Manner
How does it happen?
Meaning
We can describe how an action is done, not just what happens. This can show speed, care, loudness, or another feature of the action. Languages use special word forms or phrases, and some have no separate ending for making an adverb. Unlike Qualities, Manner describes the action or event, not a person or thing.
How to spot it
Look for a word or phrase that answers how an action is done or how an event happens.
In your native language
English often uses an adverb to describe how an action happens, and many of these adverbs end in -ly. Some have other forms, such as well, or the same form as an adjective, such as fast. A phrase such as with care can also describe manner.
Please speak slowly.
Slowly describes the speed of speaking.
The children ran fast.
Fast is an adverb here; it does not take -ly.
He opened the box with care.
A phrase, rather than a single adverb, describes how he opened it.
In your learning language
Spanish describes manner with adverbs such as bien and despacio, with -mente forms, or with phrases such as con cuidado. To form a -mente adverb, add -mente to the adjective's feminine singular form, or to its unchanged form if it has no separate feminine form. These adverbs do not change to match the person or thing doing the action.
Ana conduce cuidadosamente.
Ana drives carefully.
Cuidadosamente is formed from cuidadosa and describes the driving.
Corta el pan con cuidado.
Cut the bread carefully.
A phrase with con describes how to do the action.
Habla despacio, por favor.
Please speak slowly.
Despacio is an ordinary manner adverb without -mente.
Learners whose language uses the same forms for qualities and manner may use an adjective where Spanish normally uses an adverb. Learners whose language has no grammatical gender may build -mente forms from the masculine adjective instead of the feminine form.