-mente

See also: mente, ménte, menté, and mentė

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin mente.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmente/, [ˈmẽn̪.t̪e]

Suffix

-mente (adverb-forming suffix)

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

Derived terms

Asturian terms suffixed with -mente

Galician

Etymology

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

Suffix

-mente (adverb-forming suffix)

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

Derived terms

Galician terms suffixed with -mente

Interlingua

Etymology

From Spanish -mente and other Romance descendants of Latin mente.

Suffix

-mente

1. Attaches to an adjective to form the corresponding adverb.

   physicamente (“physically”)

Usage notes

After a final -c the vowel -a- is inserted, e.g. physicamente (note use of physica rather than physic; *physicmente would be incorrect)

Derived terms

Interlingua terms suffixed with -mente

Italian

Etymology

Latin mente.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmen.te/
• Rhymes: -ente
• Hyphenation: -mén‧te

Suffix

-mente

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

Usage notes

• 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

• battaglievolmente
• disprezzevolmente
• giochevolmente
• trascorrevolmente

 

Neapolitan

Etymology

From Latin mente.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɛntə]

Suffix

-mente

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

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin mente.

Suffix

-mente

1. 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

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

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmẽ.t͡ʃi/

• (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

1. Attaches to an adjective in the feminine singular to form the corresponding adverb.
   • 2000, J. K. Rowling, translated by Lia Wyler, Harry Potter e o Prisioneiro de Azkaban [Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban] (Harry Potter; 3), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 336:

     Francamente, vão acordar todo mundo!

     Frankly, you are going to wake up everybody!

Usage notes

-mente is always added to the feminine form of the adjective, e.g. fisicamente (note use of física rather than físico; *fisicomente would be incorrect)

-mente can be dropped from adverbs other than the last one in a sequence:

Ele escrevia rápida e freneticamente.

He was writing quickly and frenetically.

Derived terms

Portuguese terms suffixed with -mente

Related terms

• mente

Spanish

Etymology

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)

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

   ‎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, adverb vehementemente does 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"

Derived terms

Spanish terms suffixed with -mente

Further reading

• “-mente”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10