Adverbs of frequency, sometimes and usually

[Jane]

Using the adverbs of frequency sometimes and usually in sapnish is a little bit confusing to me. I always use a veces for both of them.
Is this correct or is there another word that differentiates

[sosia]

my 2 cents
sometimes: de vez en cuando, a veces
usually: normalmente, generalmente, usualmente, con frecuencia, a menudo
Saludos

[Jane]

If a menudo translates as usually, what would often mean

[poli]

The one that can vary most from English is the word usually. You can use
usualmente but it's nice to know and use alternate ways to say the same
thing. In Spanish soler + infinative is used. (Suelo ir de compras solo. = Usualmente voy de compras solo)

[Planet hopper]

I teach frequency on a hallidian scale between two poles, always and never, it works

English:
+ always
every day-usually
often
sometimes
....

Spanish

+siempre
todos los dias
a menudo
a veces

'Usualmente' does not sound like common usage on this side of the puddle
Often may translate for frecuentemente
Not really a lexical group with a word-to-word matching for translation

[poli]

I don't think usualmente is used often on this side of the Atlantic either, but it is usually be understood. I think soler + infinitive is more frequently used than frequentamente.

[Planet hopper]

Soler+infinitive kinda needs an adverb. It is felt as a bit narrative. It's good, though oral lg prefers more straight layouts.

Ellos solian comer temprano.
Ellos comian temprano (todos los dias/los dias entre semana).

Suelo ir al gimnasio (tres veces por semana/a menudo,....)
Voy al gimnasio (....)

If the adverb is not present, the listener may feel the statement is too general

Periphrastic patterns account for a lot of common patterns in english, such as 'going to', ir a+inf

[CrOtALiTo]

I believe that all you are greatest teachers of this world.

[Planet hopper]

Very fuzzy lexical group, it would often arise qs like 'What's more frequent, usually or often?

Translation is not a good reference. It is a common mistake among TEFL spanish teachers to assign a one-to-one translation in this group, of the kind:

usually=usualmente, also present form of soler+inf
I usually go shopping late in the evening
I used to go shopping....

often= a menudo
frequently=frecuentemente

I believe these translations may be fine, but not always...

[Jessica]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

I believe that all of you are the greatest teachers of this in the whole world.

Corrections

[CrOtALiTo]

Jessica, you have change for complete my last post, then I don't know but in your correction you have said other things to my own post. But I accept your correction anyway thanks.

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Jessica, you have change for complete my last post, then I don't know but in your correction you have said other things to my own post. But I accept your correction anyway thanks.

Jessica's corrections were good. For example, you can't say "all you", you have to say "all of you" or "you all". And with "of this world"-- that sounds strange. "in the world" sounds much better IMO.

[Elaina]

In my years of translating and interpreting, I have heard the word "suelo" very infrequently.

I have heard frecuentemente, seguido, a veces, a menudo, etc.

Voy al cine frecuentemente.

Seguido mi esposo y yo vamos al restaurante.

A veces me gusta dormir tarde.

Escucho esa canción en la radio muy a menudo.

I am not saying these are correct or better. It's just that I hear them a lot. I get the wonderful opportunity to interpret for Spanish-speakers from all over Latin America.

[poli]

That's interesting. I prefer frecuentemente because it's used the same way as English, but soler+ inf is used a lot.

[sosia]

You can use "suelo", as an afirmation of an usual event. It's common here

"(yo) Suelo llorar en las películas románticas"
"después de comer, me suelo fumar un cigarrillo"
"Cuando estoy nervioso suelo hablar mucho"
Saludos

[Jane]

Like Sosia and PH said, here in Spain, soler+infinitive is very common, in fact more than frecuentemente..
PH, you didn´t answer the question you raised about which of usually ,sometimes and often is considered more frequent en spanish. I´ve always had my doubts.

[CrOtALiTo]

Yes the word Suele also is acceptable, but in my country it's not very used but anyhow the word is well said.

[Planet hopper]

I would often answer by telling the students not to translate these words narrowly.

usually, sometimes and often...mmmm

I prefer usually into todos los dias
Sometimes into a veces
often into a menudo

(with all the buts you may think of)

that way, the scale would go usually-often-sometimes

or, I should say

todos los dias-a menudo-a veces

Anyway, this one is hard

[Tomisimo]

I agree with Crotalito, that while soler is used in Mexico, it's not overly common. For example to say "We used to go to the movies all the time", they would most likely not say "Solíamos ir al cine...". The would probably go with something like this: "Antes siempre íbamos al cine".