sempre / ás veces / nunca
Frequency Words
From most to least often: sempre (always), a miúdo (often), ás veces (sometimes), nunca (never): Sempre almorzo cedo (I always have breakfast early), Ás veces chove (Sometimes it rains).
How It Works
The scale:
• sempre (always), case sempre (almost always)
• normalmente, xeralmente (usually)
• a miúdo, moitas veces (often)
• ás veces, de cando en vez, de vez en cando (sometimes, now and then)
• poucas veces (rarely), case nunca (hardly ever)
• nunca (never)
Spelling: ás veces has an accent because ás is a + as.
Where they go: most frequency words go before the verb or at the end of the sentence: Vou á piscina a miúdo (I often go to the pool).
Nunca and non: before the verb, nunca replaces non: Nunca como carne (I never eat meat). After the verb, non must come first: Non como nunca carne. See double negation.
Pronouns: sempre and nunca pull an object pronoun in front of the verb: Sempre me chama o domingo (She always calls me on Sunday), Nunca me escribe (He never writes to me). See pronouns before the verb after certain adverbs.
Regular times: todos os días or cada día (every day), unha vez á semana (once a week), dúas veces ao mes (twice a month).
Examples (6)
- Sempre almorzo cedo.
I always have breakfast early.
Word by Word: Always breakfast-I early.
- Ás veces chove en agosto.
Sometimes it rains in August.
Word by Word: At-the times rains in August.
ás = a + as, with an accent.
- Vou á piscina a miúdo.
I often go to the pool.
Word by Word: Go-I to-the pool often.
- Nunca bebo café pola noite.
I never drink coffee at night.
Word by Word: Never drink-I coffee through-the night.
Before the verb, nunca needs no non.
- Non vexo nunca a televisión.
I never watch television.
Word by Word: Not see-I never the television.
After the verb, nunca needs non before the verb.
- Sempre me chama o domingo.
She always calls me on Sunday.
Word by Word: Always me calls the Sunday.
sempre puts the pronoun before the verb.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the accent off ás veces.
As veces chove en agosto.Ás veces chove en agosto.Ás is the contraction of a + as, so it carries an accent.
Using the Spanish a menudo.
Vou ao cine a menudo.Vou ao cine a miúdo.Often is a miúdo in Galician.
Putting the pronoun after the verb after sempre.
Sempre chámame o domingo.Sempre me chama o domingo.Sempre is one of the adverbs that pull an unstressed pronoun in front of the verb.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Frequency words locate repeated or absent events and affect negative patterns.
Related Patterns
- nonNegation with Non
The basic negative that nunca replaces before the verb.
Level 1 - Pronouns Before the Verb After xa, tamén, sóPronouns Before the Verb After Certain Adverbs
Adverbs such as sempre that put pronouns before the verb.
Level 3 - onte / hoxe / mañáTime Words
Words that say when, as these say how often.
Level 2 - nunca / xamais / endexamaisNever: Xamais and Endexamais
Stronger and more literary words for never.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Practice sempre / ás veces / nunca in Bubblegum
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