Adverbial phrases of manner (be...-i)

To explain exactly how an action is performed, Farsi uses adverbial phrases of manner. Combine the preposition به with an abstract noun ending in ی to create the equivalent of an English "-ly" adverb or "with [noun]" phrase.

For example, زیبا (beautiful) becomes the abstract noun زیبایی (beauty). By adding به, we get به زیبایی (beautifully).

Similarly, راحت (comfortable/easy) becomes راحتی (ease), giving us به راحتی (with ease / easily).

A Productive Pattern

You can take almost any adjective, turn it into an abstract noun, and pair it with به to describe how something is done. Notice how the adjectives ساده (simple), سبک (light), and چابک (agile) easily become adverbs of manner using this formula: