Introduction
常 (cháng)、常常 (chángcháng) and 经常 (jīngcháng) all mean "often". They sit in the same slot — between the subject and the verb — and the choice between them is mostly about rhythm, not meaning.
Overview
Structure: Subj. + 常 (cháng) / 常常 (chángcháng) / 经常 (jīngcháng) + Verb
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Subj. + 经常 + V | 我经常去那家店。(Wǒ jīngcháng qù nà jiā diàn.) | I often go to that shop. |
| Subj. + 常常 + V | 我们常常见面。(Wǒmen chángcháng jiànmiàn.) | We see each other a lot. |
| Subj. + 常 + V | 他常来我家。(Tā cháng lái wǒ jiā.) | He often comes over. |
| Negative | 我不常运动。(Wǒ bù cháng yùndòng.) | I don't exercise often. |
| Question | 你经常来吗？(Nǐ jīngcháng lái ma?) | Do you come here often? |
The adverb goes after the subject and before the verb:
- ✓ 我经常去那家店。(Wǒ jīngcháng qù nà jiā diàn.) ❌ 经常我去那家店。(Jīngcháng wǒ qù nà jiā diàn.)
- Bare 常 (cháng) prefers a short verb and a set phrase — 常来 (cháng lái)、常说 (cháng shuō). Elsewhere use 常常 (chángcháng) or 经常 (jīngcháng).
- The negative is 不常 (bù cháng) or 不经常 (bù jīngcháng): ❌ 没经常 (méi jīngcháng).
- It describes a habit, so it does not take 了 (le): ❌ 我经常去了。(Wǒ jīngcháng qù le.)
Examples
我经常去那家店买东西。
Wǒ jīngcháng qù nà jiā diàn mǎi dōngxi.
I often go to that shop to buy things.
他常来我家吃饭。
Tā cháng lái wǒ jiā chī fàn.
He often comes to my place for dinner.
我们常常在网上聊天。
Wǒmen chángcháng zài wǎng shang liáotiān.
We chat online a lot.
我不常运动，所以身体不太好。
Wǒ bù cháng yùndòng, suǒyǐ shēntǐ bú tài hǎo.
I don't exercise much, so I'm not in great shape.
你经常来这儿吗？
Nǐ jīngcháng lái zhèr ma?
Do you come here often?
妈妈经常说，早点儿睡。
Māma jīngcháng shuō, zǎo diǎnr shuì.
Mum is always saying, go to bed earlier.
Usage Notes
- 经常 (jīngcháng) is the safest choice in a sentence of any length; 常常 (chángcháng) is warmer and more spoken; bare 常 (cháng) is the most compact.
- Time words come before the adverb: 我最近经常加班。(Wǒ zuìjìn jīngcháng jiābān.)
- Because it describes what usually happens, pair it with the present, not with 了 (le) or 过 (guo).
- For a lower frequency use 有时候 (yǒu shíhou) — sometimes; for none at all, 从来不 (cónglái bù).
- To ask about frequency directly, use 多长时间一次 (duō cháng shíjiān yí cì) rather than 经常吗 (jīngcháng ma) when you want a number.