If you're learning French, you'll find yourself using the word "often" quite a bit. The most common way to express this in French is with the word souvent. But did you know there are many other fantastic ways to say "often" that can make your French sound more natural and nuanced?

Using a variety of these expressions will not only enrich your vocabulary but also help you express yourself with greater precision and flair. Whether you're describing how frequently you visit the boulangerie or how often you practice your French, having options is key.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "often" in French, exploring their meanings and when to use them!

The standard 'often' – souvent

In French, souvent is the most common and standard word for 'often' or 'frequently'.

Souvent is an adverb of frequency, meaning it describes how often an action occurs. Like most adverbs, it is invariable and does not change its form based on gender or number.

In simple tenses (like the present or imperfect), souvent generally comes after the conjugated verb. For example, Je mange souvent des pommes (I often eat apples).

In compound tenses (like the passé composé), souvent is usually placed between the auxiliary verb (avoir/être) and the past participle. For example, J'ai souvent mangé des pommes (I have often eaten apples).

Souvent is versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It's appropriate for everyday conversation as well as more formal writing.

When used in a negative sentence, souvent typically follows the same placement rules. The negation (ne...pas) surrounds the verb (and auxiliary verb in compound tenses), with souvent maintaining its position. For example, Je ne mange pas souvent de pommes (I don't often eat apples) or Je n'ai pas souvent mangé de pommes (I haven't often eaten apples).

While souvent is straightforward, it's often contrasted with rarement (rarely) or toujours (always). It can also be emphasized with words like très souvent (very often) or assez souvent (quite often).

💡 *Je vais souvent au cinéma. (I often go to the cinema.)
*Elle a souvent raison. (She is often right.)
*Nous avons souvent voyagé ensemble. (We have often traveled together.)
*Ils ne viennent pas souvent nous voir. (They don't often come to see us.)
*C'est une chose qui arrive très souvent. (It's something that happens very often.)

The 'very often' – très souvent

The 'very often' – très souvent

To express 'very often' in French, you use the adverbial phrase très souvent. This phrase is a straightforward combination of two common French words: très (very) and souvent (often).

As an adverb of frequency, très souvent typically follows the conjugated verb in simple tenses (e.g., Je mange très souvent). In compound tenses, it usually comes after the auxiliary verb (e.g., J'ai très souvent mangé).

The addition of très before souvent serves to intensify the meaning. While souvent means 'often,' très souvent stresses that an action occurs with a remarkable or exceptionally high degree of regularity or repetition.

You would opt for très souvent when you want to convey a strong habit, a highly recurring event, or a situation that happens significantly more frequently than what 'often' alone might imply. It adds a layer of emphasis to the frequency.

💡 * Je vais très souvent à la bibliothèque. (I very often go to the library.)

Nous mangeons très souvent des pâtes. (We very often eat pasta.)

Il pleut très souvent en automne ici. (It rains very often in autumn here.)

Elle a très souvent voyagé quand elle était jeune. (She very often traveled when she was young.)

On se voit très souvent le week-end. (We see each other very often on weekends.)

The 'quite often' – assez souvent

The phrase assez souvent directly translates to 'quite often' or 'rather often' in English. It's a common adverbial phrase used to express a moderate to high frequency of an action or event.

While assez on its own can mean 'enough' (e.g., J'ai assez d'argent - 'I have enough money'), when it precedes another adverb like souvent, it takes on the meaning of 'quite' or 'rather'. This nuance is crucial for understanding the phrase's intensity.

Therefore, assez souvent signifies a frequency that is more than just 'sometimes' (parfois) but generally less intense than 'very often' (très souvent). It implies a noticeable regularity without being an overwhelming constant.

Like most frequency adverbs, assez souvent is typically placed after the conjugated verb in simple tenses (e.g., Elle lit assez souvent - 'She reads quite often'). In compound tenses, it usually comes after the auxiliary verb and before the past participle (e.g., Nous avons assez souvent voyagé - 'We have quite often traveled').

