often

often — adverb

1. on a great number of separate occasions, with only short gaps in between, so the

1.副詞A1
釋義

on a great number of separate occasions, with only short gaps in between, so the action or event keeps coming back into your daily life — for example, eating noodles three nights a week, or calling your mother every Sunday.

例句

Maya often walks her dog in the park before breakfast.

subject + often + verb (mid-position)

How often does the bus to Tainan stop at this corner?

question form: how often + auxiliary

同義詞
  • frequently

    more formal; common in writing and reports

  • regularly

    stresses an even, repeating pattern, not just a high count

  • a lot

    informal, end-position only: 'she travels a lot'

反義詞
  • rarely

    almost never happens

  • seldom

    more formal counterpart of 'rarely'

文法句型

verb + often

often + verb

how often + question

用法筆記

Default mid-position before the main verb but after auxiliaries (she often forgets / she has often forgotten). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense answers 'how many times?' and can be modified by 'very / quite / so / more'.

常見錯誤

❌I go often to the gym.
✅I often go to the gym.
💡adverbs of frequency normally sit before the main verb, not after it.
❌She has often not been late.
✅She has not often been late.
💡in negatives, place 'not' before 'often'.

2. in a large share of the situations or examples that you are talking about — mean

2.副詞A2
釋義

in a large share of the situations or examples that you are talking about — meaning the thing is typical or true for a big proportion of people, places, or events, though not for every single one.

例句

Children of professional musicians are often quite musical themselves from an early age.

generalisation about a group: noun + often + adjective

Dr. Tanaka often tells her students that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

named subject + often + that-clause for a generalisation

同義詞
  • typically

    stronger claim about what is normal for a category

  • commonly

    shared across many cases; slightly more formal

  • in many cases

    explicit phrase for academic or report writing

反義詞
  • rarely

    true only in a small share of cases

文法句型

often + adjective

it is often + past participle

often + the case (that)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (MANY TIMES): this sense does not count repetitions of one event; it labels a broad share of cases. You cannot replace it with 'many times' — 'Children of musicians are many times musical' is wrong. 'Frequently' fits sense 1 better than this sense.

常見錯誤

❌Italians are often eating pasta for dinner.
✅Italians often eat pasta for dinner.
💡for general truths, use the simple present, not the progressive.
❌It is often that people forget passwords.
✅People often forget passwords.' or ✅ 'It is often the case that people forget passwords.
💡bare 'It is often that…' is unnatural.