Adverbs of manner from adjectives (по- ... -ему)

When building new habits, you do not just change what you do, but how you do it.

Adverbs of Manner

To describe how an action is performed, you can turn many adjectives into adverbs by adding the prefix по- and the suffix -ому or -ему (matching the adjective's dative case ending). These adverbs are always hyphenated.

Standard Adjectives: по- ... -ому

For most adjectives, use the suffix -ому.

  • умный (smart) → по-умному (smartly)
  • честный (honest/fair) → по-честному (fairly)
  • взрослый (adult/mature) → по-взрослому (maturely)

Husher Stems: по- ... -ему

If the adjective's stem ends in a "husher" consonant (ш, ж, ч, щ) or is soft, use the suffix -ему.

  • хороший (good) → по-хорошему (amicably)

Comparing the Old and the New

This pattern is especially useful with adjectives like новый (new), старый (old), and современный (modern) to contrast past habits with your current routine.