Always, Often & Never in Chinese 频率
pínlǜ
Always / often / never in Chinese are 总是 / 经常 / 从来不 (zǒng shì / jīng cháng / cóng lái bù).
Also searched for as: always, sometimes, never, often, frequency words.
Always, never, or sometimes? 15 essential how often words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Frequency words in Chinese go before the verb, so 'I often drink tea' is 我经常喝茶 (wǒ jīng cháng hē chá). This list runs from 总是 (zǒng shì), always, through 有时候 (yǒu shí hou), sometimes, to 从来不 (cóng lái bù), never, and adds the tricky pair 又 (yòu) and 再 (zài), which both mean 'again'. They're essential for talking about routines and habits.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 总是 | zǒng shì | always |
| 经常 | jīng cháng | often |
| 常常 | cháng cháng | often |
| 有时候 | yǒu shí hou | sometimes |
| 偶尔 | ǒu ěr | occasionally |
| 很少 | hěn shǎo | rarely |
| 从来不 | cóng lái bù | never |
| 每天 | měi tiān | every day |
| 每次 | měi cì | every time |
| 一直 | yī zhí | all along; continuously |
| 又 | yòu | again (already happened) |
| 再 | zài | again (in future) |
| 还 | hái | still; also |
| 已经 | yǐ jīng | already |
| 一次 | yī cì | once |
Usage tips
- 经常 (jīng cháng) and 常常 (cháng cháng) are very close, but for 'not often' say 不常 (bù cháng) rather than 不常常.
- 又 (yòu) is for an 'again' that has already happened, often with a hint of annoyance, as in 他又迟到了 (tā yòu chí dào le); 再 (zài) is for repeating in future, as in 再说一遍 (zài shuō yī biàn).
- For 'have never done', use 从来没 (cóng lái méi) with 过: 我从来没去过 (wǒ cóng lái méi qù guo); 从来不 (cóng lái bù) is for habits and choices.
Common mistakes
- Putting the frequency word at the end as in English, as in 我喝咖啡偶尔: say 我偶尔喝咖啡 (wǒ ǒu ěr hē kā fēi).
- Using 再 (zài) for something that has already happened again, as in 他昨天再来了: say 他昨天又来了 (tā zuó tiān yòu lái le).
Mini dialogue
- A你每天都跑步吗？Nǐ měi tiān dōu pǎo bù ma?Do you run every day?
- B不是每天，我有时候游泳。你呢？Bù shì měi tiān, wǒ yǒu shí hou yóu yǒng. Nǐ ne?Not every day; sometimes I swim. What about you?
- A我很少运动，总是太忙。Wǒ hěn shǎo yùn dòng, zǒng shì tài máng.I rarely exercise; I'm always too busy.
- B下次跟我一起去吧！Xià cì gēn wǒ yī qǐ qù ba!Come with me next time!
Example sentences
- 他总是迟到。He's always late.
- 我经常去那家店。I often go to that shop.
- 我们常常一起吃饭。We often eat together.
- 我有时候在家工作。Sometimes I work from home.
- 我偶尔喝咖啡。I drink coffee occasionally.
- 他很少生病。He rarely gets ill.
- 我从来不吃辣。I never eat spicy food.
- 我每天七点起床。I get up at seven every day.
- 每次见到他都很开心。I'm happy every time I see him.
- 我一直在等你。I've been waiting for you all this time.
- 他又来了。He's come again.
- 明天再说吧。Let's talk about it again tomorrow.
- 你还在公司吗？Are you still at the office?
- 我已经吃饭了。I've already eaten.
- 我去过一次上海。I've been to Shanghai once.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The How often speaking island has 8 everyday questions about how often to prepare your own answers to.