💡 * Elle va assez souvent au cinéma. (She goes to the cinema quite often.)

Nous nous voyons assez souvent. (We see each other quite often.)

J'ai assez souvent rêvé de ça. (I have quite often dreamed about that.)

Il pleut assez souvent en automne. (It rains quite often in autumn.)

The 'frequently' – fréquemment

The French adverb fréquemment directly translates to “frequently” or “often” in English. It is used to express that an action occurs many times or at short intervals.

Fréquemment is an adverb of frequency. In most cases, it is placed after the conjugated verb in simple tenses (e.g., Il parle fréquemment) and after the auxiliary verb in compound tenses (e.g., Il a fréquemment parlé).

While fréquemment is a standard and perfectly acceptable word, it can sometimes sound a bit more formal or literary compared to its more common synonym, souvent (often). Both are widely used, but fréquemment might be preferred in written contexts or when a slightly more precise tone is desired.

As an adverb, fréquemment is invariable, meaning its form does not change regardless of the gender or number of the subject or object it modifies. It always remains fréquemment.

💡 *Il visite fréquemment ses grands-parents. (He frequently visits his grandparents.)
*Elle lit fréquemment des romans français. (She frequently reads French novels.)
*Nous nous rencontrons fréquemment pour le déjeuner. (We frequently meet for lunch.)
*Ce problème se produit fréquemment. (This problem occurs frequently.)
*J'ai fréquemment voyagé en Europe quand j'étais jeune. (I frequently traveled in Europe when I was young.)

The 'regularly' – régulièrement

The French adverb régulièrement directly translates to "regularly" in English.

As an adverb, régulièrement is used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating the frequency or consistency of an action or state. It's formed from the adjective régulier (regular) by adding the suffix -ment.

Typically, régulièrement is placed after the verb it modifies, or at the end of the clause. For compound tenses, it usually comes after the auxiliary verb and before the past participle, though placing it after the participle is also common in spoken French.

While similar to souvent (often) or fréquemment (frequently), régulièrement specifically emphasizes consistency, a steady pattern, or a fixed interval. It implies a lack of variation in occurrence.

This adverb is widely used in both formal and informal contexts to describe actions that occur at predictable intervals or with a steady rhythm, such as habits, routines, or scheduled events.

💡 * Elle fait du sport régulièrement pour rester en forme. (She exercises regularly to stay in shape.)

Nous nous voyons régulièrement le week-end. (We see each other regularly on weekends.)

Il vérifie ses e-mails régulièrement tout au long de la journée. (He checks his emails regularly throughout the day.)

Le bus passe régulièrement toutes les dix minutes. (The bus passes regularly every ten minutes.)

C'est important de pratiquer régulièrement pour s'améliorer en français. (It's important to practice regularly to improve in French.)

The 'habitually' – habituellement

The French adverb habituellement translates directly to 'habitually' or 'usually' in English. It is derived from the noun habitude (habit) and the suffix -ment, which typically forms adverbs from adjectives.

As an adverb, habituellement generally modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. In simple tenses, it usually follows the conjugated verb. In compound tenses (like passé composé), it is typically placed between the auxiliary verb (être or avoir) and the past participle.

While habituellement conveys a sense of routine, it's often more formal than the common expression d'habitude (as a habit, usually), which is frequently used in everyday spoken French. D'habitude can feel more natural in informal contexts, whereas habituellement is perfectly suitable for both written and spoken language, leaning slightly towards a more formal or precise tone.

Use habituellement to describe actions or states that occur regularly, as a matter of custom, or as part of a routine. It emphasizes the consistent and predictable nature of an event or behavior.

Habituellement is a standard and versatile adverb, suitable for a wide range of situations, from academic writing to general conversation. It maintains a neutral to slightly formal tone, making it a reliable choice when you want to express 'usually' or 'habitually' without sounding overly casual.

