# HSK 5 Frequency Adverbs: 老是, 通常, 时常 Explained | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-5-adverbs-49a9681a78 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-5-adverbs-49a9681a78 HSK levels: 5 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:56:47.758Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn the differences in tone, register, and placement among the Chinese frequency adverbs 老是, 通常, and 时常 as listed in the HSK 5 grammar outline. Grammar [HSK 5 · Word classes › Adverbs › Frequency adverbs](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-5#hsk-5-g007) # HSK 5 Frequency Adverbs: 老是, 通常, and 时常 While 老是, 通常, and 时常 all indicate that an action happens repeatedly, they belong to different registers and carry distinct attitudes. 老是 is conversational and often expresses impatience with undesirable repetition; 通常 states neutral routines or general patterns; 时常 is more literary and describes actions that recur from time to time. Subject 老是 Verb Phrase Example sentence 他最近老是忘记带钥匙。 tā zuìjìn lǎoshì wàngjì dài yàoshi. He keeps forgetting to bring his keys lately. Shows 老是 in a spoken context expressing mild frustration over a repeated mistake. A common mistake × 我去了通常那家超市买菜。 wǒ qù le tōngcháng nà jiā chāoshì mǎi cài. Intended: I usually go to that supermarket to buy groceries. Incorrect for the intended routine: 通常 is misplaced between 去了 and the destination phrase. Use 我通常去那家超市买菜. The correction does not mean that 了 is forbidden in every habitual sentence. Corrected example: 我通常去那家超市买菜。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Overview and Sentence Position In the HSK 5 grammar outline under word classes and adverbs, 老是, 通常, and 时常 are grouped together as frequency adverbs. At earlier stages of learning Chinese, students rely heavily on 常常 and 经常 to say that something happens often. Moving into intermediate and advanced expression requires choosing frequency words that match both the formality of the situation and the speaker's attitude toward the repeated event. Like other Chinese adverbs of frequency, these three words typically stand between the subject and the main verb phrase, or before a prepositional phrase that precedes the verb. However, they are not interchangeable in tone. Choosing the right one depends on whether you are complaining in conversation, stating a standard rule, or writing in a slightly more elevated style. ## 老是: Colloquial Repetition and Mild Complaint Subject 老是 Verb Phrase 老是 means always or keep doing something. It belongs primarily to spoken Chinese. Speakers choose 老是 when an action or state repeats so often that it feels excessive, undesirable, or puzzling. Because of this subjective coloring, it frequently co-occurs with mistakes, bad habits, technical failures, or unwelcome weather. 他最近老是忘记带钥匙。 tā zuìjìn lǎoshì wàngjì dài yàoshi. He keeps forgetting to bring his keys lately. Shows 老是 in a spoken context expressing mild frustration over a repeated mistake. 这台电脑老是出问题。 zhè tái diànnǎo lǎoshì chū wèntí. This computer is always having problems. Illustrates 老是 used for an unwelcome, recurring technical issue. 老是 often sounds like a complaint, but it is not limited to bad events. 你老是替我着想，谢谢你 can express gratitude. It is generally conversational; in formal prose, choose it when that voice is intended, or use a more neutral alternative such as 经常. ## 通常: Usual Routines and General Patterns Subject 通常 Verb Phrase 通常 means “usually,” “normally” or “under normal circumstances.” It identifies a usual pattern or customary practice, while allowing exceptions. The word itself does not encode the complaint often heard with 老是, although a speaker can still express an attitude through the rest of the sentence. 这家书店通常九点开门。 zhè jiā shūdiàn tōngcháng jiǔ diǎn kāimén. This bookstore usually opens at nine o'clock. 通常 presents nine o’clock as the usual opening time, allowing for exceptions. The frequency word itself does not guarantee an official timetable. In addition to standing directly before a verb phrase, 通常 can also appear before the subject or in fixed framing expressions like 通常情况下 to set the condition for an entire sentence. It can also modify nouns directly in certain formal expressions, such as normal practice, though in HSK 5 grammar it is primarily highlighted as a frequency adverb. 通常情况下，我们会提前通知客户。 tōngcháng qíngkuàng xià, wǒmen huì tíqián tōngzhī kèhù. Under normal circumstances, we will notify clients in advance. Demonstrates 通常 in the common framing phrase 通常情况下 for standard procedures. ## 时常: Literary and Reflective Frequency Subject 时常 Verb Phrase 时常 means “often” or “frequently” and is close to 常常 and 经常. It can have a more written tone, including in reflective descriptions, but is not confined to calm memories or positive habits. 机器时常发生故障 also describes repeated breakdowns. Unlike 通常, the focus is recurrence rather than what normally happens under typical conditions. 她离开家乡以后，时常想起小时候的朋友。 tā líkāi jiāxiāng yǐhòu, shícháng xiǎngqǐ xiǎoshíhou de péngyou. After leaving her hometown, she often thinks of her childhood friends. Uses 时常 in a reflective, narrative sentence about recurring memories. 那位老人时常在公园里散步。 nà wèi lǎorén shícháng zài gōngyuán lǐ sànbù. That elderly person often takes walks in the park. Shows 时常 describing a calm, repeated habit in a written or descriptive style. ## Key Contrasts and Common Learner Mistakes - Register: 老是 is especially conversational; 通常 is broadly neutral; 时常 can sound more written. These are tendencies rather than bans on a genre. - Attitude: 老是 typically signals annoyance or that the frequency is too high; 通常 and 时常 do not imply complaint. - Pattern vs. Occurrence: 通常 highlights what happens as a standard rule or routine; 时常 highlights that an action occurs repeatedly at intervals. In the mistaken sentence below, 通常 is inserted between 去了 and the destination noun phrase. For the intended general routine, use 我通常去那家超市买菜. This does not establish a blanket ban on 了 with frequency words: 他通常吃了早饭才出门 naturally combines a usual routine with breakfast completed before going out. × 我去了通常那家超市买菜。 wǒ qù le tōngcháng nà jiā chāoshì mǎi cài. Intended: I usually go to that supermarket to buy groceries. Incorrect for the intended routine: 通常 is misplaced between 去了 and the destination phrase. Use 我通常去那家超市买菜. The correction does not mean that 了 is forbidden in every habitual sentence. Corrected example: 我通常去那家超市买菜。 我通常去那家超市买菜。 wǒ tōngcháng qù nà jiā chāoshì mǎi cài. I usually go to that supermarket to buy groceries. Correct replacement: 通常 is placed directly before the verb phrase 去那家超市买菜 without 了. ## Frequently asked questions **Can 老是 only be used for bad things?** No. Complaint is common, but a positive context can express gratitude or affection: 你老是替我着想，谢谢你. Keep the conversational tone in mind; do not infer annoyance from 老是 alone. **How is 通常 different from 经常?** 经常 simply states that an action happens with high frequency. 通常 emphasizes what is normal, customary, or standard under typical conditions, similar to English usually or as a rule. **Does studying this HSK 5 grammar item guarantee what appears on my test?** The grouping of 老是, 通常, and 时常 under Level 5 frequency adverbs comes from the 2025-11 syllabus outline (labeled for 2026-07 implementation). Always check with your specific test center regarding which exam version is currently administered. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 398](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=398) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)