Understanding How Often: Adverbs of Frequency in Russian

When it comes to expressing frequency in Russian, there are several adverbs of frequency as well as other phrases that indicate how often something occurs. These phrases can be highly beneficial for engaging in conversations about daily routines, habits, or recurring events.

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency in Russian are used to express the frequency of an action or event. Here is a list of these helpful words, along with their pronunciations:

всегда [fseegda] – always

иногда [eenagda] – sometimes

никогда [neekagda] – never

редко [ryetka] – rarely

изредка [eezryetka] – occasionally, once in a while

часто [chasta] – often

постоянно [pastayanna] – constantly, continuously

обычно [abichna] – usually

ежедневно [eyezhidnyevna] – daily

еженедельно [eyezhineedyel’na] – weekly

ежемесячно [eyezhimyeseechna] – monthly

ежегодно [eyezhigodna] – annually

Examples:

Я часто хожу в кино. – I often go to the cinema.

Иногда он забывает ключи. – He sometimes forgets his keys.

Она всегда помогает своим друзьям. – She always helps her friends.

Мы редко путешествуем зимой. – We rarely travel in winter.

Они никогда не опаздывают. – They never arrive late.

Обычно я завтракаю в 7 утра. – I usually have breakfast at 7 AM.

Я получаю зарплату ежемесячно. – I receive my salary monthly.

Количество поклонников компьютерных игр ежегодно растёт. – The number of new fans of computer games is growing every year.

Он изредка играет на гитаре. – He occasionally plays the guitar.

You can use “очень” with the adverbs часто/редко to intensify the frequency of an action or event. For example:

Он очень часто ходит в кино. – He goes to the cinema very often.

Мы очень редко заказываем пиццу. – We rarely order pizza.

Or you can also use “довольно” to signify that something happens with a moderate degree of frequency. For example:

Я довольно часто пишу письма своим родственникам. – I write letters to my relatives quite often.

Мы довольно часто проводим время с друзьями. – We spend time with friends quite often.

Они довольно редко путешествуют за границу. – They travel abroad rather rarely.

Мы довольно редко ходим в рестораны. – We go to restaurants quite rarely.

Она довольно редко пропускает занятия. – She rarely misses classes.

Он довольно редко играет в компьютерные игры. – He plays computer games quite rarely.

Adverbs of frequency are typically placed before the verb in a sentence to indicate the frequency of the action or event.

See Also: Adverbs of Time in Russian

Other Phrases to Express Frequency

Apart from adverbs of frequency, there are other phrases that can be used to indicate frequency in Russian.

For example, the word “каждый” [kazhdiy] in Russian is often used to express frequency by indicating that something happens “every” or “each” time within a given period.

каждый день – every day

каждый вечер – every evening

каждое утро – every morning

каждую неделю – every week

каждый месяц – every month

каждый год – every year

The word “раз” [ras] can be used when referring to how many times an action has occurred.

раз в день – once a day

два раза в день – twice a day

раз в неделю – once a week

раз в месяц – once a month

два раза в месяц / дважды в месяц – twice a month

Examples:

Я занимаюсь спортом каждый день. – I exercise every day.

Они встречаются с друзьями каждую неделю. – They meet with friends every week.

Я оплачиваю коммунальные услуги каждый месяц. – I pay the utility bills every month.

Она обновляет гардероб каждый месяц. – She updates her wardrobe every month.

Я чищу зубы три раза в день. – I brush my teeth three times a day.

Мы проводим собрания два раза в неделю. – We have meetings twice a week.

Я хожу в бассейн три раза в неделю. – I visit the swimming pool three times a week.

Мы видимся с друзьями пять раз в год. – We meet up with friends five times a year.

The word “бывает” sometimes is used to indicate that something happens from time to time or occasionally.

Бывает, она забывает перезвонить. – Sometimes, she forgets to call back.

Иногда я хожу в парк, а иногда бывает, что остаюсь дома. – Sometimes I go to the park, and occasionally I stay at home.

See Also: 100 Popular Russian Idioms and How to Use Them

Talking about how often things happen in Russian becomes easier when you incorporate special words that express frequency. This helps when discussing routines, habits, or recurring events, ultimately improving your ability to connect and communicate effectively with others.