Frequency Adverbs

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens and they help make descriptions more precise and vivid. This guide goes over the common adverbs and touches on placement so you can sound natural.

Key Adverbs

Key adverbs give quick signals about frequency, from always to never. These examples use market-related actions to keep things concrete.

Spanish Word(s)	English Word(s)
siempre	always
casi siempre	almost always
a menudo	often
a veces	sometimes
de vez en cuando	from time to time
rápido	quickly
lentamente	slowly
normalmente	normally

Spanish Example	English Translation
☝️ Siempre estudio antes de clase.	I always study before class.
👍 Normalmente hago los ejercicios por la tarde.	I usually do the exercises in the afternoon.
🤏 A veces cambio de tema para repasar.	Sometimes I switch topics to review.
👎 Rara vez dejo todo para el último momento.	I rarely leave everything for the last minute.
❌ Nunca estudio sin organizar mis apuntes.	I never study without organizing my notes.

Placement

Adverbs of frequency typically go before the main verb, so they modify the action directly. If there is an auxiliary, the adverb usually sits between the auxiliary and the main verb. Adverbs can also go at the sentence start for emphasis.

More Adverbs

More adverbs add nuance with expressions like quizás for uncertainty and pronto for timing. Market sentences show them in context. These adverbs can move around depending on what you want to highlight.

Spanish Word(s)	English Word(s)
quizás	perhaps
tal vez	maybe
pronto	soon
muy	very
más	more
menos	less
mucho	a lot

Spanish Example	English Translation
🌅 Estudio algunas veces por la mañana.	I study sometimes in the morning.
🕒 Casi siempre repaso antes de dormir.	I almost always review before sleeping.
🧑‍🏫 Mi profesor a menudo da ejercicios extra.	My teacher often gives extra exercises.
📚 Estudio de vez en cuando con amigos.	I study with friends once in a while.
⚡️ Hoy una vez hice un repaso rápido.	Today I did a quick review once.
🗓️ Hoy estudié mucho.*	Today I studied a lot.
💤 A veces estudio poco cuando estoy cansado.	Sometimes I study little when I am tired.

Summary

Adverbs of frequency shape how we perceive timing and regularity. Learn the common adverbs like siempre, a veces and de vez en cuando, and practice placing them before the verb for natural sentences.

Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025