato delle scarpe nuove stamattina. = I bought new shoes this morning.
| Italian | English |
| adesso | now |
| appena | just |
| attualmente | currently |
| domani | tomorrow |
| dopo | later, after |
| finora | so far/until now |
| ieri | yesterday |
| improvvisamente | suddenly |
| in seguito | subsequently |
| lo scorso/la scorsa | last |
| presto | soon |
| ora | now |
| stamattina | this morning |
| subito | immediately |
Avverbi di quantità (adverbs about quantity)
These adverbs answer “how much” or “to what extent.”
- Mi piace molto l’Italia. = I like Italy a lot.
- È abbastanza per tutti. = It’s enough for all.
- Parla troppo! = He speaks too much!
- Studia poco. = She studies little.
- Mi piace particolarmente quella casa. = I particularly like that house.
| Italian | English |
| abbastanza | enough |
| eccessivamente | excessively |
| esageratamente | exaggeratedly |
| minimamente | minimally |
| moderatamente | moderately |
| molto | a lot |
| particolarmente | particularly |
| poco | little |
| sufficientemente | sufficiently |
| tanto | a lot |
| troppo | too much |
Avverbi di modo (adverbs of manner)
To describe the way actions are performed, you’ll use an adverb of manner to answer “how” it will be done.
- Parlate bene in Italiano. = You speak well in Italian.
- Guida attentamente. = Drive carefully.
- Devi decidere velocemente. = You must decide quickly.
- Riposa tranquillamente. = Rest calmly.
- Mi sono semplicemente dimenticata. = I simply forgot.
| Italian | English |
| attentamente | carefully |
| bene | well |
| frequentemente | frequently |
| giocosamente | playfully |
| lentamente | slowly |
| male | bad/poorly |
| meglio | better |
| peggio | worse |
| perfettamente | perfectly |
| piano | softly |
| poco | little |
| semplicemente | simply |
| seriamente | seriously |
| tranquillamente | calmly |
| velocemente | quickly |
| volentieri | gladly |
| volutamente | intentionally |
Avverbi di luogo (adverbs of place)
These adverbs specify where actions happen.
- Marta è accanto a Selma. = Marta is next to Selma.
- Ho visto il gatto lì. = I saw the cat there.
- Vieni qui, per favore. = Come here, please.
- La nostra casa è vicino. = Our house is near.
- Ci sono gelaterie ovunque. = There are ice cream shops everywhere.
- Puoi venire qui? = Can you come here?
| Italian | English |
| accanto a | next to |
| altrove | elsewhere |
| di fronte | opposite/in front of |
| dintorni | around/nearby areas |
| dove | where |
| fuori | outside |
| in mezzo | in the middle |
| la/lì | there |
| laggiù | down there |
| lassù | up there |
| lontano | far |
| oltre | beyond |
| ovunque | everywhere |
| quassù | up here |
| qui | here |
| sopra | above |
| sotto | under |
| vicino | near/close |
Avverbi di affermazione/negazione (adverbs of affirmation/negation)
These Italian adverbs emphasize agreement, certainty, or approval. They are used to confirm a statement or a response, to express confidence or assurance, or to reinforce a positive sentiment or approval.
- Verrà anche Mario naturalmente. = Mario will come, too, certainly.
- Il film è assolutamente meraviglioso. = The movie is absolutely wonderful.
| Italian | English |
| assolutamente | absolutely |
| certamente | certainly |
| indubbiamente | undoubtedly |
| naturalmente | certainly, naturally |
| neppure | not even/neither |
Avverbi di frequenza (adverbs of frequency)
Adverbs of frequency answer “how often” and are ideal to use when talking about habits.
- Guarda la T.V. raramente. = She rarely watches T.V.
- Arriva sempre in ritardo. = He always arrives late.
- Di solito esco il venerdì. = I usually go out on Friday.
- A volte il cane abbaia. = Sometimes the dog barks.
| Italian | English |
| a volte | sometimes |
| di solito | usually |
| mai | never |
| raramente | rarely |
| sempre | always |
Avverbi interrogativi (adverbs of interrogation)
These adverbs are used in Italian to ask questions. They are crucial for forming direct and indirect questions and are usually placed at the beginning of a sentence.
- Per caso avete visto Dario? = By any chance have you seen Dario?
- Come mai non è qui? = How come he isn’t here?
- In che modo parlava? = How did he speak?
| Italian | English |
| Come mai? | How come? |
| In che modo? | In what way? |
| per caso? | by any chance…? |
| quanto | when |
More common adverbs in Italian:
These commonly used adverbs will get you by in many day-to-day situations:
- Allora? = So?
- Lo conosco a malapena. = I barely know him.
- Fortunatamente ci sono i taxi! = Luckily there are taxis!
- Sandra ovviamente non ha capito. = Obviously, Sandra did not understand.
- Ho fame, quindi andiamo a cena. = I’m hungry, so let’s go to dinner.
| Italian | English |
| allora | then/so |
| a malapena | barely |
| anche | also |
| casualmente | by chance/randomly |
| comunque | anyway |
| dunque | therefore |
| forse | perhaps/maybe |
| fortunatamente | fortunately/luckily |
| infatti | in fact |
| inutilmente | pointlessly |
| invece | instead |
| ovviamente | obviously |
| peccato | what a pity (used as an adverbial expression) |
| pure | too/as well |
| quindi | so/thus |
Save this list to practice daily, and don’t forget that the Rosetta Stone App includes interactive tools to reinforce your adverb usage! You can learn other Italian expressions, including idiomatic phrases, common sayings, and cultural nuances that will enrich your communication skills.
Key takeaways about Italian adverbs
Mastering Italian adverbs is crucial for clear and expressive communication. Here are the main points to remember:
- Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to express how, when, where, and to what extent.
- They are invariable, meaning they don’t change with gender or number.
- Learn the different types, including time, quantity, frequency, and more, to expand your fluency.
- Use tools like Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method to practice adverbs in real-world contexts.