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Adverbs derived from adjectives Japanese

You can create adverbs from adjectives by adding に ni to the stem of a na adjective and
adding くku to the stem of an i adjective. The adverb version of いい ii is よく yoku.

For example:
大きく書いてください。
Ōkiku kaite kudasai.
Please write a bit bigger.
きれいに書いてください。
Kirei ni kaite kudasai.
Please write neatly.
よく考えましたか?
Yoku kangaemashita ka?
Did you think about it carefully?

Adverb + する suru/なる naru (change)


When the verb する suru (to do) is used with an adverb, it means to change the state of
something in a specified way. When the verb なる naru (to become) is used instead of す
る suru, it shows what change is made without drawing attention to the causer of the
change.

For example:
部屋をきれいにしました。
Heya o kirei ni shimashita.
I made my room neat.
部屋がきれいになりました。
Heya ga kirei ni narimashita.
My room became neater.

The item that changes is often unspoken if it is understood in context. It could be something
obvious in the context, and it could also be the speaker or the listener.

For example:
安くしてください。
Yasuku shite kudasai.
Make (the price) cheaper.
静かにしてください。
Shizuka ni shite kudasai.
(Please) make (yourself) quiet. or Please be quiet.
Adverbs made from onomatopoeia and mimetic words
Japanese has a large inventory of words whose sounds are intended to describe actions and
states. They are categorized into onomatopoeia and mimetic words. Onomatopoeia
describes auditory properties. Mimetic words describe non-auditory properties such as
manners, actions, states, and the appearance of people and things. Most of them consist of a
repetition of one or two syllables and can be used as adverbs in a sentence, occasionally
followed by the particle と to or に ni.

They are often written in katakana, especially in comic books. Note that it is very difficult
to translate these words into English.

For example:
子どもがゲラゲラ笑っていました。
Kodomo ga geragera waratte imashita.
The children were laughing loudly.
蛇がにょろにょろ(と)近づいてきた。
Hebi ga nyoronyhoro (to) chikadzuite kita.
The snake slithered toward me.
靴をぴかぴかに磨きました。
Kutsu o pikapika ni migakimashita.
I polished my shoes (until they were) shiny.

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