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Expressing "how often"
======================
[](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/ASGCED31)
-
Level
[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)
-
Similar to
Used for
[Expressing
frequency](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_frequency)
-
Keywords
[每](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%AF%8F),
[多长时间](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%A4%9A%E9%95%BF%E6%97%B6%E9%97%B4)
-
Translations
[how
often](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/How_often),
[times](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Times)
[{width="300"
height="300"}](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/File:Chinese-grammar-wiki-mei2.jpg)
Contents
--------
[hide]([# "wikilink")\]
- [1 Asking about
Frequency](#Asking_about_Frequency "wikilink")
- [1.1
Structure](#Structure "wikilink")
- [1.2
Examples](#Examples "wikilink")
- [2 Talking
about Frequency in
General](#Talking_about_Frequency_in_General "wikilink")
- [2.1
Structure](#Structure_2 "wikilink")
- [2.2
Examples](#Examples_2 "wikilink")
- [3 When NOT to
use this pattern](#When_NOT_to_use_this_pattern "wikilink")
- [4 See
also](#See_also "wikilink")
- [5 Sources and
further reading](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [5.1
Books](#Books "wikilink")
Subj. + 多长时间 + Verb + 一次 (+ Obj.)
### Examples
- 你 的 手机 *多 长 时间* 充电 *一 次* ？Nǐ de
shǒujī *duō cháng shíjiān* chōngdiàn *yī cì*?
- 你 的 手机 *多 长 时间* 充 *一 次* 电 ？Nǐ de
shǒujī *duō cháng shíjiān* chōng *yī cì*
diàn?How often do you charge your
phone?
- 你 *多 长 时间* 剪 头发 *一 次* ？Nǐ *duō cháng
shíjiān* jiǎn tóufa *yī cì*?
- 你 *多 长 时间* 剪 *一 次* 头发 ？Nǐ *duō cháng
shíjiān* jiǎn *yī cì* tóufa?How often do
you cut your hair?
- 你 *多 长 时间* 刮 胡子 *一 次* ？Nǐ *duō cháng
shíjiān* guā húzi *yī cì*?
- 你 *多 长 时间* 刮 *一 次* 胡子 ？Nǐ *duō cháng
shíjiān* guā *yī cì* húzi?How often do
you shave?
Talking about Frequency in General
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Structure
Subj. + \[Length of Time\] + Verb + Times (+ Obj.)
### Examples
- 我 *一 周* 给 妈妈 打 *两 次* 电话 。Wǒ *yī
zhōu* gěi māma dǎ *liǎng cì* diànhuà.I
give mom a call twice a week.
- 我们 公司 *一 周* 开 *一 次* 会 。Wǒmen gōngsī
*yī zhōu* kāi *yī cì* huì.Our company
holds one meeting per week.
- 我 *两 个 月* 剪 *一 次* 头发 。Wǒ *liǎng gè
yuè* jiǎn *yī cì* tóufa.I cut my hair
every two months.
- 我 的 手机 *两 天* 充 *一 次* 电 。Wǒ de shǒujī
*liǎng tiān* chōng *yī cì* diàn.I charge
my phone every two days.
- 这 种 药 *四 个 小时* 吃 *一 次* 。Zhè zhǒng
yào *sì gè xiǎoshí* chī *yī cì*.Take this
medicine every four hours.
- 你 应该 *半 年* 做 *一 次* 体检 。Nǐ yīnggāi
*bàn nián* zuò *yī cì* tǐjiǎn.You should
have a physical examination every half of a year.
When NOT to use this pattern
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The thing about using the pattern above is that it's expected that the
activity is done *regularly*, as part of a *habit*. If it's not an
activity that's regularly engaged in, it's weird to use the pattern.
Consider the following examples:
- 你 *多 长 时间* 换 *一 个* 手机 ？Nǐ *duō cháng
shíjiān* huàn *yī gè* shǒujī?How often do
you buy a new cell phone?
- 你 *多 长 时间* 加 *一 次* 班 ？Nǐ *duō cháng
shíjiān* jiā *yī cì* bān?How often do you
work overtime?
- 你 *多 长 时间* 吃 *一 次* 牛油果 ？Nǐ *duō
cháng shíjiān* chī *yī cì* niúyóuguǒ?How
often do you eat avocado?
In these cases, the speaker is trying to get any idea of how often the
other person does something, regardless of how regular or habitual it
is. In this case, just use 经常 (or similar) to ask about it.
- 你 **经常** 换 手机 吗 ？Nǐ *jīngcháng* huàn
shǒujī ma?Do you often buy a new cell
phone?
- 你 **经常** 加班 吗 ？Nǐ *jīngcháng* jiābān
ma?Do you often work late?
- 你 **很 少** 吃 牛油果 吧 ？Nǐ *hěnshǎo* chī
niúyóuguǒ ba?You rarely eat avocado,
right?
See also
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Pronoun "mei" for
"every"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Pronoun_%22mei%22_for_%22every%22)
- [Expressing "every time" with "mei" and
"dou"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22every_time%22_with_%22mei%22_and_%22dou%22)
Sources and further reading
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Books
[Category](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special:Categories):
- [B1 grammar
points](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Category:B1_grammar_points)
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