Breakdown of Elle est intelligente, et elle parle intelligemment.
être
to be
elle
she
intelligent
intelligent / smart
et
and
Questions & Answers about Elle est intelligente, et elle parle intelligemment.
How is the adverb intelligemment formed here?
For adjectives ending in -ent, like intelligent, you drop the -nt and add -mment. That is how we get intelligemment.
Doesn't French usually form adverbs using the feminine form of the adjective?
Normally, yes! For most adjectives, you add -ment to the feminine form. But adjectives ending in -ant or -ent are exceptions. For these, you ignore the feminine form intelligente completely, go back to the masculine intelligent, drop the -nt, and add -mment.
How do you pronounce the ending of intelligemment?
The -emment ending is pronounced exactly the same as -amment. Even though it is spelled with an 'e', it makes an 'ah' nasal sound, so the ending sounds like 'ah-man' with a silent 't'.
Why does intelligemment come immediately after the verb parle?