Korean Frequency Adverbs Vocabulary: Word List with Audio and Examples

Korean Frequency Adverbs Vocabulary at a Glance

An adverb of frequency answers the question 얼마나 자주? (how often?). In Korean it sits before the verb, usually after the subject and the time word, and it takes no particle: 저는 항상 일찍 일어나요. The most important fact is the negative group. 전혀, 별로, 절대 and 한 번도 mean "never" or "not much" only when the verb is negative, which is the opposite of English "never", where the verb is positive.

This page sits under Time Expressions, beside Korean Parts of the Day.

Which Frequency Adverbs Should You Learn First?

Learn the ladder from top to bottom with the middle first: 항상, 자주, 가끔, 거의 and 전혀. These five give you the whole range. Then add 보통, which answers "what do you usually do?", and 매일. The rest are alternatives of the same rung.

• Say first. 항상, 보통, 자주, 가끔, 매일, 전혀.
• Know the grammar. 전혀, 별로, 절대 and 한 번도 need a negative verb.
• Recognise. 늘, 종종, 때때로, 대개, 주로. They are common in reading.

The scene below is a weekly planner showing a habit repeated on different numbers of days.

Word · 10

1. 1

   항상

   Play

   hangsang

   always

2. 2

   보통

   Play

   botong

   usually; normally

3. 3

   자주

   Play

   jaju

   often

4. 4

   가끔

   Play

   gakkeum

   sometimes

5. 5

   거의

   Play

   geoui

   almost; hardly

6. 6

   전혀

   Play

   jeonhyeo

   not at all

7. 7

   절대

   Play

   jeoldae

   never; absolutely not

8. 8

   매일

   Play

   maeil

   every day

9. 9

   매주

   Play

   maeju

   every week

10. 10

    번

    Play

    beon

    time; occasion (counter)

Always and Usually

The top rung has five words. 항상 and 늘 mean "always"; 항상 is the standard choice and 늘 is shorter and warmer. 보통 and 대개 mean "usually", which is not quite "always". 주로 means "mostly" and points at the main option: 주로 집에서 공부해요 says "I mostly study at home", with the idea that sometimes I do not.

Example Sentences

The frame is subject + frequency + other details + verb, as in 저는 보통 일곱 시에 일어나요. Subjects are often dropped in Korean, so the adverb ends up first. Play the sentence, repeat it, then change the adverb to see the meaning move up or down the ladder.

How Do You Say Often and Sometimes in Korean?

The middle of the ladder has four words. 자주 is "often" and is the everyday word. 종종 is "from time to time" and sounds a little more careful. 가끔 is "sometimes" and is the one you will hear most in speech. 때때로 is "at times" and appears more in writing. Use 자주 for many times a week and 가끔 for a few times a month.

The sound of 가끔 is a good first test. The ㄲ is a tense consonant, so say it with a stop before the second syllable and no puff of air.

Rarely and Never

English "never" is a positive-form word in a positive sentence. Korean uses a frequency word plus a negative verb. Five words belong here. 거의 is "almost", and 거의 안 means "hardly ever". 별로 is "not very" and is soft. 전혀 is "not at all" and is firm. 절대 is "never" in the sense of "absolutely not", and is stronger than 전혀. 한 번도 is "not even once" and describes experience.

A quick way to feel the differences:

For the negative itself, see the negation lesson. The short form uses 안 before the verb and the long form uses 지 않다, and both work with these adverbs.

How Do You Say Every X (매일, 매주) in Korean?

매 is a prefix that means every. Add it to a time word and you get an adverb: 매일 (every day), 매주 (every week), 매달 (every month), 매년 (every year). They need no particle, and they can combine with a day name: 매주 토요일 means every Saturday. In writing, 매월 appears on notices as a stiffer form of 매달.

Note 거의 pairs with 매일 as a positive: 거의 매일 운동해요 means "I exercise almost every day". The negative sense of 거의 appears only with a negative verb.

Times per Period

To say how many times, use period + 에 + number + 번. The number is native Korean: 한 번, 두 번, 세 번. So 일주일에 두 번 is twice a week, 하루에 세 번 is three times a day, and 일 년에 한 번 is once a year. Put 에 after the period, which marks "per". The count word 번 also means "turn" or "time", as in 한 번 더 (one more time).

Combine the pieces to describe a habit: 저는 보통 일주일에 두 번 운동해요 means "I usually exercise twice a week". Here 보통 is the rung and 일주일에 두 번 is the rate, and the two do not conflict. For the days and weeks themselves, see Time Expressions.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Frequency words are short, but they have tense sounds and two vowel details. Standard pronunciation follows the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) rules, and the romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean.

The pair to practise is 전혀 and 절대. Both start with 전 or 절 and both go with a negative verb, so a clear first syllable keeps them apart.

Audio and Slow Playback

Each word and sentence has its own clip. The clips below replay the trickiest words slowly. Play one, repeat it, then play it again and compare.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Frequency Adverbs?

Five mistakes come up often.

1. Using 절대 or 전혀 with a positive verb. 절대 먹어요 does not mean "I never eat". Say 절대 안 먹어요.
2. Putting the adverb after the verb. Korean verbs come last, so the adverb goes before the verb: 항상 일찍 일어나요.
3. Using 가끔 for "often". 가끔 is "sometimes"; 자주 is "often".
4. Using Sino-Korean numbers with 번. Say 두 번 and 세 번, not 이 번 and 삼 번.
5. Adding 에 to 매일 or 매주. Say 매일 운동해요, not 매일에.

The first mistake is the one worth drilling, because it changes the meaning of the whole sentence.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Run the deck in recognition mode until the ladder comes in order, then switch to listening mode and take the quiz. The deck holds all 20 words with audio, and your progress stays in your browser. The vocabulary flashcard decks page lists the other decks.

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, write seven days across a page, tick the days you do one habit and write the adverb that matches the count.

Where to Go Next

Continue with Korean Parts of the Day to say when in the day a habit happens, or go back to Time Expressions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say Always, Often, Sometimes and Never in Korean?

Always is 항상 (hangsang), often is 자주 (jaju), sometimes is 가끔 (gakkeum), and never is 절대 or 전혀 with a negative verb, as in 절대 안 먹어요. Rarely is 거의 안, "hardly ever".

Why Do 전혀 and 절대 Need a Negative Verb?

전혀 means not at all and 절대 means absolutely not, so each one needs a negative to complete its meaning. English "never" carries the negative inside the word, while Korean splits it into a frequency word plus a negative verb, such as 안 or 지 않다. Without the negative, 절대 먹어요 does not say "I never eat".

What Is the Difference between 보통 and 항상?

항상 means always, with no exceptions in view. 보통 means usually, what happens on an ordinary day while allowing exceptions. 보통 일곱 시에 일어나요 means "I usually get up at seven", and 항상 일곱 시에 일어나요 means "I always get up at seven".

How Do You Say Twice a Week in Korean?

Say 일주일에 두 번. The pattern is period + 에 + native number + 번. So once a day is 하루에 한 번, three times a month is 한 달에 세 번 and once a year is 일 년에 한 번.

Do 매일 and 매주 Take the Particle 에?

No. 매일, 매주, 매달 and 매년 are used as adverbs without a particle: 매일 운동해요. A day name after 매주 does take 에 when the sentence needs it, as in 매주 토요일에 청소해요.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which South Korea adopted on 7 July 2000 and whose rules the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) publishes. It is a learning aid and does not mark every sound change, so rely on the Hangul and the audio.

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