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HSK 3

经常

often; frequently

adverbneutral
经
jīng1st tone
常
cháng2nd tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
jīngcháng
Part of speech
adverb
Level
HSK 3
Strokes
19
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 经常

经常 is written with 19 strokes (经: 8, 常: 11). The animation replays automatically.

What does 经常 mean?

经常 (jīngcháng) is an adverb meaning 'often,' 'frequently,' or 'regularly.'

It describes habitual or repeated actions and goes BEFORE the verb: 我经常去 (I often go), not 我去经常. Unlike English 'often,' which can sit at the end of a sentence, 经常 must precede the verb (or auxiliary verb). It's slightly stronger and more 'pattern-like' than 常常 (chángcháng) — 经常 suggests an established habit or recurring routine, while 常常 is closer to casual 'often / many times.'

For negation, native speakers say 不经常 (not often) or the more idiomatic 不常 (bù cháng). Avoid 没经常 — Chinese uses 不 with habitual adverbs, not 没. 经常 also appears as an adjective in written Chinese meaning 'regular / ongoing' (经常性的工作 = regular ongoing work), but the adverbial use is the one HSK 3 learners need.

Note: Neutral. Works in both speech and writing. Slightly more formal/written than 常常 (chángcháng), which is closer to casual 'often.'

Character by character

经jīngto pass through; classic; warp (of fabric)
+
常chángoften; ordinary; constant
=
经常

Memory hook: 经 ('passing through over and over') + 常 ('regularly') — something that keeps cycling through is happening often.

Example sentences

我经常去图书馆。

Wǒ jīngcháng qù túshūguǎn.

I often go to the library.

neutral

他经常迟到。

Tā jīngcháng chídào.

He's often late.

spoken

你经常运动吗？

Nǐ jīngcháng yùndòng ma?

Do you exercise often?

spoken

我们经常一起吃饭。

Wǒmen jīngcháng yìqǐ chīfàn.

We often eat together.

neutral

她不经常看电视。

Tā bù jīngcháng kàn diànshì.

She doesn't often watch TV.

neutral

Common phrases with 经常

经常去jīngcháng qùoften go
经常见面jīngcháng jiànmiànmeet up often
经常听到jīngcháng tīngdàooften hear
不经常bù jīngchángnot often
经常运动jīngcháng yùndòngexercise regularly

Synonyms

常常chángcháng

常常 is more spoken and slightly lighter — 'often,' 'frequently.' 经常 implies a steadier pattern or habit. Both are interchangeable in most sentences; 经常 sounds a touch more grown-up.

总是zǒngshì

总是 means 'always.' Stronger than 经常 — closer to 100% of the time. 经常 means 'often' (high frequency but not always).

老lǎo

老 as an adverb means 'always / keep on (doing)' with a complaining or annoyed tone (你老迟到 = you're always late). 经常 is neutral; 老 carries judgment.

Don't confuse 经常 with

正常zhèngcháng

正常 means 'normal,' an adjective. 经常 means 'often,' an adverb. Both share 常, but 经常 modifies verbs and 正常 describes a state.

经过jīngguò

经过 means 'to pass through' or 'via,' a verb/preposition. 经常 is an adverb of frequency. Same first character but completely different functions.

FAQ

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