often
gb/ˈɔftən/ us/ˈɔftən/
A2
English
~ 300
gyakran
A2
1
gyakran
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] often [verb] [something]
She often visits her grandparents on weekends.
Hétvégén gyakran meglátogatja a nagyszüleit.
I often think about moving to another city.
Gyakran gondolok arra, hogy másik városba költözzek.
They often go hiking in the summer.
We often eat dinner together as a family.
Learner examples
I often read books at night.
Gyakran olvasok könyveket éjszaka.
He often plays football after school.
Iskola után gyakran focizik.
We often watch movies on Friday.
She often drinks tea in the morning.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'often' with 'usually'. 'Often' means many times, while 'usually' means most of the time.
Meaning
Many times; frequently
Collocations
quite often
|more often than not
|very often
|too often
Synonyms
frequently (Slightly more formal and common in writing.)
|
regularly (Implies a consistent or scheduled frequency.)
Antonyms
rarely (Indicates something happens almost never or very infrequently.)
|
seldom (A more formal or literary term for rarely.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
|time
Definition
Happening many times or regularly.
On many occasions or in many cases; frequently.
Grammar
Dictionary form
often
IPA
GB/ˈɔftən/
US/ˈɔftən/
Syllables & stress
of - ten (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (of)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: often
- Plural: oftens
Word family
Forms
oftens
noun
Related words
Advanced or less common
oftentimes
adverb
Expressions
too often
1/tˈu ˈɔftən/
fixed phrase
Happening excessively or undesirably frequently
Happening more times than is good or wanted.
Examples
- Too often, people ignore the warning signs.
- We eat out too often and spend too much money.
more often than not
1/mˈɔɹ ˈɔftən ðən nˈɑt/
fixed phrase
happens in most cases
Usually; in most situations.
Examples
- More often than not, he arrives late.
- More often than not, she arrives early to meetings.
- More often than not, they choose the cheaper option.
- More often than not, we choose pizza for dinner.
every so often
1/ˈɛvɹi sˈoʊ ˈɔftən/
fixed phrase
Occasionally, from time to time
Sometimes, not regularly or often.
Examples
- I visit my grandparents every so often.
- Every so often, I like to take a day off and relax.
- I check my email every so often during the day.
- Every so often, I like to take a day off.
- We see each other every so often at the market.
- Every so often, we take a short trip out of town.