#japanese frequency adverbs

単語 (たんご) Frequency Adverbs

not much 余り (あまり)

not at all 全然 (ぜんぜん)

usually 大抵 (たいてい)

sometimes 時々 (ときどき)

often; much よく (良く)

at about… ぐらい

Frequency Adverb Grammar

Frequency adverbs are added to a sentence to describe how often you do something.

I sometimes go to a coffee shop.

私はときどききっさてんに行きます。

Negative frequency adverbs anticipate a negative verb form at the end of the sentence. Therefore, you cannot use ぜんぜん or あまり with a positive verb form such as ます to communicate their meanings here. They would have to be used with ません!!

Ie. 私は全然テレビを見ません。

I do not watch TV at all.