Comparing "changchang" and "jingchang"

Both 常常 (chángcháng) and 经常 (jīngcháng) express similar concepts, though using them properly requires attention to some small details.

Used as an Adverb

常常 and 经常 both can be used to express frequency, meaning "often," and that the time between each time it happens is very short. In this case, they are interchangeable.

Structure

常常 / 经常 + Verb

Examples

• 我 常常 收到 垃圾 短信 。Wǒ chángcháng shōudào lājī duǎnxìn.I often receive junk messages.
• 你们 经常 加班 吗 ？Nǐmen jīngcháng jiābān ma?Do you often work late?
• 他们 常常 吵架 。Tāmen chángcháng chǎojià.They often fight.
• 他 经常 不 吃 早饭 。Tā jīngcháng bù chī zǎo fàn.He often skips breakfast.

Note that both must be placed before between the subject and the verb.

• 常常 他 不 吃 早饭 。Chángcháng tā bù chī zǎo fàn.He often skips breakfast.

Note that 常 is often used for future actions in colloquial Chinese.

• 你们 会 常 来 看 我 吗 ？Nǐmen huì cháng lái kàn wǒ ma?Will you often come to visit me?
• 常 联系 ！Cháng liánxì!Let's keep in touch!

Used as an Adjective

经常 can also be used as an adjective referring to things that happens very frequently, or you can use 经常性 instead. 常常 can't be used this way.

Examples

• 她 忘 带 钥匙 是 经常 的 事情 。Tā wàng dài yàoshi shì jīngcháng de shìqing.Her forgetting to bring a key is a frequent occurrence.
• 对 我们 来 说 ，处理 顾客 的 投诉 是经常性 的 工作。Duì wǒmen lái shuō, chǔlǐ gùkè de tóusù shì jīngchángxìng de gōngzuò. For us, dealing with customers' complaints is a common job.

Negative Form

经常 and 常常 can share the same negative form 不常. You can simply use 不 to negate 经常 while you can't do that with 常常.

Examples

• 他 不 常 抽烟 。Tā bù cháng chōuyān.He doesn't smoke very often.
• 我 妈妈 不 常 网购 。Wǒ māma bù cháng wǎng gòu.My mother doesn't do online shopping often.

• 我 不 常常 看 电视 。Wǒ bù chángcháng kàn diànshì.I don't watch television very often.

See also

• Comparing "pingshi" and "pingchang"