Adverbs of Time: Adverbs of Frequency

I. Theory

Like in English, German has a wide variety of adverbs used to describe the frequency that an action is completed. English examples include: “rarely,” “often,” and “seldom.” In German, these adverbs are generally found at either the beginning of the sentence or in between time and place information.

Ich bin nie in diesem Museum gewesen. I’ve never been to this museum. Da wir oft reisen, essen wir selten zu Hause. Since we travel often, we seldom eat at home. Manchmal gehen wir abends spazieren. Sometimes we go for a walk in the evening.

II. Adverbs of Frequency

The following list of verbs contains four adverbs of frequency that are often seen.

Oft Im Sprachkurs wird oft Deutsch gesprochen. In the language course, German is spoken often. Vor dem Schlafen sehe ich oft fern. Before sleeping, I often watch TV. Selten Da sie in Paris wohnt, sehe ich meine Schwester nur selten. Since she lives in Paris, I only seldom see my sister. Weil es mich nicht interessiert, lese ich selten Poesie. Because it doesn’t interest me, I seldom read poetry. Manchmal Manchmal darf ich von zu Hause arbeiten. Sometimes I can work from home. Wir treffen uns nach der Arbeit manchmal auf ein Bier. We sometimes meet for a beer after work. Nie Da sie ein Auto hat, fährt sie nie mit dem Zug. Since she has a car, she never takes the train. Samstags arbeiten wir nie. We never work on Saturdays.