Brottin

TOPIC · Adverbs & particles

Adverbs of Frequency in German

A1

After this lesson you can understand and correctly use the main German Häufigkeitsadverbien in simple A1 sentences.

In this lesson you learn the most common Häufigkeitsadverbien in German and how to place them in a sentence to say how often something happens.

Common Häufigkeitsadverbien

Häufigkeitsadverbien tell you how often an action happens. The table shows the most important words from 100% to 0%.

HäufigkeitsadverbShort meaningFrequencyExampleTranslation of example
immerwithout exception100%Ich trinke immer morgens Kaffee.I always drink coffee in the morning.
fast immerwith very few exceptionsabout 90%Er ist fast immer pünktlich.He is almost always on time.
meistensin most casesabout 80%Wir gehen meistens spazieren.We usually go for a walk.
oftmany timesabout 70%Ich spiele oft Fußball.I often play football.
regelmäßigwith a fixed repetitionabout 60%Sie liest regelmäßig Zeitungen.She reads newspapers regularly.
manchmalnot often, not rareabout 40%Manchmal gehe ich ins Theater.Sometimes I go to the theatre.
gelegentlichfrom time to timeabout 30%Ich treffe meine Freunde gelegentlich.I meet my friends occasionally.
seltenalmost neverabout 20%Wir essen selten Fastfood.We rarely eat fast food.
fast niepractically neverabout 2%Er kommt fast nie zu spät.He almost never comes late.
nienot a single time0%Ich gehe nie ins Konzert.I never go to concerts.

Note: „meist“ is possible, but in standard German learners most often use „meistens“.

Position in a main clause

In a normal main clause, the Häufigkeitsadverb usually comes after the conjugated verb and before the rest of the sentence:

  • Ich gehe oft ins Kino. (I often go to the cinema.)
  • Wir lernen nie am Sonntag. (We never study on Sunday.)
  • Sie ist meistens zu Hause. (She is usually at home.)

With modal verbs (können, müssen, wollen, etc.), the Häufigkeitsadverb goes after the modal verb:

  • Ich kann manchmal nicht schlafen. (Sometimes I cannot sleep.)
  • Wir möchten öfter reisen. (We would like to travel more often.)

You can also put the adverb at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis. Then the verb still stays in second position:

  • Selten besuche ich meine Verwandten. (I rarely visit my relatives.)
  • Nie vergesse ich deinen Geburtstag. (I never forget your birthday.)

Questions with „Wie oft …?“

To ask about frequency, you use Wie oft …?

Basic pattern in a main clause:

  • Wie oft + Verb + Subjekt + …?

Examples:

  • Wie oft spielst du Gitarre? (How often do you play guitar?)
  • Wie oft geht ihr ins Theater? (How often do you go to the theatre?)

Possible answers:

  • Ich spiele dreimal pro Woche. (I play three times a week.)
  • Wir gehen selten ins Theater. (We rarely go to the theatre.)
  • Sie liest jeden Tag. (She reads every day.)

Here „dreimal pro Woche“ and „jeden Tag“ are also adverbials of frequency with a noun.

Small self-check

Fill in a suitable Häufigkeitsadverb: immer, meistens, manchmal, selten, nie.

  1. Ich esse _______ Schokolade. (you love chocolate)
  2. Wir sind sonntags _______ zu Hause. (in most cases)
  3. Er fährt _______ mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit. (from time to time)
  4. Sie ist _______ unpünktlich. (almost never)
  5. Ich trinke Kaffee _______. (not at all)

Suggested answers: 1 immer, 2 meistens, 3 manchmal, 4 selten, 5 nie.

summaryEn: After this lesson you can understand and correctly use the main German Häufigkeitsadverbien in simple A1 sentences.