What are the Italian adverbs of frequency?

From most to least frequent: sempre (always), quasi sempre (almost always), di solito (usually), spesso (often), a volte or qualche volta (sometimes), ogni tanto (every now and then), raramente (rarely), non... quasi mai (hardly ever), and non... mai (never).

Why does Italian say non... mai?

Italian negative words such as mai, niente, and nessuno need non before the verb when they come after it. This double negative is standard Italian, not a mistake: non vado mai means I never go.

How do you say twice a week in Italian?

Due volte alla settimana. Volta counts occasions, and the period takes a preposition fused with the article: una volta al giorno, tre volte al mese, quattro volte all'anno. Una volta a settimana is also common in speech.

What is the difference between il lunedì and lunedì?

Il lunedì means on Mondays, as a habit. Lunedì without the article means one specific Monday, usually the next one or the last one. So il lunedì lavoro da casa is a routine, but lunedì lavoro da casa is about this coming Monday.

Italian grammar · Beginner

Italian Adverbs of Frequency

Written by Parrot Italian Team, Italian Curriculum Editors · Reviewed October 2026

Italian adverbs of frequency answer the question how often: sempre, spesso, a volte, raramente, mai. They usually come after the conjugated verb, not before it as in English. Mai (never) needs non in front of the verb, so Italian says the equivalent of I don't eat never.

Vado spesso al cinema, ma non ci vado mai da solo.

I often go to the cinema, but I never go on my own.

What it is

Frequency adverbs place an action on a scale from every time to never. The vocabulary is short and regular. The two things that trip up English speakers are word order (the adverb follows the verb) and mai, which works with non to make a double negative.

Marco arriva spesso in ritardo, a volte arriva in orario, non arriva mai in anticipo. (Marco often arrives late, sometimes he arrives on time, he never arrives early.)

How to spot it

Find the conjugated verb and put the adverb straight after it. In a compound tense such as the passato prossimo, sempre, già, and mai usually go between the auxiliary and the past participle.

Mangiamo spesso fuori. (We often eat out.)
Esce raramente la sera. (He rarely goes out in the evening.)
Ho sempre abitato qui. (I've always lived here.)
Non bevo mai il caffè. (I never drink coffee.)

Longer expressions such as di solito, a volte, and ogni tanto can also open the sentence: Di solito ceno alle otto.

Adverbs of Frequency Quick Reference

The frequency scale, from always to never

Adverb	English	Example
sempre	always	Arriva sempre tardi. (He always arrives late.)
quasi sempre	almost always	Pranzo quasi sempre a casa. (I almost always have lunch at home.)
di solito / solitamente	usually	Di solito esco alle otto. (I usually leave at eight.)
spesso	often	Ci vediamo spesso. (We see each other often.)
a volte / qualche volta	sometimes	A volte prendo l'autobus. (Sometimes I take the bus.)
ogni tanto / di tanto in tanto	every now and then	Ogni tanto vado al cinema. (Every now and then I go to the cinema.)
raramente	rarely	Esce raramente. (She rarely goes out.)
non... quasi mai	hardly ever	Non piove quasi mai. (It hardly ever rains.)
non... mai	never	Non bevo mai alcolici. (I never drink alcohol.)

Common Adverbs of Frequency Examples in Italian

Frequency adverbs in everyday sentences:

The Top of the Scale

Arrivo sempre in orario.: I always arrive on time.
Di solito faccio colazione al bar.: I usually have breakfast at the café.
Andiamo spesso al mare d'estate.: We often go to the seaside in summer.

Di solito and solitamente mean the same thing. Di solito is more common in speech.

The Middle

A volte lavoro da casa.: Sometimes I work from home.
Ogni tanto ci vediamo per un caffè.: Every now and then we meet for a coffee.

A volte and qualche volta are interchangeable. Talvolta means the same but sounds formal.

The Bottom

Leggo raramente il giornale.: I rarely read the newspaper.
Non guardo quasi mai la televisione.: I hardly ever watch television.
Non mangio mai carne.: I never eat meat.

Raramente is a plain adverb and needs no non. Mai and quasi mai need non before the verb.

Counted Frequencies

Vado in palestra tre volte alla settimana.: I go to the gym three times a week.
Il sabato gioco a tennis.: On Saturdays I play tennis.

The article with a day of the week turns it into a habit: il sabato means every Saturday.

How Italian Frequency Adverbs Work

The vocabulary is easy. Word order and the double negative with mai are where English speakers make mistakes.

After the Verb, Not Before It

English says I often eat out, with the adverb before the verb. Italian puts the adverb after the conjugated verb: mangio spesso fuori. Putting sempre before the verb sounds wrong in normal speech.

Mangiamo spesso fuori il venerdì.

We often eat out on Fridays.

verb + adverb.

Compound Tenses: Between Auxiliary and Participle

In the passato prossimo and other compound tenses, short adverbs such as sempre, mai, and già usually sit between the auxiliary (avere or essere) and the past participle. Spesso can go there or after the participle.

Ho sempre abitato a Milano.

