HSK 3
频率、重复副词：通常、往往、总、总是
pín lǜ 、 chóng fù fù cí ： tōng cháng 、 wǎng wǎng 、 zǒng 、 zǒng shì
Adverbs of frequency and repetition: 通常, 往往, 总, 总是
Explanation
These are adverbs (words that modify a verb or adjective) indicating that an action happens frequently or repeatedly, but with different nuances.
Subject (the person or thing performing, at the start of the sentence) + 通常/往往/总/总是 + verb. These adverbs always come before the verb, never at the end of the sentence.
通常 tōngcháng (usually) talks about a habit, something happening according to a normal pattern. 往往 wǎngwǎng (tend to / often) emphasizes a repeated tendency drawn from experience, often paired with a specific condition/situation. 总 zǒng and 总是 zǒngshì (always) emphasize unchanging repetition; 总是 is stronger and more common in colloquial speech.
往往 wǎngwǎng is only used for things that have become a pattern (not for the future or wishes), while 常常 chángcháng (often) is more flexible. 通常 tōngcháng states an objective convention; 总是 zǒngshì stresses the speaker's attitude or emotion (sometimes complaining).
Vietnamese learners often place this adverb at the end of the sentence as in Vietnamese ("he arrives early often"). In Chinese it must come BEFORE the verb. Also, do not use 往往 to talk about future plans.
Examples
Manager Li usually arrives at the company very early.
In order to remember a Chinese character, he often has to write it many times.
I just can't ever figure out when to use the 把-construction; the moment I speak I get it wrong.
When going to the airport he always sets off two hours early.
Practice
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Learn “频率、重复副词：通常、往往、总、总是” effectively
The grammar point “频率、重复副词：通常、往往、总、总是” (Adverbs of frequency and repetition: 通常, 往往, 总, 总是) is one of the key structures at HSK 3. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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