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'Hablar claro', 'correr rápido': adjectives that work as adverbs

In Spanish you usually turn an adjective into an adverb by adding -mente: rápido becomes rápidamente. But a handful of common adjectives also work as adverbs just as they are, with no ending added: correr rápido (to run fast), hablar claro (to speak plainly), trabajar duro (to work hard), respirar hondo (to breathe deeply).

English speakers find this familiar, because English does the same with fast and hard. The trap is agreement. Spanish adjectives normally change for gender and number, so learners are tempted to say las niñas corren rápidas. In the adverb use, the word describes the action, not the person, and it never changes: it stays masculine singular.

Word list
baratomA1 cheap comprar barato bonitomA1 beautiful cantar bonito caromA1 expensive pagar caro fácilA1 easy ganar fácil fuerteA1 strong pisar fuerte igualA1 same pensar igual lentomA1 slow avanzar lento lindomA1 beautiful cantar lindo rápidomA1 fast correr rápido altomA2 loud hablar alto claromA2 clear hablar claro diferenteA2 different pensar diferente distintomA2 different pensar distinto duromA2 difficult trabajar duro feomA2 ugly oler feo fuerteA2 loud hablar fuerte ligeromA2 light comer ligero limpiomA2 clean jugar limpio profundomA2 deep respirar profundo rápidoA2 fast las niñas corren rápido raromA2 strange mirar raro rectomA2 straight seguir recto ricomA2 tasty cocinar rico sanomA2 healthy comer sano seguidoA2 often nos vemos seguido suaveA2 soft hablar suave suciomA2 dirty jugar sucio bajomB1 low hablar bajo directomB1 direct ir directo a casa hondomB1 deep respirar hondo livianomB1 light comer liviano
How it works

Put the bare masculine singular form straight after the verb. It tells you how the action is done, so it has nothing to agree with. Compare an adjective describing people with the same word describing an action:

Las niñas son rápidas, pero hoy corren rápido.
(The girls are fast, but today they're running fast.)

After ser or estar, the word describes the subject and agrees. After an action verb like correr or hablar, it describes the action and does not.

Las dos hablan claro y trabajan duro.
(Both women speak plainly and work hard.)

One important limit: these are established combinations, not a free rule. You can't take any adjective and drop the -mente. Hablar claro works, but hablar inteligente for speak intelligently does not. Learn the words below together with the verbs they usually go with.

The words
Speed and direction

Rápido is so common in this use that it also counts as an adverb in its own right. Lento is accepted, although despacio is more usual for slowly. For directions, use recto (straight on) and directo (straight to a place). Directo is especially common in Latin America, where speakers in Spain often prefer directamente.

Siga recto y gire a la derecha.
(Go straight on and turn right.)
Después de clase fuimos directo a casa.
(After class we went straight home.)
Voice and sound

With hablar, alto and fuerte mean loudly, bajo means quietly and claro means clearly or plainly. Hablar suave (to speak softly) is common in everyday speech, especially in Latin America.

Mis vecinos hablan muy alto.
(My neighbours talk very loudly.)
Habla bajo, que el bebé está durmiendo.
(Talk quietly, the baby is sleeping.)
Effort and force

Duro goes with trabajar and entrenar, fuerte with pisar, golpear or llover, and hondo with respirar.

Respiren hondo antes de empezar.
(Take a deep breath before you start.)
Anoche llovió muy fuerte.
(It rained really hard last night.)
Price

Barato and caro go with comprar, vender and pagar. Pagar caro also means to pay dearly for a mistake.

En ese mercado se compra barato.
(You can buy things cheaply at that market.)
Esas decisiones se pagan caro.
(You pay dearly for decisions like that.)
Playing fair or foul

Jugar limpio is to play fair and jugar sucio is to play dirty, in sport and in life.

Ellos siempre juegan sucio, pero nosotras jugamos limpio.
(They always play dirty, but we play fair.)
Everyday habits and opinions

Comer sano is to eat healthily and comer ligero or viajar ligero is to eat light or travel light. Pensar distinto and pensar diferente both mean to think differently. In much of Latin America, seguido means often: nos vemos seguido.

Mis hermanas intentan comer sano.
(My sisters try to eat healthily.)
Mis padres y yo pensamos distinto.
(My parents and I think differently.)
Watch out
No agreement, ever

Say ellas hablan claro, never ellas hablan claras, and los niños corren rápido, never corren rápidos. This is the most common mistake.

Same word, different meaning

Hablar alto is about volume, not height, and hablar bajo means speaking quietly. Jugar limpio has nothing to do with washing.

The -mente form still exists

Rápidamente and claramente are correct. The short form usually sounds more natural in speech and in fixed phrases like respirar hondo.

Formal and informal style and region

Hablar claro, trabajar duro, respirar hondo and jugar limpio are standard everywhere. Hablar suave, ir directo and seguido meaning often sound more informal or Latin American.

Summary

When an adjective like rápido, claro, duro or alto comes after an action verb and describes how the action is done, use the bare masculine singular form with no -mente and no agreement: ellas hablan claro, los niños corren rápido. Only do this with the established combinations you have learned, not with any adjective.