Learn Korean Adverbs Of Frequency

In this lesson, you will learn Korean adverbs of frequency and how to use these adverbs in a sentence. The word for adverbs of frequency in Korean is 빈도 부사. If you’re not sure what adverbs of frequency are, they are words which describe how often something happens. In English, these are words like sometimes, always, never, etc. First, let’s take a look at a list of Korean adverbs of frequency.

Korean Adverbs Of Frequency List (빈도 부사)

Here is a list of common adverbs of frequency in Korean:

How To Use Korean Adverbs Of Frequency

When using Korean adverbs of frequency in a sentence, there are a couple of important things you must know. Let’s take a look at each of these one by one.

Adverbs Of Frequency Must Appear Before The Verb

In a sentence, Korean adverbs of frequency can be used in different locations as long as they appear before the verb in a sentence. For example, to say ‘I always drink coffee.’, you can say “저는 커피를 항상 마셔요”, or “저는 항상 커피를 마셔요.”, or even “항상 저는 커피를 마셔요.” (although this last way is less common).

With verbs that end in 하다, you can also place the adverb in different locations. However, one important thing to note is that you can split 하다 verbs into the noun part and the verb part and then place the adverb of frequency after the noun part and before the verb part. This is because 하다 verbs are made up of a noun plus the verb 하다 (to do). For example, 운동하다 (to exercise) is made up of the noun 운동 (exercise) and the verb 하다 (to do). Take a look at the two examples below.

저는 가끔 운동해요. = I sometimes exercise.
저는 운동을 가끔 해요. = I sometimes exercise.

As you can see in the second example, the adverb 가끔 (sometimes) appears after the noun part (운동) and is followed by the object marking particle 를. You can learn more about this feature of 하다 verbs with your complete Hada Verbs Lesson.

Adverbs Of Frequency With 안 Are Different

Unlike other adverbs of frequency, those with 안, such as 거의 안 (rarely) and 전혀 안 (never), cannot appear in many different locations in a sentence. Sentences with these adverbs of frequency must follow this structure: Noun + 을/를 + 거의 안/전혀 안 + Verb. Let’s looks at some examples:

저는 거의 안 커피를 마셔요. = WRONG
저는 커피를 거의 안 마셔요. = I rarely drink coffee.

저는 전혀 안 운동해요. = WRONG
저는 운동을 전혀 안 해요. = I never exercise.

Korean Adverbs Of Frequency: Example Sentences

Here are some useful example sentences using Korean adverbs of frequency.

English	Korean	Listen
I often listen to music.	음악을 자주 들어요.
I sometimes eat vegetables.	채소를 가끔 먹어요.
I rarely go hiking.	등산을 거의 안 해요.
I never drink alcohol.	술을 전혀 안 마셔요.
I always study Korean.	한국어를 항상 공부해요.
I sometimes watch Korean dramas.	한국 드라마를 가끔 봐요.