Adjectives describe nouns (a perfect product), but adverbs describe verbs (the product works perfectly). In Finnish, you can turn an adjective into an adverb by adding the suffix -sti. This is the direct equivalent of the English "-ly".
To form an adverb, you attach -sti to the adjective's inflectional stem. Depending on the adjective's ending, the stem might change slightly from the base dictionary word.
| Adjective | Stem | Adverb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| täydellinen | täydellise- | täydellisesti | perfectly |
| kohtelias | kohteliaa- | kohteliaasti | politely |
| hidas | hitaa- | hitaasti | slowly |
| selkeä | selkeä- | selkeästi | clearly |
Adjectives ending in -nen
For words ending in -nen, replace the -nen with -se- before adding the suffix.
| This new product works perfectly. | Tämä uusi tuote toimii täydellisesti. |
| The seller helps me in a friendly way. | Myyjä auttaa minua ystävällisesti. |
Adjectives ending in -s
When a word ends in -s, the final -s lengthens into a double vowel in the stem. Watch out for consonant gradation, too (like the d in hidas changing to a t).
| The customer asks politely and the seller answers. | Asiakas kysyy kohteliaasti ja myyjä vastaa. |
| This experience was bad, because the bus drives very slowly. | Tämä kokemus oli huono, koska bussi ajaa hyvin hitaasti. |
Adjectives ending in a vowel
If the adjective ends in a vowel, the stem is usually identical to the base word. You can just attach -sti directly.
| This computer does not work, and the boss says it clearly. | Tämä tietokone ei toimi, ja pomo sanoo sen selkeästi. |
Evaluating Services
Adverbs are incredibly useful when reviewing products or describing your customer experiences, letting you explain exactly how a service was performed.
| The teacher helps me in a friendly way and clearly. | Opettaja auttaa minua ystävällisesti ja selkeästi. |
| That old computer works slowly, but this new one works perfectly. | Tuo vanha tietokone toimii hitaasti, mutta tämä uusi toimii täydellisesti. |
