Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens and help make descriptions more precise and natural.
Common Adverbs
Adverbs like siempre, nunca, a veces and frecuentemente are easily placed before the main verb and give a clear sense of how often an action occurs.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| siempre | always | |
| nunca | never | |
| a veces | sometimes | |
| frecuentemente | frequently | |
| generalmente | generally | |
| casi siempre | almost always |
She always arrives early.
Placement
Adverbs of frequency typically go before the main verb, but they can appear after an infinitive or gerund, and certain adverbs like a veces can start the sentence for emphasis.
More Adverbs
Additional adverbs like raramente, de vez en cuando, casi nunca and ocasionalmente give more nuanced frequency and can be used in similar sentence positions.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| raramente | rarely | |
| de vez en cuando | from time to time | |
| casi nunca | almost never | |
| ocasionalmente | occasionally |
Summary
Adverbs of frequency consistently improve descriptions by specifying how often actions occur; place them before the main verb for most adverbs, use them after infinitives or gerunds when needed, and choose adverbs that match the desired level of frequency.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025