Common Spanish Words of Frequency

In addition to learning common nouns and verbs to express yourself in another language, it’s just as important to learn common words of frequency. These expressions help you say how often you do things or when you do certain things. In addition to memorizing them, you’ll also have to know where they go. Keep reading to learn more!

Adverbs- Words of frequency

The vocabulary that we are learning today consists of adverbs, which are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs. I know, it might have been a while since your last English grammar lesson, but stay with me.

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These are words that usually express how, when, or where something takes place. In English, these are words like always, sometimes, never, and other expressions to talk about frequency. You might know that in English, adverbs often end with -ly. In Spanish, you’ll notice below that many of these adverbs end with -mente, which is the Spanish equivalent to -ly.

In Spanish, here are some of the most common words of frequency that you’ll not only hear all the time, but will probably use all the time, too:

• Siempre- always
• A veces- sometimes
• Nunca- never
• Frecuentemente / con frecuencia- frequently
• Todos los días- every day
• A diario- daily / every day
• De vez en cuando- from time to time
• Rara vez- rarely
• Diariamente- daily
• Semanalmente- weekly
• Mensualmente- monthly
• Anualmente- annually
• Normalmente- normally
• Generalmente- generally

Common expressions

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Another key aspect to point out is the word vez or veces. This word means “time”, in the sense of how many times you do something over a given period. It does not mean “time” like telling time, or the time on a clock. It’s got to do with repetition, not the hour.

Some more common expressions to talk about frequency are:

• Cada + time expression = each + time expression
  • Cada domingo = each Sunday
• Hace + time expression = time expression + ago
  • Hace 3 años = 3 years ago

Regarding placement, where these adverbs go depends on the word it’s describing or modifying.