How often?
Adverbs of frequency answer the question ¿Con qué frecuencia? (How often?). They run roughly from always to never.
siempre
always
casi siempre
almost always
normalmente
usually, normally
a menudo
often
a veces
sometimes
casi nunca
hardly ever, rarely
nunca
never
Siempre desayuno temprano.
I always have breakfast early.
Normalmente trabajo desde casa.
I usually work from home.
Casi nunca como comida rápida.
I hardly ever eat fast food.
Where the adverb goes
The usual place is directly before the conjugated verb. English puts the adverb after be (I am always late) and after an auxiliary (I have never seen it); Spanish keeps it in front: Siempre estoy cansado. a veces and a menudo also like to come at the end of the sentence.
Siempre como fruta.
I always eat fruit.
A veces llegamos tarde.
Sometimes we arrive late.
Voy al gimnasio a menudo.
I go to the gym often.
nunca and the double negative
nunca is a negative word itself. Before the verb you need no extra no; after the verb, no goes in front of the verb. Where English allows only one negative per clause, Spanish combines no and nunca without cancelling anything out.
Nunca fumo.
I never smoke.
No fumo nunca.
I never smoke.
Exact frequency
With numbers you say exactly how often: veces por semana, veces al mes. English a in twice a week is por or al in Spanish. Every day is plural: todos los días (literally all the days).
Voy al gimnasio tres veces por semana.
I go to the gym three times a week.
De vez en cuando salgo con mis amigos.
Now and then I go out with my friends.
