often

of·ten

 (ô′fən, ŏf′ən, ôf′tən, ŏf′-)

adv. of·ten·er, of·ten·est

Many times; frequently.

---

[Middle English, alteration (probably influenced by selden, seldom) of oft, from Old English; see upo in Indo-European roots.]

Usage Note: The pronunciation of often with a (t) is a classic example of what is known as a spelling pronunciation. During the 1500s and 1600s, English experienced a widespread loss of certain consonant sounds within consonant clusters, as the (d) in handsome and handkerchief, the (p) in consumption and raspberry, and the (t) in chestnut and often. In this way the consonant clusters were simplified and made easier to articulate. But with the rise of public education and literacy in the 1800s, people became more aware of spelling, and sounds that had become silent were sometimes restored. This is the case with the (t) in often, which is acceptably pronounced with or without the (t). In similar words, such as soften and listen, the t has generally remained silent.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

often

(ˈɒfən; ˈɒftən)

adv

1. frequently or repeatedly; much of the time. Also (archaic or US): oftentimes (archaic): ofttimes

2. as often as not quite frequently

3. every so often at intervals

4. more often than not in more than half the instances

adj

archaic repeated; frequent

[C14: variant of oft before vowels and h]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

of•ten

(ˈɔ fən, ˈɒf ən; ˈɔf tən, ˈɒf-)

adv.

1. many times; frequently.

2. in many cases.

adj.

3. Archaic. frequent.

[1300–50; Middle English; variant (before vowels) of ofte oft]

syn: often, frequently, generally, usually refer to experiences that are habitual or customary. often and frequently are used interchangeably in most cases, but often implies numerous repetitions: We often go there; whereas frequently suggests repetition at comparatively short intervals: It happens frequently. generally emphasizes a broad or nearly universal quality: It is generally understood. He is generally liked. usually emphasizes time, and means in numerous instances: We usually have hot summers.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

often

If something happens often, it happens many times.

1. position in clause

• If there is no auxiliary verb, you put often in front of the verb, unless the verb is be. If the verb is be, you put often after it.

We often get very cold winters here.

They were often hungry.

• If there is an auxiliary verb, you put often after it.

She has often written about human rights.

• If there is more than one auxiliary verb, you put often after the first one.

The idea had often been discussed.

• If a sentence is fairly short, you can put often at the end of it.

He's in London often.

• In writing, often is sometimes put at the beginning of a long sentence.

Often in the evening the little girl would be sitting at my knee while I held the baby.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'often' to talk about something that happens several times within a short period of time. Don't say, for example, 'I often phoned her yesterday'. You say 'I phoned her several times yesterday' or 'I kept phoning her yesterday'.

That fear was expressed several times last week.

Rather than correct her, I kept trying to change the subject.

2. other uses of 'often'

You use often with how when you are asking about the number of times that something happens or happened.

How often do you need to weigh the baby?

How often have you done this programme?

Often can also be used for saying that something is done just once by many people, or that something is true about many people.

People often asked me why I didn't ride more during the trip.

Older people often catch this disease.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

Thesaurus

Adv.	1.	often - many times at short intervals; "we often met over a cup of coffee" frequently, oft, oftentimes, ofttimes rarely, seldom - not often; "we rarely met"
	2.	often - frequently or in great quantities; "I don't drink much"; "I don't travel much" a great deal, much
	3.	often - in many cases or instances

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

often

adverb frequently, much, generally, commonly, repeatedly, again and again, very often, oft (archaic or poetic), over and over again, time and again, habitually, time after time, customarily, oftentimes (archaic), not infrequently, many a time, ofttimes (archaic), ofN (S.M.S.) We often spend our holidays at home. I don't get out often.
never, rarely, occasionally, seldom, scarcely, now and then, irregularly, infrequently, hardly ever

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

often

adverb

In an expected or customary manner; for the most part:

commonly, consistently, customarily, frequently, generally, habitually, naturally, normally, regularly, routinely, typically, usually.

