Adverbs of manner (be...)

Adverbs of Manner with "به"

In English, we often add "-ly" to an adjective to describe how an action is performed (such as "clearly" or "gradually"). In Farsi, a very common and formal way to form these adverbs of manner is by pairing the preposition به (with/in/by) with an abstract noun.

Many of these abstract nouns come from Arabic roots. By placing به directly in front of them, you create an adverbial phrase:

  • وضوح (clarity) becomes به وضوح (clearly)
  • تدریج (gradualness) becomes به تدریج (gradually)
  • سهولت (ease) becomes به سهولت (easily)
  • تفصیل (detail) becomes به تفصیل (in detail)

You will see these adverbs used frequently in professional or technical contexts, such as producing music or adjusting audio settings in a studio. Let's look at some examples of these adverbial phrases in action: