Comparing similar adverbs

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

often常常cháng cháng vs often经常jīng cháng (often / regularly)

How often?

• A new friend asks about your exercise habits.
• I / me我wǒoften经常jīng chángto go去qùgym健身房jiàn shēn fáng，weekend周末zhōu mòalso也yěoften常常cháng chángto go去qùswimming游泳yóu yǒng。 – "I go to the gym regularly, and at weekends I often go swimming too."

Both mean "often"

• often常常cháng cháng and often经常jīng cháng both describe frequent actions: I / me我wǒoften常常cháng cháng / often经常jīng chángto drink tea喝茶hē chá.
• In many sentences they are interchangeable.

he他tāregularly经常jīng chángworks overtime加班jiā bān。

Where they differ

• often经常jīng cháng can be an adjective before a noun: 经常性jīng cháng xìng(modifier / structural particle)的dequestion问题wèn tí – "a recurring problem". often常常cháng cháng cannot.
• often常常cháng cháng has a negative not不bùalways常cháng: I / me我wǒ不常去bù cháng qù. often经常jīng cháng's negative not不bùoften经常jīng cháng is fine too; not不bùoften常常cháng cháng is not used.

I我wǒnot often不常bù chánggo去qùthe cinema电影院diàn yǐng yuàn。

Negatives

• Say not不bùalways常cháng or not不bùoften经常jīng cháng, not not不bùoften常常cháng cháng.
• Both go before the verb, after the subject and time words: he / him他tāweekend周末zhōu mòoften经常jīng chángto work overtime加班jiā bān.

Versus usually往往wǎng wǎng

• often常常cháng cháng / often经常jīng cháng = often, simply a frequency.
• usually往往wǎng wǎng = tends to, under a stated condition: 下雨天xià yǔ tiānusually往往wǎng wǎngtraffic jam堵车dǔ chē.

on rainy days下雨天xià yǔ tiāntends to往往wǎng wǎnghave traffic jams堵车dǔ chē。

Recap

• often常常cháng cháng / often经常jīng cháng = often (mostly interchangeable); often经常jīng cháng can also describe nouns (经常性jīng cháng xìng).
• Negatives: not不bùalways常cháng / not不bùoften经常jīng cháng, never not不bùoften常常cháng cháng. usually往往wǎng wǎng needs a condition.

Practise this pattern step by step.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

often常常cháng cháng vs often经常jīng cháng (often / regularly)

2401.1 Complete: “I don't often go to the cinema.” I / me我wǒnot不bù…………to go去qùcinema电影院diàn yǐng yuàn。

2401.2 Which form is NOT used?

• A. not不bùalways常cháng
• B. not不bùoften常常cháng cháng
• C. often经常jīng cháng
• D. not不bùoften经常jīng cháng

2401.3 Build: “He regularly works overtime at weekends.”

Arrange all chunks: to work overtime加班jiā bān。 / he / him他tā / weekend周末zhōu mò / often经常jīng cháng

2401.4 usually往往wǎng wǎng needs a condition, unlike often常常cháng cháng.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

2401.5 A new friend asks about your exercise habits. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A learner says often经常jīng cháng and often常常cháng cháng are an exact frequency count. What can the words establish?

R2. Use it yourself. Say you often walk to school but take the bus when it rains.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.