Idioms: as usual, per usual.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

غالِباكَثِيراً مَا

často

ofte

ofthäufig

συχνά

ofte

a menudocon frecuenciafrecuentementemenudo

usein

souventbeaucoupfréquemment

अक्सर

često

gyakran

oft

spessoa voltedi solito

しばしば

자주

dažnaikai kada

bieži

vaakdikwijls

oftehyppig

często

frequentementefreqüentemente

частозачастую

pogosto

ofta

บ่อย

sık sıksıklıkla

اکثر

thường xuyên

经常

often

[ˈɒfən] ADV → a menudo, con frecuencia, seguido (LAm)
I've often wondered why you turned the job down → me he preguntado muchas veces or a menudo or con frecuencia por qué no aceptaste el trabajo
it's not often that I ask you to help me → no es frecuente que te pida ayuda
we often meet here → solemos reunirnos aquí
do you often argue? → ¿discutís mucho?, ¿discutís muy a menudo?
we visit her as often as possible → la visitamos tanto como nos es posible
twice as often as → dos veces más que
women consult doctors twice as often as men → las mujeres consultan a un médico dos veces más que los hombres
as often as not → la mitad de las veces
every so often (of time) → de vez en cuando; (of distance, spacing) → de trecho en trecho, cada cierta distancia
we see each other every so often → nos vemos de vez en cuando → nos vemos alguna que otra vez
how often? (= how many times) → ¿con qué frecuencia?; (= at what intervals) → ¿cada cuánto?
how often do you see him? → ¿cada cuánto lo ves? → ¿con qué or cuánta frecuencia lo ves?
how often have I warned you that this would happen? → ¿cuántas veces te he advertido de que iba a pasar esto?
how often she had asked herself that very question! → ¡cuántas veces se había hecho esa misma pregunta!
he saw her less often now that she had a job → la veía con menos frecuencia ahora que tenía un trabajo
more often than not → la mayoría de las veces, las más de las veces
he's read it so often he knows it off by heart → lo ha leído tantas veces que se lo sabe de memoria
(all) too often → con demasiada frecuencia, demasiado a menudo, demasiadas veces
you've been drunk on duty once too often → ha estado borracho una y otra vez estando de servicio
very often → muchísimas veces, muy a menudo

OFTEN

In statements

• When often means "on many occasions", you can usually translate it using con frecuencia or a menudo:

He often came to my house Venía con frecuencia or a menudo a mi casa She doesn't often get angry No se enfada con frecuencia or a menudo You are late too often Llegas tarde con demasiada frecuencia or demasiado a menudo

• In informal contexts, particularly when often can be substituted by a lot or much with no change of meaning, mucho is an alternative translation:

He doesn't often come to see me No viene mucho a verme He often hangs out in this bar Para mucho en este bar

• Muchas veces is another possible translation, but it should be used with the present only if the time, place or activity is restricted in some way:

I've often heard him talk about the need for this law Le he oído muchas veces hablar de la necesidad de esta ley It can often be difficult to discuss this subject with one's partner Muchas veces es difícil hablar con la pareja sobre este tema

• When often describes a predictable, habitual or regular action, you can often translate it using the present or imperfect of soler as applicable:

In England it is often cold in winter En Inglaterra suele hacer frío en invierno I often have a glass of sherry before dinner Suelo tomar un jerez antes de cenar We often went out for a walk in the evening Solíamos salir por la tarde a dar un paseo

• Use soler also when often means "in many cases":

This heart condition is often very serious Esta enfermedad cardíaca suele ser muy grave
In questions

• You can usually use con frecuencia in questions, though there are other possibilities:

How often do you go to Madrid? ¿Con qué frecuencia vas a Madrid? Do you often go to Spain? ¿Vas a España con frecuencia?, ¿Vas a menudo or mucho a España?

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

often

[ˈɒf^ən ˈɒft^ən] adv

(gen) → souvent
It often rains → Il pleut souvent.
I'd like to go skiing more often → J'aimerais aller skier plus souvent.
twice as often → deux fois plus souvent
I shower twice as often as most people → Je me douche deux fois plus souvent que la plupart des gens.
much more often than → bien plus souvent que
as often as not → la plupart du temps
more often than not → la plupart du temps
every so often → de temps à autre
it's not often (that) ... → ce n'est pas souvent que ...

(in questions about frequency) how often do you go? → vous y allez tous les combien?, vous y allez avec quelle fréquence?
How often do you go to the gym? → Vous allez à la gym tous les combien?
How often do you wash the car? → Vous lavez votre voiture tous les combien?

