How often?
Frequency adverbs (avverbi di frequenza) say how often something happens. They form a scale from “always” to “never”.
sempre
always
di solito / normalmente
usually
spesso
often
a volte / qualche volta
sometimes
raramente
rarely
mai
never
Where does the adverb go?
After the verb
The normal position: the adverb comes right after the conjugated verb, before the object or place. English puts it before the verb (“I always eat”), Italian after it.
Mangio sempre la pizza.
I always eat pizza.
Vado spesso al cinema.
I often go to the cinema.
At the start of the sentence
Di solito, a volte and spesso are also happy at the start of the sentence. The meaning stays the same.
Di solito mi alzo alle sette.
Usually I get up at seven.
A volte lavoro da casa.
Sometimes I work from home.
In the passato prossimo
sempre and mai go between the auxiliary and the participle, just like in English.
Ho sempre amato la musica.
I have always loved music.
Abbiamo sempre mangiato qui.
We have always eaten here.
mai needs non
When mai comes after the verb, the sentence also needs non before the verb. English says “I never eat meat” with a single negative, Italian uses a double negative and the two do not cancel out.
Non mangio mai carne.
I never eat meat.
Non arrivo mai in ritardo.
I never arrive late.
Non ho mai visitato Venezia.
I have never visited Venice.
Exact frequency
Fixed phrases say more exactly how often something happens. They usually go at the start or the end of the sentence.
Il sabato dormo fino a tardi.
On Saturdays I sleep in.
Vado in palestra due volte a settimana.
I go to the gym twice a week.
