Polish Adverb Formation
Adverb are formed from adjectives by adding either an e or an o to the end of the adjective. There is no clear-cut rule to determine which letter to add, but here are some general rules:
– If the adjective stem ends with a hardened or soft consonant, or k, g, or ch, always add o. Also, always add o if the adjective ends with an i.
Examples:
Adjective | Adverb | Translation |
obcy
cichy głupi szybki drogi tani |
obco
cicho głupio szybko drogo tanio |
foreign
quiet stupid fast expensive cheap |
– If the adjective stem ends with a hardened consonant (except, k, g, and ch), sometimes you add an o, sometimes you an e. In general, stems ending with n tend to take an e adverb ending.
When an e is added, the previous consonant softens.
Examples:
Adjective | Adverb | Translation |
mocny
dobry zły piękny |
mocno
dobrze źle pięknie |
strong
good bad beautiful |
Adverbs which are derived from adjectives ending with -ski take the u ending and are always followed by the preposition po.
Examples:
Adjective | Adverb | Translation |
polski
angielski |
po polsku
po angielsku |
polish
english |
Adverb Placement
Polish adverbs are normally placed before the word they are modifying, but can be placed after to add emphasis.