I've always lived in Milan.

ho + sempre + abitato.

Mai Needs Non

Italian uses a double negative with mai. Non goes before the verb and mai goes after it. Leaving out non is a common error, because English never already sounds negative on its own.

Non sono mai stato a Venezia.

I've never been to Venice.

non + verb + mai.

Mai in Questions Means Ever

In a question, mai has no non and means ever. This is the normal way to ask about experiences.

Hai mai mangiato il tartufo?

Have you ever eaten truffle?

Question + mai = ever.

Rates Use Volta and the Articulated Preposition

To count occasions, use volta (time, occasion) and a preposition fused with the article for the period: una volta al giorno, due volte alla settimana, tre volte all'anno. In speech you will also hear una volta a settimana.

Prendo la medicina due volte al giorno.

I take the medicine twice a day.

volte + al / alla / all' + period.

Common Mistakes with Adverbs of Frequency

Incorrect: Io sempre bevo il caffè la mattina. (I always drink coffee in the morning.)

Correct: Bevo sempre il caffè la mattina. (I always drink coffee in the morning.)

The adverb follows the conjugated verb in Italian. The subject pronoun io is also unnecessary, because the verb ending already shows the person.

Incorrect: Mangio mai la carne. (I never eat meat.)

Correct: Non mangio mai carne. (I never eat meat.)

Mai needs non before the verb in a statement. English never is negative by itself, so learners forget the non.

Incorrect: Vado in palestra due tempi alla settimana. (I go to the gym twice a week.)

Correct: Vado in palestra due volte alla settimana. (I go to the gym twice a week.)

English uses time for both duration and occasions. Italian splits them: tempo is duration, volta is an occasion.

Incorrect: Lo vedo ogni giorni. (I see him every day.)

Correct: Lo vedo ogni giorno. (I see him every day.)

Ogni always takes a singular noun. If you want a plural, use tutti i giorni instead.

Saying How Many Times

Beyond the adverbs, Italian has a few fixed patterns for counting occasions and describing routines.

Volta and volte

Una volta is once, due volte is twice, tre volte is three times. The word for time as an occasion is volta, never tempo.

una volta al mese: once a month
due volte al giorno: twice a day
tre volte all'anno: three times a year
È la prima volta che vengo qui.: It's the first time I've come here.

Tempo means time as a quantity (non ho tempo, I have no time). It never counts occasions.

Ogni and tutti i

Ogni takes a singular noun and tutti i or tutte le takes a plural one. Both mean every.

ogni giorno: every day
tutti i giorni: every day
tutte le settimane: every week
ogni due settimane: every two weeks

Ogni never changes and never takes a plural noun: ogni giorno, not ogni giorni.

The article with days of the week

Il lunedì, il martedì, and so on mean on Mondays, on Tuesdays, as a habit. Without the article, the day means one particular day.

Il lunedì vado in piscina.: On Mondays I go to the pool.
Lunedì vado in piscina.: On Monday I'm going to the pool.
La domenica il negozio è chiuso.: The shop is closed on Sundays.

Domenica is the only feminine day, so it takes la: la domenica.

Quick Check: Adverbs of Frequency

Put the adverb in the right place, or choose the right form.

1. Translate: I often read in the evening.

Answer: Leggo spesso la sera.

The adverb goes after leggo.

2. Translate: We never watch television.

Answer: Non guardiamo mai la televisione.

Non before the verb, mai after it.

3. Translate: Have you ever been to Rome?

Answer: Sei mai stato a Roma?

In a question, mai means ever and needs no non.

4. Translate: twice a month

Answer: due volte al mese

Volte for occasions, al for the period.

5. Correct the error: Ogni settimane gioco a calcio.

Answer: Ogni settimana gioco a calcio.

Ogni takes a singular noun.

Adverbs of Frequency FAQs

What are the Italian adverbs of frequency?: From most to least frequent: sempre (always), quasi sempre (almost always), di solito (usually), spesso (often), a volte or qualche volta (sometimes), ogni tanto (every now and then), raramente (rarely), non... quasi mai (hardly ever), and non... mai (never).
Where do frequency adverbs go in an Italian sentence?: After the conjugated verb: vado spesso al cinema. In compound tenses, sempre, già, and mai usually go between the auxiliary and the past participle: ho sempre lavorato qui. Phrases such as di solito and ogni tanto can also start the sentence.
Why does Italian say non... mai?: Italian negative words such as mai, niente, and nessuno need non before the verb when they come after it. This double negative is standard Italian, not a mistake: non vado mai means I never go.
How do you say twice a week in Italian?: Due volte alla settimana. Volta counts occasions, and the period takes a preposition fused with the article: una volta al giorno, tre volte al mese, quattro volte all'anno. Una volta a settimana is also common in speech.
What is the difference between il lunedì and lunedì?: Il lunedì means on Mondays, as a habit. Lunedì without the article means one specific Monday, usually the next one or the last one. So il lunedì lavoro da casa is a routine, but lunedì lavoro da casa is about this coming Monday.