From adjective to adverb: -о and -е
An adjective (a describing word for a noun) is listed in the dictionary ending in -ый, -ий or -ой. Cut that ending off and add -о. After a soft stem (one whose adjective ends in -ний), add -е instead. The stress usually stays where it was, but a few short words move it. The adverb is red throughout this page; tap any form to hear it.
| Adjective | Adverb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| бы́стрыйfast | бы́строBYS-tra | |
| ме́дленныйslow | ме́дленноMYED-lin-na | |
| хоро́шийgood | хорошо́kha-ra-SHO | |
| плохо́йbad | пло́хоPLO-kha | |
| ти́хийquiet | ти́хоTEE-kha | |
| лёгкийeasy, light | легко́likh-KO | |
| и́скреннийsincere | и́скреннеEES-krin-nye | |
| кра́йнийextreme | кра́йнеKRAY-nye |
по-ру́сски and по-мо́ему: adverbs with по-
Two families start with по- and a hyphen. Adjectives in -ский and -цкий become по-…-ски, “in the … way”: this is how you name a language you speak or write in. Possessives and a few adjectives become по-…-ому / -ему, “in … way, according to …”.
Some -ски adverbs never take по-: практи́чески (practically), логи́чески (logically), истори́чески (historically). The dictionary shows which.
Place: where, where to, where from
English uses “here” for both “I’m here” and “come here”. Russian has a separate word for each direction, matching the three questions где? (where?), куда́? (where to?) and отку́да? (where from?). Use the куда́ column with verbs of motion; see verbs of motion.
| Meaning | где? where | куда́? where to | отку́да? where from |
|---|---|---|---|
| here | |||
| there | |||
| home | |||
| everywhere | |||
| somewhere | |||
| ahead, forward | |||
| outside |
Time and frequency
These sixteen words answer когда́? (when?) and как ча́сто? (how often?). They are among the most frequent words in Russian, so they are worth learning as a set. Tap each one to hear it.
How much: о́чень, сли́шком, совсе́м
Degree words go straight before the adjective, adverb or verb they strengthen or soften. They are ordered here from strongest to weakest.
о́чень is never used with a comparative. “Much better” is гора́здо or намно́го лу́чше; see comparatives.
Faster, better, best
The comparative of an adverb is identical to the comparative of its adjective: бы́стро → быстре́е, хорошо́ → лу́чше. For “the most”, add всех (than everyone) or всего́ (than anything). Full detail in comparatives and superlatives.
Where the adverb goes
Russian word order is flexible, but adverbs have natural places. Manner adverbs (how) usually go just before the verb; time and place adverbs often open the sentence; moving an adverb to the very end puts weight on it.
Check yourself
Replace the word in brackets with the right adverb. Say the answer out loud, then reveal it.