The "-ește" Suffix
While many Romanian adjectives can be used exactly as they are to form adverbs, there is another very common way to describe how an action is performed: the -ește suffix.
When added to certain nouns or adjectives, -ește creates an adverb of manner that means "in the manner of" or "like a...". For example, behaving like a child (copil) becomes copilărește (childishly), and acting like a friend (prieten) becomes prietenește (amicably).
| He is behaving very childishly today. | El se comportă foarte copilărește astăzi. |
| I spoke amicably with your brother. | Am vorbit prietenește cu fratele tău. |
| You must accept the situation like a man. | Trebuie să accepți situația bărbătește. |
Speaking Languages
One of the most frequent uses of the -ește suffix is with nationalities to describe speaking, reading, or writing in a particular language. Instead of saying "I speak the English language," a Romanian will often literally say "I speak English-ly" (englezește).
| He greeted me amicably and spoke to me in English. | M-a salutat prietenește și mi-a vorbit englezește. |
| No female student writes in French at this course. | Nicio studentă nu scrie franțuzește la acest curs. |
| We spoke in Romanian, and he answered in English. | Noi am vorbit românește, iar el a răspuns englezește. |
Classes and Traits
You will also see this suffix used to describe living, eating, or acting like a specific group of people (such as students), or to express extreme states and fundamental human traits.
| It is human to make mistakes. | Este omenește să greșești. |
| They live together and live like students. | Ei locuiesc împreună și trăiesc studențește. |
| He loves his wife madly. | O iubește nebunește pe soția sa. |