Appendix:Polish adverbs

Adverbs are used to describe or modify verbs, participles, adjectives and other adverbs: Samochód jedzie szybko (“The car is driving fast”), Jesteś bardzo uprzejmy (“You are very kind”). They may describe the way in which an action is performed, the time when it is performed, or the place where it is performed.

Forming adverbs

Adverbs are formed by adding an adverbial suffix, -o or -e, to the stem of an adjective. The stem is generally found by removing -y or -i from the masculine nominative singular.

Examples:

• szybki → szybko, jasny → jasno etc.

If an adjective ends in -r-y, the adverb receives the -rz-e ending:

• dobry → dobrze, mądry → mądrze etc.

When the stem ends in any consonant other than k or l followed by n, the adverb receives the -nie ending:

• łagodny → łagodnie, wygodny → wygodnie, smaczny → smacznie etc; but: konny → konno, wolny → wolno etc.

Exceptions: zły → źle, trwały → trwale (but śmiały → śmiało), stary → staro.

Adverbs are indeclinable. However, some of them form comparatives and superlatives.

Comparison of adverbs

The comparative is often formed by adding the suffix -ej or -iej to the stem of the corresponding positive form. In some cases, the end of the stem undergoes sound changes:

• -ąco → -ęcej (gorąco → goręcej)
• -do/-dzo → -dziej (twardo → twardziej, bardzo → bardziej)
• -go → -żej (drogo → drożej)
• -ko/-to → -ciej (szybko → szybciej, żółto → żółciej)
  • -dko → -dzej (prędko → prędzej)
• -ło → -lej (ciepło → cieplej)
  • -oło → -elej (wesoło → weselej)
• -no → -niej (wolno → wolniej)
  • -ono → -ieniej (czerwono → czerwieniej)
  • -sno → -śniej (jasno → jaśniej)
• -ro/-rze → -rzej (staro → starzej, mądrze → mądrzej)
• -wo → -wiej (łatwo → łatwiej)

In other cases: -o → -ej.

The superlative is always formed by adding the prefix naj- to the comparative form.

Some adverbs do not form comparatives and superlatives by changing the ending. Instead, an adverb is placed before the adverb: bardziej (“more”) to form the comparative, and najbardziej (“the most”) to form the superlative. It is possible to form such superlatives and comparatives for every adverb.

Some adverbs have irregular (suppletive) comparatives and superlatives:

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
dobrze	lepiej	najlepiej
źle	gorzej	najgorzej
dużo	więcej	najwięcej
mało	mniej	najmniej

Adverb word order

Adverbs are most often placed before the verbs they modify. To put an additional stress on the adverb, it may be put at the end of the sentence.

Adverbs modifing adjectives and other adverbs are placed before the adjective or adverb they modify.

See also

Polish adjectives on Wiktionary