-mente

Because the suffix originates as a reinterpretation of the Latin feminine noun form mente in ablatival locutions [such as clārā mente (literally “with a clear mind”), whence Italian chiaramente]; if the root adjective ends in -o, in formation of the adverb it is employed in its feminine singular form.

Examples:

‎chiara (“clear”) + ‎-mente → ‎chiaramente (“clearly”)

‎fisica (“physical”) + ‎-mente → ‎fisicamente (“physically”)

‎stupida (“stupid”, “foolish”) + ‎-mente → ‎stupidamente (“stupidly”, “foolishly”)

Adjectives ending in -e, not distinguishing masculine and feminine forms, simply have the suffix attached to the singular form.

Example:

‎grande (“great”) + ‎-mente → ‎grandemente (“greatly”)

When the root adjective ends in -le, -lo, -re or -ro, the suffix is attached directly to the consonant and the final vowel of the adjective is dropped.

Examples:

‎speciale (“special”) + ‎-mente → ‎specialmente (“especially”, “particularly”)

‎celere (“swift”) + ‎-mente → ‎celermente (“swiftly”)

Terms derived with this suffix are invariably stressed on the penultimate.

Derived terms

Italian terms suffixed with -mente

anticonformisticamente

anticostituzionalissimamente

anticostituzionalmente

Neapolitan

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *men-

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Indo-European *méntis

Proto-Italic *mentis

Latin mēns

Neapolitan -mente

Inherited from Latin mente.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈmɛn.tə]
Hyphenation: -men‧te

Suffix

-mente

Attaches to an adjective in the feminine singular to form the corresponding adverb.

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *men-

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Indo-European *méntis

Proto-Italic *mentis

Latin mēns

Old Galician-Portuguese -mente

Inherited from Latin mente.

Suffix

-mente

Attaches to an adjective in the feminine singular to form the corresponding adverb.
‎cruu (“cruel”) + ‎-mente → ‎cruamente (“cruelly”)

‎forte (“strong”) + ‎-mente → ‎fortemente (“strongly”)

‎primeiro (“first”) + ‎-mente → ‎primeiramente (“firstly”)

Derived terms

Old Galician-Portuguese terms suffixed with -mente

Descendants

Galician: -mente
Portuguese: -mente

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *men-

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Indo-European *méntis

Proto-Italic *mentis

Latin mēns

Old Galician-Portuguese -mente

Portuguese -mente

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese -mente, inherited from Latin mente. Compare Galician -mente.

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmẽ.t͡ʃi/
- (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmẽ.te/

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmẽ.tɨ/

Rhymes: (Portugal) -ẽtɨ, (Brazil) -ẽt͡ʃi
Hyphenation: -men‧te

Suffix

-mente (adverb-forming suffix)

Used to form adverbs from adjectives; -ly
‎feliz (“happy, fortunate”) + ‎-mente (“-ly”) → ‎felizmente (“happily, fortunately”)
(uncommon) Used to form adverbs from nouns; -ly
‎mulher (“woman”) + ‎-mente (“-ly”) → ‎mulhermente (“womanly”)

Usage notes

-mente is generally added to the feminine form of the adjective, as that is the grammatical gender of mente (“mind”). e.g. fisicamente, formed with física rather than físico. However, if the adjective ends with -ês, using the masculine form is the traditional and standard practice, as those adjectives were epicene until the beginning of the 16th century.

In sequences of adverbs formed with -mente, it is traditionally dropped from all adverbs except the last in the sequence:
Ele escrevia rápida e freneticamente.
He was writing quickly and frenetically.

Derived terms

Portuguese terms suffixed with -mente

Related terms

mente

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *men-

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Indo-European *méntis

Proto-Italic *mentis

Latin mēns

Old Spanish -mente

Spanish -mente

Inherited from Old Spanish -mente / -miente / -mientre, from Latin mente.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmente/ [ˈmẽn̪.t̪e] (additionally stressing the syllable of the underlying adjective)
Audio (Colombia): (file)
Rhymes: -ente
Syllabification: -men‧te

Suffix

-mente (adverb-forming suffix)

Attaches to an adjective in the feminine singular to form the corresponding adverb; -ly.
‎normal (“normal”) + ‎-mente → ‎normalmente (“normally, usually”)

‎física (“physical”) + ‎-mente → ‎físicamente (“physically”)

‎común (“common”) + ‎-mente → ‎comúnmente (“commonly”)

‎loca (“crazy”) + ‎-mente → ‎locamente (“crazily”)

Usage notes

Adverbs in -mente are formed from the feminine singular forms of adjectives. For example, nuevamente (“newly”) is formed from nueva (“new”), and comúnmente (“commonly”) is formed from común (“common”).
Not all words ending in -mente are adverbs formed with this suffix. For example, vehemente and demente are both adjectives. In fact, adverbs vehementemente and dementemente both exist.
If the adjective is written with an accent, then the adverb with -mente is written with an accent in the same place; hence comúnmente, rápidamente, and so on. Conversely, if the adjective is written without an accent, then the adverb with -mente is also written without an accent; hence lentamente, nuevamente, and so on.
In a string of adverbs connected with a conjunction, -mente may be omitted from all but the last: "vaga, rápida y descuidadamente"
-mente is a false friend and does not mean -ment. The Spanish word for -ment is -miento.