THE ADVERBS.
236. The neuter form of most adjectives can be used as an adverb: snart soon; höit high, or highly; smukt nicely; godt well etc.
Note. Of adjectives ending in -ig, -lig in Norway the common gender form is used as adverbs but in Denmark the neuter: D. oprigtigt, N. oprigtig candidly; D. ærligt, N. ærlig honestly (in both cases pronounced oprigti, ærli).
Adverbs may furthermore be formed of adjectives (and partly of nouns) by the following endings:
1. –lig: snarlig soon; nylig recently; storlig greatly (of nouns: öieblikkelig instantly; hovedsagelig chiefly; fængslig only in connection with the verb anholde: fængslig anholde to arrest, derived from fængsel prison).
2. –vis, heldigvis happily; lykkeligvis happily; tydeligvis plainly (of nouns delvis partly; parvis in pairs; skevis by one spoonful).
3. –e: bare only; ilde ill; vide widely; gjerne willingly; D. grumme highly.
Note. To the adjective god good correspond the adverbs godt and vel. Sometimes both may be used promiscuously: jeg ved det godt and jeg ved det vel I know it well. In other cases one of them alone can be employed: lev vel live well (i. e. good bye); sov godt sleep well (but sov vel og dröm behageligt sleep well and have agreeable dreams); vel is also used by adjectives and adverbs in the meaning of rather: det er vel meget af det gode it is rather much of a good thing (not quite as strong as: det er for meget).