💡 * Elle prend habituellement son café noir. (She habitually drinks her coffee black.)

Nous nous retrouvons habituellement le samedi. (We usually meet on Saturdays.)

Le magasin ouvre habituellement à 9h. (The store usually opens at 9 AM.)

Il a habituellement terminé son travail avant midi. (He has usually finished his work before noon.)

Habituellement, je vais à la salle de sport trois fois par semaine. (Usually, I go to the gym three times a week.)

The 'many times' – maintes fois

To express "many times" in French, you can use the phrase maintes fois. This term conveys the idea of something occurring on numerous occasions, often implying a significant or noteworthy repetition.

While similar in meaning to plusieurs fois (several times) or souvent (often), maintes fois typically carries a slightly more formal, literary, or emphatic tone. It's frequently encountered in written language, speeches, or when emphasizing the sheer number of repetitions.

Like other adverbs of frequency or quantity, maintes fois usually follows the verb it modifies, especially in simple tenses. In compound tenses (like the passé composé), it generally comes after the auxiliary verb and the past participle.

💡 * Je lui ai répété maintes fois de faire attention. (I told him many times to be careful.)

Elle a maintes fois démontré son talent exceptionnel. (She has many times demonstrated her exceptional talent.)

Maintes fois, nous avons traversé cette forêt ensemble. (Many times, we crossed this forest together.)

Il a été averti maintes fois avant d'être renvoyé. (He was warned many times before being fired.)

The 'repeatedly' or 'on several occasions' – à plusieurs reprises

The French phrase à plusieurs reprises translates directly to "on several occasions" or, more commonly, "repeatedly."

It's used to indicate an action or event that has occurred multiple times, emphasizing the repetitive nature without specifying an exact number of occurrences.

While similar to souvent (often), à plusieurs reprises suggests a more distinct series of events, often implying deliberate or notable repetitions.

This adverbial phrase typically follows the verb it modifies or appears at the end of the sentence.

💡 * Il a été averti à plusieurs reprises. (He was warned repeatedly.)

Nous avons discuté de ce sujet à plusieurs reprises. (We discussed this topic on several occasions.)

Elle a tenté de le contacter à plusieurs reprises. (She tried to contact him repeatedly.)

L'alarme s'est déclenchée à plusieurs reprises cette nuit. (The alarm went off repeatedly last night.)

The 'constantly' (when it means very often) – constamment

To express the idea of 'constantly' in French, particularly when it signifies 'very often' or 'continuously', the most direct and common translation is the adverb constamment.

Constamment functions as an adverb, modifying verbs to indicate an action that occurs with high frequency, without interruption, or over a sustained period. It conveys a strong sense of regularity and persistence.

While related to frequency, constamment carries a stronger implication than simply 'often' (souvent). It suggests an action that is almost ceaseless, repetitive to a significant degree, or consistently present, often implying a state of being or a habitual action.

You'll find constamment used in various contexts, from describing a person's persistent habits to an ongoing condition or a recurring event. It emphasizes that something is happening without significant breaks or at a very high rate.

💡 *Il travaille constamment pour atteindre ses objectifs. (He works constantly to achieve his goals.)
*Elle se plaint constamment du bruit. (She constantly complains about the noise.)
*Les enfants posent constamment des questions. (The children constantly ask questions.)
*La situation évolue constamment. (The situation is constantly evolving.)
*Je pense constamment à mes vacances. (I constantly think about my vacation.)

Are there other ways to say 'often' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'often' in French. But French, like any language, is rich with nuances, including regional expressions and varying registers of formality.

You can also do an online search for 'comment dire souvent en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local idioms.

You might find some interesting synonyms for souvent on this list. Of course, always make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it yourself.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to express frequency.

And if you’re looking for more ways to express frequency or explore synonyms for 'often' in French, the WordReference entry for souvent is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Mastering expressions of frequency is key to sounding natural in French. Keep practicing, and you'll soon be using them with ease!

9 ways to say "often" in French