LinguaThe frequency word takes the same slot as không
How often something happens is said with one word placed between the subject and the verb – exactly where không goes. The verb still does not change, and nothing is added at the end.
| Word | How often | Example |
|---|---|---|
| luôn luôn | always | Anh ấy luôn luôn đi làm. |
| thường | usually | Chị ấy thường làm việc ở nhà. |
| hay | often | Em hay ăn cơm ở đây. |
| thỉnh thoảng | sometimes | Tôi thỉnh thoảng ăn ở đây. |
| ít khi | rarely | Chị ấy ít khi bận. |
| không bao giờ | never | Em không bao giờ uống cà phê. |
Two everyday words: thường and hay
thường is as a rule; hay is often and sounds a little more casual. They share one and the same slot, so the two are never used together.
Anh ấy hay ăn cơm ở đây.He often eats here.
Two ways to say never: không bao giờ and chưa bao giờ
không bao giờ is the flat never: it is simply not something the person does. chưa bao giờ from the last lesson is never so far – it may still happen one day. Both keep the slot in front of the verb.
Chị ấy không bao giờ ngủ ở đây.She never sleeps here.
A time phrase, not a frequency word: mỗi ngày
mỗi ngày (every day) is built from mỗi (each) and ngày (day). It is a phrase about time, not a frequency word, so it does not go into the slot in front of the verb: it stands at the very end of the sentence, or at the very beginning.
Tôi làm việc mỗi ngày.I work every day.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| thường | usually | Anh ấy thường ngủ ở nhà. He usually sleeps at home. |
| hay | often | Em hay uống cà phê. I often drink coffee. |
| luôn luôn | always | Mẹ tôi luôn luôn làm cơm. My mother always cooks the meal. |
| thỉnh thoảng | sometimes | Chị ấy thỉnh thoảng bận. She is busy sometimes. |
| ít khi | rarely | Anh ấy ít khi ăn ở nhà. He rarely eats at home. |
| không bao giờ | never | Em không bao giờ uống cà phê. I never drink coffee. |
| chưa bao giờ | never so far | Tôi chưa bao giờ ngủ ở đây. I have never slept here. |
| mỗi ngày | every day | Anh ấy đi làm mỗi ngày. He goes to work every day. |
| mỗi | each | Mỗi người có một tên. Each person has a name. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- match the pairs: 1
- fill the gap: 2
- build the sentence: 1
- translate the sentence: 2
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which sentence puts the frequency word in the right place?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.