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

often

adv → oft, häufig; he went there often, he often went there → er ging oft or häufig da hin; you have been there as often as I have → Sie sind schon (eben)so oft wie ich dort gewesen; do you go there as often as twice a week? → gehen Sie tatsächlich zweimal in der Woche dahin?; not as often as twice a week → weniger als zweimal in der Woche; as often as I ask you … → jedes Mal wenn ich Sie frage …; more often than not, as often as not → meistens; every so often → öfters, von Zeit zu Zeit; he did it once too often → er hat es einmal zu oft or zu viel getan; how often? → wie oft?; it is not often that … → es kommt selten vor, dass …, es geschieht nicht oft, dass …; oft(en) times (obs) → oftmals, gar viele Male (old)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

often

[ˈɒf/ən] adv → spesso
as often as not → il più delle volte
more often than not → quasi sempre
every so often (of time) → una volta ogni tanto (of distance, spacing) → regolarmente, a intervalli regolari
how often do you see him? → ogni quanto lo vedi?
her behaviour is often disappointing → il suo comportamento è spesso deludente
it's not often that I ask you to help me → non è che ti chieda spesso di aiutarmi

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

often

(ˈofn) adverb

many times. I often go to the theatre; I should see him more often. dikwels غالِبا често com frequência často oft ofte συχνάa menudo, con frecuencia sageli اغلب اوقات؛ به کرات usein souvent לְעִתִים קְרוֹבוֹת अकसर, प्राय: često gyakran sering oft spesso しばしば 종종 dažnai bieži selalu vaakofteczęsto كله وخت com frequência adesea часто často pogosto često ofta บ่อย ๆ sık sık 經常 часто اکثر thường xuyên 经常

every so often

sometimes; occasionally. I meet him at the club every so often. af en toe, van tyd tot tyd أحْيانا، من حينٍ إلى آخَر понякога de vez em quando občas sehr oft med jævne mellemrum μερικές φορές, περιστασιακά alguna que otra vez, de vez en cuando mõnikord گهگاه silloin tällöin de temps en temps מִדֵי פָּעַם समय-समय पर svako malo néha kadang-kadang annað veifið (di quando in quando), (ogni tanto) 時折 이따금 kartais, kai kada reizēm dr semasa ke semasa af en toeinnimellom, nå og daniekiedy كله كله de vez em quando din când în când иногда, изредка občas tu in tam povremeno allt emellanåt, allt som oftast บางครั้ง arada sırada, bazen 有時，偶然 інколи, іноді کبھي کبھي thi thoảng 有时，偶然

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

often

→ كَثِيراً مَا často ofte oft συχνά a menudo usein souvent često spesso しばしば 자주 vaak ofte często frequentemente часто ofta บ่อย sıklıkla thường xuyên 经常

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

often

adv. con frecuencia, frecuentemente, a menudo;

how ___ ? → ¿Cuántas veces?;

as ___ as needed → tantas veces como sea necesario;

not ___ → pocas veces;

too ___ → demasiadas veces.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

• How often are the buses to ...? → كَمْ مَرَّةً تَذْهَبُ الباصاتُ إِلَى...؟ → Jak často jezdí autobusy do ...? → Hvor ofte kører bussen til ...? → Wie oft fahren die Busse nach ...? → Πόσο συχνά έχει λεωφορεία για ...; → ¿Cada cuánto pasan los autobuses para ...? → Miten usein bussit ... kulkevat? → À quelle fréquence circulent les bus pour ... ? → Koliko često idu autobusi za ...? → Qual è la frequenza degli autobus per…? → ･･･へ行くバスはどのくらい出ていますか？ → ... 가는 버스는 얼마나 자주 오나요? → Hoe vaak gaat er een bus naar ...? → Hvor ofte går det busser til .? → Jak często odjeżdżają autobusy do ...? → Com que frequência tem ônibus para ...? → Как часто ходят автобусы в ...? → Hur ofta går det buss till ...? → รถโดยสารไป...…บ่อยแค่ไหน? → ... otobüsü ne kadarda bir geliyor? → Bao lâu thì có một chuyến xe buýt tới ...? → 去...多长时间有一趟车？

Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

often

adv a menudo, frecuentemente; How often do you have chest pain?..¿Con qué frecuencia le duele el pecho? ..¿Cada cuánto le duele el pecho?

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.