Expressing "how often"

Revision as of 08:44, 9 October 2017 by ChenShishuang (talk | contribs)
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Asking "how often" is one of those things that seems so simple in English, but relatively complicated in Chinese. The way to ask in Chinese is, literally, "how long of a time" (do something) "one time." So you'll need the phrases 多长时间 (duō cháng shíjiān) and 一次 (yī cì).

Asking the questions "how often?"

Structure

Subj. + 多长时间 + Verb + 一次 (+ Obj.)

Examples

  • 你 的 手机 多 长 时间 充电 一 次
  • 你 的 手机 多 长 时间 充电一 次
  • 多 长 时间 剪 头发 一 次
  • 多 长 时间一 次 头发 ?
  • 多 长 时间 刮 胡子 一 次
  • 多 长 时间一 次 胡子?
  • 多 长 时间 洗 车 一 次
  • 多 长 时间一 次 车?

Making a Statement about Frequency

Structure

Subj. + [Length of Time] + Verb + Times (+ Obj.)

Examples

  • 一周 给 妈妈 打 两 次 电话 。I give mom a call twice a week.
  • 我们 公司 一 周一 次 会 。Our company holds a meeting per week.
  • 两 个 月一 次 头发 。I cut my hair every two months.
  • 我 的 手机 两 天一 次 电 。I charge my phone every two days.
  • 这 种 药 四 个 小时一 次Take this medicine every four hours.
  • 你 应该 半 年 体检 一 次You should take the physical examination every half a year.

When NOT to use this pattern

The thing about using the pattern above is that it's expected that the activity is done regularly, as part of a habit. If it's not an activity that's regularly engaged in, it's weird to use the pattern. Consider the following examples:

  • 多 长 时间一 次 手机 ?How often do you buy a new cell phone?
  • 多 长 时间一 次 班 ?How often do you work overtime?
  • 多 长 时间一 次 牛油果 ?How often do you eat avocado?

In these cases, the speaker is trying to get any idea of how often the other person does something, regardless of how regular or habitual it is. In this case, just use 经常 (or similar) to ask about it.

  • 经常 换 手机 吗 ?Do you often buy a new cell phone?
  • 经常 加班 吗 ?Do you often work overtime?
  • 很 少 吃 牛油果 吧 ?You rarely eat avocado, right?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books


[[pattern::Subj. + [Length of Time] + Verb + Times (+ Obj.)| ]]