Breakdown of La mujer respira tranquilamente.
la mujer
the woman / the wife
respirar
to breathe
tranquilamente
calmly
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Questions & Answers about La mujer respira tranquilamente.
How is the adverb tranquilamente formed from the adjective?
To make an adverb ending in -mente (which works just like "-ly" in English), you start with the feminine singular form of the adjective. The base adjective here is tranquilo, so you change the "o" to an "a" to get tranquila, and then simply attach -mente to the end.
Could I say La mujer respira tranquila instead?
Yes! Spanish often uses adjectives to describe how someone is doing a physical action. If you use the adjective, it must match the subject, which is why it would be the feminine tranquila to match La mujer. However, the adverb tranquilamente is invariable, meaning it never changes its ending regardless of who is breathing.
Why doesn't tranquilamente have a written accent mark?
Adverbs ending in -mente only have a written accent mark if the original adjective had one. Because tranquila does not have a written accent, tranquilamente does not get one either. By contrast, an adjective like fácil would become fácilmente.
Do I have to put tranquilamente right after the verb?
Usually, yes. Adverbs of manner (words that describe exactly how an action is done) typically go right after the verb they describe, just like respira tranquilamente in this sentence. Putting it before the verb would sound unnatural in everyday Spanish.