thường

Usually

Level 2

Thường means "usually" or "often" and is placed right before the verb to show a habitual action.

How It Works

The basic structure is: Subject + thường + Verb. However, it can also easily be placed at the beginning of a sentence.

Key Nuances:

  • Sentence-initial placement: To put "usually" at the beginning of a sentence, native speakers commonly use Thường thì... (e.g., Thường thì tôi uống cà phê...).
  • Asking questions: To ask if someone usually does something, use the standard frame Subject + (có) thường + Verb + không? (e.g., Bạn có thường đi xem phim không?). To answer, native speakers typically say Có, use the full word Thường xuyên, or repeat the verb (e.g., Có, mình thường đi) for "Yes", and ít khi or không hay for "No".
  • Emphasis: You will frequently hear the combination thường hay, which native speakers use to emphasize the habit.
  • Not mandatory for habits: Vietnamese doesn't require thường to express a habit. A plain verb like Tôi uống cà phê already means "I drink coffee [regularly]." You only add thường to make the frequency explicit.
  • Time anchors: Thường is very frequently paired with time phrases (e.g., vào cuối tuần, buổi sáng) to establish when a habit occurs, as Vietnamese relies on these markers rather than verb conjugations.
  • Tense and aspect markers: Thường commonly pairs with the continuation marker vẫn to form vẫn thường (still usually). However, it is highly uncommon to pair it with the future marker sẽ (sẽ thường), as habits are generally established in the present or past.
  • Compared to hay: Both mean "often," but thường strictly denotes frequency or routine. In contrast, hay is slightly more conversational and strongly implies a tendency, likelihood, or inherent trait (e.g., Anh ấy hay quên - He tends to forget).
  • Negation: To say "not usually," English speakers might try to use không thường, but native speakers overwhelmingly prefer ít khi (rarely), hiếm khi (seldom), không hay, or không thường xuyên.
  • Usually don't: To express that you usually do not do something, use the pattern thường không + Verb (e.g., Tôi thường không ăn sáng - I usually don't eat breakfast). This is different from "not usually" (which is about frequency).
  • Very often: To express "very often," learners naturally try to add rất to thường, but rất thường actually translates to "very ordinary" or "nothing special" because thường also functions as an adjective. Native speakers use rất hay or rất thường xuyên instead.
  • Common variations: Thường is actually the shortened form of thường xuyên (frequently/regularly). You will also hear thường thường. The reduplication thường thường means "generally/usually" and is most frequently used at the absolute beginning of a sentence to set the context (e.g., Thường thường, tôi đi ngủ lúc 10 giờ). Note that when modifying the verb directly, thường must precede it, whereas thường xuyên has the flexibility to go at the very end of the sentence.
  • As an adjective: Be aware that the standalone word thường can also act as an adjective after a noun to mean "normal" or "ordinary" (e.g., chuyện thường - an ordinary matter). You will also frequently hear the compound word bình thường used for "normal" in daily life (e.g., Cái này rất bình thường - This is very normal).

Examples (5)

  1. Tôi thường ăn sáng ở nhà.

    I usually have breakfast at home.

    Word by Word: I usually eat morning at home.

    Notice how thường sits directly before the main verb ăn.

  2. Thường thì cuối tuần chúng tôi đi siêu thị.

    Usually, we go to the supermarket on weekends.

    Word by Word: Usually then end week we go supermarket.

    Placing thường thì at the beginning of the sentence is the most natural way to set the context for a habitual action.

  3. Anh ấy thường hay quên chìa khóa.

    He usually forgets his keys.

    Word by Word: He usually often forget key.

    The combination thường hay is frequently used by native speakers to emphasize the habit.

  4. Bạn có thường đi xem phim không?

    Do you usually go to the movies?

    Word by Word: Friend have usually go watch movie no?

    In a yes-no question, thường stays right in front of the main verb.

  5. Đó chỉ là chuyện thường.

    That is just an ordinary matter.

    Word by Word: That only is matter ordinary.

    Here, thường acts as an adjective meaning "normal" or "ordinary" after a noun, rather than an adverb of frequency.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing thường after the verb (L1 interference from English).

    Tôi học thường.
    Tôi thường học.

    In English, you can say "I study often," but in Vietnamese, thường must always come before the verb.

  • Confusing thường with bình thường (normal/ordinary).

    Tôi ăn bình thường ở nhà.
    Tôi thường ăn ở nhà.

    Bình thường is an adjective/adverb of manner meaning "normal" or "ordinarily." To say "usually" as a frequency adverb, you must use thường.

  • Saying "rất thường" to mean "very often".

    Tôi rất thường đi xem phim.
    Tôi rất hay đi xem phim.

    While you might try to translate "very often" literally, rất thường actually translates to "very ordinary" or "nothing special" because thường also functions as an adjective. To say "very often," native speakers prefer rất hay or rất thường xuyên.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

thườngLevel 2Usually

Learn This First

To use 'thường' (usually), you need to understand basic Vietnamese word order, specifically that modifiers like frequency markers are placed before the verb. It is also important to be comfortable with the fact that verbs do not conjugate, making the addition of frequency words straightforward.

Words in This Pattern