German Frequency Adverbs: nie, selten, oft, immer
Wie oft machst du Sport? Wie oft gehst du shoppen? Wie oft lernst du Deutsch? To answer these questions you need the German temporal adverbs of frequency (Temporale Adverbien der Häufigkeit). In this A1.1 lesson, Luzi from YourGermanTeacher shows you nie, fast nie, selten, manchmal, oft and immer on a scale from 0 to 100 percent, plus useful extras for everyday German.
The Scale from 0 to 100 Percent
Think of a line that starts at 0 percent (nie) and ends at 100 percent (immer). Each adverb answers the question Wie oft ...? (How often ...?).
| Adverb | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| nie | never | Wie oft spielst du Fußball? – Ich spiele nie Fußball. Aber ich schaue gern Fußball. | I never play football. But I like to watch football. |
| fast nie | almost never | Wie oft fährt Lisa Rad? – Sie fährt fast nie Rad. Sie nimmt lieber das Auto. | She almost never rides a bike. She prefers to take the car. |
| selten | rarely | Wie oft spielt dein Vater Gitarre? – Er spielt selten Gitarre. | He rarely plays guitar. |
| manchmal | sometimes | Wie oft schaust du Netflix? – Ich schaue manchmal Netflix. | I sometimes watch Netflix. |
| oft | often | Wie oft kocht deine Mutter? – Sie kocht oft. | She often cooks. |
| immer | always | Wie oft surft Tom im Internet? – Er surft immer im Internet. | He always surfs the internet. |
immer or ständig?
Luzi points out a small problem with immer: Germans are very exact, and immer means 24/7. So people often prefer ständig, which also means always but sounds a few percent below 100. Example: Ist Tobi schon wieder zu spät? – Klar, er kommt ständig zu spät.
Being More Precise: einmal, zweimal, dreimal
Add a number plus -mal (einmal, zweimal, dreimal, viermal, fünfmal) and a time period. Both versions below are correct and common.
| Version 1 | Version 2 | English |
|---|---|---|
| einmal pro Woche | einmal in der Woche | once a week |
| einmal pro Monat | einmal im Monat | once a month |
Examples: Wie oft liest du? – Ich lese einmal pro Woche. / Wie oft geht Martha shoppen? – Sie geht zweimal im Monat shoppen.
Bonus Tip: More Useful Adverbs
| Adverb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| täglich | daily | Ich mache täglich Sport. |
| jeden Tag | every day | Ich mache jeden Tag Sport. |
| häufig | often | Ich mache häufig Sport. |
Adverbs of Habit with -s: morgens, abends, montags
To ask when something usually happens, use Wann ...? and add an -s to a noun: der Morgen → morgens, der Abend → abends, der Montag → montags, der Dienstag → dienstags, der Mittwoch → mittwochs. The new word is an adverb, so it is written in lowercase. It describes a habit, like every morning or every Monday.
Examples: Wann machst du Sport? – Ich mache mittags Sport. (I do sport at noon.) / Ich mache mittwochs Sport. (I do sport every Wednesday.)
Homework
Answer in the comments: Wie oft lernst du Deutsch? For example: Ich lerne einmal pro Woche / zweimal pro Woche / täglich / jeden Tag Deutsch.
What to Learn Next
Learn the days and times of day in Weekdays, Daytime and Months in German and how to tell the time in How to Tell Time in German. To place gern correctly in a sentence, read Where to place GERN in a German Sentence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the German adverbs of frequency?
From 0 to 100 percent: nie (never), fast nie (almost never), selten (rarely), manchmal (sometimes), oft (often) and immer (always).
How do I ask how often someone does something in German?
Use Wie oft ...? For example: Wie oft machst du Sport? You answer with an adverb: Ich mache oft Sport.
What is the difference between immer and ständig?
Both mean always. Immer means 24/7, so it sounds very strict. Ständig is more common and feels a few percent below 100, for example Er kommt ständig zu spät.
How do I say once a week or twice a month in German?
Use einmal or zweimal plus pro Woche or pro Monat, or in der Woche and im Monat: einmal pro Woche, zweimal im Monat.
What do morgens, abends and montags mean?
They are adverbs made by adding -s to a noun and they describe a habit: morgens (every morning), abends (every evening), montags (every Monday). They are written in lowercase.
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