Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| よく | yoku | [jo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 度々 | tabitabi | [ta̠bʲita̠bʲi] (narrow) |
| 頻繁に | hinpan-ni | |
| しばしば | shibashiba | [ɕiba̠ɕiba̠] (narrow) |
The words in this group are used to describe things that happen frequently or many times. While these terms describe frequency, note that the word たいてい is used specifically to convey the meaning of 'usually' or 'most of the time'.
Which one should you use?
The choice between these forms depends on the level of formality and the specific nuance of frequency. よく is a casual, general-purpose word. 頻繁に is more formal and carries a stronger nuance of high frequency. 度々 is used in formal contexts to describe things happening repeatedly or multiple times, such as in business correspondence. しばしば is a literary form used primarily in written language or formal speeches rather than in casual spoken conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For casual conversation, use よく. For formal situations or business correspondence, use 度々 or 頻繁に. For written works or formal speeches, use the literary form しばしば.
How does it change in a sentence?
In many sentences, よく can be placed either before the verb or at the beginning of the sentence to emphasize frequency.
How do you pronounce it?
yoku
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, よく can mean 'clearly' or 'thoroughly'. For example, よく見て means 'look closely' or 'look carefully' rather than 'look often'.
- The word よく can mean 'often' or 'well'. Depending on the context, it can be used to praise someone for doing a good job by saying よくできました, which means 'well done'.
- The formal word 度々 is created through reduplication, which is the process of repeating the word 度 (meaning 'time' or 'occurrence') to intensify the meaning.
Examples in context
- ここよく来るの？Do you come here often?This example shows how to use よく to ask about frequency of visits.Tatoeba #3677754 by tommy_san, translation #619636 by ulyssemc1
- トムはよく笑う。Tom often smiles.This example shows how to use よく to describe a person's habitual action.Tatoeba #9943358 by small_snow, translation #5474297 by CK
- よくサボってた。I often played truant.This example shows how to use よく to describe a past habit.Tatoeba #11563206 by small_snow, translation #4321238 by monahxo
- 私はよく映画を見ます。I often watch movies.
- 彼はたいてい遅刻します。He is often late.
- やっぱり彼とはよく食べに行きます。I often go out to eat with him, just as I thought.
- 473 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are talking about a cafe near the station.
- 蓮 Renこのカフェ、よく来るの？Kono kafe, yoku kuru no?Do you come to this cafe often?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、よく来るよ。Un, yoku kuru yo.Yeah, I come here often.
- 蓮 Renそうなんだ。コーヒーがおいしいよね。Sou nanda. Koohii ga oishii yo ne.I see. The coffee is delicious, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misaki本当だね。私も大好き。Hontou da ne. Watashi mo daisuki.True. I love it too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “often” translations and entries よく, 度々, しばしば, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 度々, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
