常常 / 往往 / 通常【chángcháng / wǎngwǎng / tōngcháng】

often, frequently, tend to, usually, normally, as a rule, changchang, wangwang, tongchang

Three adverbs of frequency. is "he often goes to the park"; says that at weekends that is what tends to happen.

HSK 6

AI-generated

Structure

[subject] + 常常 + [verb phrase]

[condition] + [subject] + 往往 + [verb phrase]

通常 + [subject] + [verb phrase]

[subject] + 通常 + [verb phrase]

Description

常常, 往往 and 通常 all say something happens a lot. 常常 counts how often, 往往 states a pattern seen under certain conditions, and 通常 says what the normal case is.

。

I often go to that café.

，。

On rainy days the roads tend to be jammed.

。

I usually get up at seven.

往往 needs a condition

往往 sums up past experience: when X, Y tends to happen. The sentence names the X – a time, a place, a kind of person. Without it, 往往 sounds unfinished.

。

At weekends he tends to go to the park.

。

The first time you cook something it's usually not great.

× 他往往去公园 → 他常常去公园

往往 can't look ahead

往往 describes what has been true. A request, a plan or a wish takes 常常.

。

Come round often when you're free.

× 以后我会往往来看你 → 以后我会常常来看你
× 你要往往练习 → 你要常常练习

通常 – the normal case

通常 can go before the subject as well as after it, and it can describe a noun: 通常情况下 "under normal circumstances". It says what is standard and leaves room for exceptions.

，。

I usually take the subway to work, but today I took a taxi.

，。

Normally there's no charge here.

The negative of 常常 is 不常: 我不常去.

Examples

。

I often go to that café.

。

Come round often when you're free.

。

You need to practise often.

。

When I was little I often went fishing with my grandpa.

，。

On rainy days the roads tend to be jammed.

。

At weekends he tends to go to the park.

。

The first time you cook something it's usually not great.

，。

The simpler the question, the harder it often is to answer.

。

I usually get up at seven.

，。

I usually take the subway to work, but today I took a taxi.

，。

Normally there's no charge here.

。

Banks usually close at five.

References

Comparing "changchang" and "wangwang"resources.allsetlearning.com

岂不是 / 岂不

并非