A trip to the spa
To set the mood for this lesson, let's look at some vocabulary for unwinding at the wellness center. You will often use the reflexive verb relajarse to talk about relaxing.
Adverbs of manner describe how an action is performed, much like words ending in "-ly" in English. In Spanish, these are usually formed by adding -mente to an adjective.
If the adjective ends in -o, first change it to the feminine form (-a), then add -mente. For example, tranquilo (calm) becomes tranquilamente (calmly), and lento (slow) becomes lentamente (slowly).
Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant
If the adjective ends in an -e or a consonant, you don't need to change its ending. Just add -mente directly to the adjective.
For example, suave (soft) simply becomes suavemente (softly).
Keeping the accent marks
If the original adjective has a written accent mark, the new adverb keeps the accent in the exact same place!
Remember to still change -o to -a if necessary before adding -mente, such as with cómodo -> cómodamente (comfortably) and rápido -> rápidamente (quickly).
A false friend: actualmente
Actualmente means currently, nowadays, never actually: Actualmente vivo en Valencia (I live in Valencia now). For actually, Spanish says en realidad.
