altid/ofte/nogle gange/aldrig

Frequency Adverbs

Level 2

Danish frequency adverbs like altid (always), ofte/tit (often), nogle gange (sometimes), sjældent (seldom), and aldrig (never) tell us how frequently something occurs. Their position in a sentence depends on whether it is a main clause or a subordinate clause.

How It Works

Frequency adverbs are 'central adverbs' (sætningsadverbier). They function like the negation ikke regarding their placement.

1. The Frequency Scale:

  • Altid: Always
  • Ofte / Tit: Often
  • Nogle gange / Sommetider: Sometimes
  • Sjældent: Seldom/Rarely
  • Aldrig: Never

2. Word Order in Main Clauses:
Danish follows the V2 rule. The adverb sits after the finite verb. However, if the sentence starts with something other than the subject (inversion), the adverb must follow the subject.
Example: Jeg drikker altid kaffe. (Straight order)
Example: Om morgenen drikker jeg altid kaffe. (Inversion: Adverb follows the subject jeg).

3. Compound Tenses (Two Verbs):
When using an auxiliary verb (like har or kan), the frequency adverb is placed between the auxiliary and the main verb.
Example: Jeg har altid drukket kaffe.

4. The Weak Pronoun Rule (Object Shift):
If the object is a weak pronoun (like den, det, mig), the adverb is placed after the pronoun. Note: This only happens in simple tenses. If there is an auxiliary verb, the shift is blocked.
Example: Jeg drikker den aldrig. (Simple tense: Shift occurs)
Example: Jeg har aldrig drukket den. (Compound tense: Shift is blocked).

5. Mobility of 'Nogle gange':
Unlike altid or aldrig, the phrase nogle gange is more mobile and can be placed at the very beginning of a sentence for emphasis.
Example: Nogle gange drikker jeg te.

6. Subordinate Clauses:
In clauses starting with conjunctions like fordi, the adverb moves before the verb.
Example: ...fordi jeg altid drikker kaffe.

Examples (5)

  1. Jeg spiser altid morgenmad klokken syv.

    I always eat breakfast at seven o'clock.

    Word by Word: I eat always breakfast o'clock seven.

    In a simple main clause, 'altid' follows the verb 'spiser'.

  2. Vi ser tit film i weekenden.

    We often watch movies on the weekend.

    Word by Word: We see often film in weekend-the.

    'Tit' is the most common way to say 'often' in everyday spoken Danish.

  3. Hun siger, at hun nogle gange glemmer sin telefon.

    She says that she sometimes forgets her phone.

    Word by Word: She says, that she some times forgets her phone.

    Because this is a subordinate clause starting with 'at', the adverb 'nogle gange' comes before the verb 'glemmer'.

  4. Jeg har aldrig prøvet at stå på ski.

    I have never tried skiing.

    Word by Word: I have never tried to stand on ski.

    With the compound verb 'har prøvet', the adverb 'aldrig' is placed in the middle.

  5. Sjældent går vi ud på en mandag.

    Seldom do we go out on a Monday.

    Word by Word: Seldom go we out on a Monday.

    When a frequency adverb is moved to the front for emphasis, it triggers inversion (verb before subject).

Common Mistakes

  • Using English word order in a main clause.

    Jeg ofte drikker te.
    Jeg drikker ofte te.

    In English, the adverb comes before the verb. In Danish main clauses, the verb must come second, so the adverb follows it.

  • Using double negatives with 'aldrig'.

    Jeg drikker ikke aldrig kaffe.
    Jeg drikker aldrig kaffe.

    In Danish, 'aldrig' (never) acts as the negation itself. You should not use 'ikke' and 'aldrig' together.

  • Incorrect placement in subordinate clauses.

    Jeg er glad, fordi han kommer altid.
    Jeg er glad, fordi han altid kommer.

    In subordinate clauses (after words like 'fordi'), the adverb must move to the position before the verb.

How It Connects

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altid/ofte/nogle gange/aldrigLevel 2Frequency Adverbs

Learn This First

To use frequency adverbs like 'altid' and 'aldrig', you must first understand Danish sentence structure (V2 rule) and specifically how sentence-modifying adverbs are placed relative to the verb, which is identical to the placement of 'ikke'.

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altidoftealdrig