German Grammar A–Z
Look up German grammar topics A–Z, organized by category and level — with clear explanations and examples.
Adverbs of Frequency
In German, adverbs are also a rather interesting area of knowledge. Adverbs are used to modify verbs in a sentence, helping to express ideas more vividly and more completely in meaning. Today's article is about adverbs of frequency (Häufigkeitsadverbien) in German.
Let's get started!!!
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Adverbs of frequency in German are adverbs that indicate how often something happens.
|
Adverb |
Meaning |
Frequency |
Example |
|
immer stets ständig |
always |
100% |
Ich mache immer meine Hausaufgaben nach dem Essen. (I always do my homework after the meal.) |
|
fast immer |
almost always |
90% |
Anna ist fast immer fröhlich. (Anna is almost always cheerful.) |
|
sehr oft normalerweise meistens |
very often |
80% |
Wir essen meistens Obst. (We mostly eat fruit.) |
|
oft häufig |
often |
70% |
Ich fahre oft mit dem Auto. (I often go by car.) |
|
regelmäßig |
regularly |
60% |
Er geht regelmäßig ins Fitnessstudio. (He regularly goes to the gym.) |
|
manchmal |
sometimes |
40% |
Manchmal reise ich allein. (Sometimes I travel alone.) |
|
gelegentlich ab und zu |
sometimes |
30% |
Der Mann trinkt gelegentlich Alkohol. (The man occasionally drinks alcohol.) |
|
selten |
rarely |
20% |
Meine Freundin kommt selten spät. (My girlfriend rarely arrives late.) |
|
fast nie |
almost never |
2% |
Fast nie hören sie Radio. (They almost never listen to the radio.) |
|
nie |
never |
0% |
Ich schwimme nie im Winter. (I never swim in winter.) |
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Position of adverbs of frequency in the sentence
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Adverbs of frequency usually come after the verb:
Ich lese oft Bücher im Balkon.
(I often read books on the balcony.)
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When emphasized, the adverb of frequency comes at the beginning of the sentence:
Meistens verbringe ich das Wochenende mit meiner Familie.
(I mostly spend the weekend with my family.)
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Questions about frequency
Wie oft + V + S + … ?
Wie oft gehst du ins Kino? (How often do you go to the cinema?)
→ Ich gehe selten ins Kino. (I rarely go to the cinema.)
***Note: This question can also be answered more specifically with the number of times per specific unit of time (day, week, month, year):
→ Ich gehe 2 Mal pro Monat. (I go twice a month.)
