Common adverbs

immer always, oft often, manchmal sometimes, selten rarely, nie never.

Typical position

Often mid-field before the main verb (after subject/time if present):

• Ich gehe oft ins Theater.
• Manchmal koche ich am Wochenende.

nicht + frequency

Ich gehe nie dorthin.

Contrast English

German rarely stacks many adverbs at the very end like English can.

Practice

Take one daily routine and rewrite it with five different frequency words.

Practical Examples

• Immer
• German: Ich trinke immer Kaffee am Morgen.
• English: I always drink coffee in the morning.
• Note: "Immer" means "always" and typically comes after the verb in a simple statement.

• Oft
• German: Wir gehen oft ins Kino.
• English: We often go to the cinema.
• Note: "Oft" means "often" and is usually placed after the verb.

• Manchmal
• German: Er liest manchmal Bücher.
• English: He sometimes reads books.
• Note: "Manchmal" means "sometimes" and can be placed after the verb or at the beginning of a sentence.

• Nie
• German: Sie isst nie Fleisch.
• English: She never eats meat.
• Note: "Nie" means "never" and makes the sentence negative. It typically comes after the verb.

• Immer (Question)
• German: Lernst du immer Deutsch?
• English: Do you always learn German?
• Note: In a yes/no question, the adverb still follows the subject or verb.

• Oft (Question)
• German: Geht ihr oft spazieren?
• English: Do you often go for a walk?
• Note: The adverb maintains its position after the verb/subject in questions.

• Manchmal (Question)
• German: Kocht ihr manchmal zusammen?
• English: Do you sometimes cook together?
• Note: "Manchmal" can be used in questions to inquire about occasional activities.

• Nie (Question)
• German: Fährst du nie mit dem Fahrrad?
• English: Do you never ride a bicycle?
• Note: "Nie" in a question can express surprise or confirmation of a complete absence.

• Nicht oft (Negation with "oft")
• German: Ich bin nicht oft müde.
• English: I am not often tired.
• Note: To say "not often," place "nicht" before "oft."

• Manchmal (Sentence start)
• German: Manchmal regnet es im Sommer.
• English: Sometimes it rains in summer.
• Note: "Manchmal" can start a sentence, which causes the subject and verb to invert (verb still in second position).

• Immer (Habit)
• German: Meine Katze schläft immer auf dem Sofa.
• English: My cat always sleeps on the sofa.
• Note: Used to describe a consistent habit or routine.

• Oft (Frequency of visits)
• German: Wir besuchen unsere Großeltern oft.
• English: We often visit our grandparents.
• Note: Shows how frequently an action like visiting occurs.

• Nie (Complete absence)
• German: Er hat nie Zeit.
• English: He never has time.
• Note: "Nie" indicates a complete lack of something.

• Manchmal (Occasional preference)
• German: Sie hört manchmal klassische Musik.
• English: She sometimes listens to classical music.
• Note: Describes an activity that happens occasionally, not regularly.

• Immer (General truth)
• German: Die Sonne scheint immer am Tag.
• English: The sun always shines during the day.
• Note: Used for general truths or facts that are consistently true.