Expressing Frequency
To talk about routines, use adverbs of frequency to describe how often you do something:
- altijd (always)
- gewoonlijk (usually)
- vaak (often)
- regelmatig (regularly)
- soms (sometimes)
- zelden (rarely)
- nooit (never)
These adverbs typically appear in the middle of the sentence, right after the conjugated verb (or after the subject in questions and inverted sentences).
| We usually eat bread for lunch. | We eten gewoonlijk brood bij de lunch. |
| He goes to the gym regularly. | Hij gaat regelmatig naar de sportschool. |
| They rarely read a book. | Zij lezen zelden een boek. |
Modifying Frequency
You can fine-tune these descriptions using words like bijna (almost) or vooral (especially).
| I almost always drink coffee in the morning. | Ik drink bijna altijd koffie in de ochtend. |
| We almost never eat meat. | Wij eten bijna nooit vlees. |
| I exercise often, but especially on Sunday. | Ik sport vaak, maar vooral op zondag. |
Daily and Weekly Habits
Dutch also has specific adverbs for things that happen on a daily or weekly basis. They follow the exact same placement rules.
- dagelijks (daily)
- wekelijks (weekly)
| We walk daily in the park. | Wij wandelen dagelijks in het park. |
| I cycle weekly from my house to the city. | Ik fiets wekelijks van mijn huis naar de stad. |
Asking Questions About Frequency
To ask someone about their habits, start your question with hoe vaak (how often).
| How often do you go out? | Hoe vaak gaan jullie uit? |
If you are asking a different type of question (like why), the frequency adverb simply stays in its normal position after the verb and subject.
| Why do you never go to the gym? | Waarom ga je nooit naar de sportschool? |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io