Coordinated Adverbs
In Spanish, adverbs of manner are often formed by adding the suffix -mente (equivalent to the English "-ly") to the feminine singular form of an adjective.
When you string two or more of these adverbs together, drop -mente from all but the very last one in the series. The adverbs that drop the suffix must remain in their feminine singular form (or their standard singular form if the adjective doesn't change for gender).
| He cleans the gears meticulously and delicately. | Él limpia los engranajes minuciosa y delicadamente. |
Notice how minucioso becomes the feminine minuciosa, leaving only the final adverb (delicadamente) to carry the -mente ending.
| The expert assembles the pieces skillfully and quickly. | El experto ensambla las piezas hábil y rápidamente. |
Because hábil ends in a consonant, its form does not change for gender. It stands alone before rápidamente.
You will see this pattern often when describing careful, precise work:
| The artisan synchronizes the mechanism deliberately and firmly. | El artesano sincroniza el mecanismo pausada y firmemente. |
| The ticking of the clock sounds slowly and constantly. | El tictac del reloj suena lenta y constantemente. |
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