Adjective + 地 + Verb (making an adverb)
Describe the action, not the thing
- happy高兴 means "happy" — but how do you say someone did something happily?
- English adds "-ly." Chinese adds one particle: (adverb -ly)地.
Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb
- Put (adverb -ly)地 (de) after an adjective to turn it into an adverb.
- Pattern: Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb
he他happy高兴地smiled笑了。
- happy高兴地笑(completed / change)了 = "smiled happily." The (adverb -ly)地 phrase comes before the verb.
Which one says “study seriously”?
Adjective + 地 + Verb: 认真 + 地 + 学习.
Fill the particle that turns an adjective into an adverb: Adjective + ____ + Verb.
Before a verb the adverb particle is 地 (认真地学习).
One more
the teacher老师careful认真地read看了my我的essay作文。
- conscientious认真地看 = "read carefully."
Correct or broken?
地 turns an adjective into a how-word, and the pair stands before the verb.
Arrange: “The teacher read carefully.”
Subject + [Adjective + 地] + Verb: 老师 + 认真地 + 看.
(of / 's)的, (adverb -ly)地, (degree marker)得 all sound like "de"
Keep the trio apart: (of / 's)的 + noun (I / me我(of / 's)的book书), (adverb -ly)地 + verb (slowly慢慢(adverb -ly)地to walk走), (degree marker)得 + complement (to run跑(degree marker)得很快). Before a verb it is always written (adverb -ly)地.
Before a verb you use 的 (我的走).
Before a verb it must be 地 (慢慢地走). 的 links a noun; 得 follows a verb.
Recap
- Adjective + (adverb -ly)地 + Verb makes an adverb (conscientious认真(adverb -ly)地to learn学习)
- The (adverb -ly)地 phrase comes before the verb
- de trio: (of / 's)的 + noun · (adverb -ly)地 + verb · (degree marker)得 + complement
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Adjectives into adverbs.