Japanese has a rich set of frequency adverbs, but learners often mix up the ones in the middle of the scale especially たいてい vs だいたい, and ほとんど vs あまり. This sheet maps them all out with percentages and example sentences.
The frequency scale
| Word | Reading | Approx. % | Meaning | Positive or negative verb? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| いつも | itsumo | 100% | always, all the time | positive |
| たいてい | taitei | ~80% | usually, mostly | positive |
| だいたい | daitai | ~80% | generally, roughly | positive |
| よく | yoku | ~70% | often, frequently | positive |
| ときどき | tokidoki | ~30–50% | sometimes | positive |
| たまに | tama ni | ~10–20% | occasionally, once in a while | positive |
| ほとんど | hotondo | ~5% or ~95% | hardly ever / almost always | both (flips with negative) |
| あまり | amari | ~20% | not very often | negative only |
| ぜんぜん | zenzen | 0% | not at all, never | negative only |
Interactive frequency meter
たいてい
taitei
たいてい七時に起きます。
I usually wake up at 7.
Key rule: あまり and ぜんぜん require a negative verb
These two words only work with a negative verb ending (ません・ない). Using them with a positive verb is a very common mistake.
✗ Wrong
あまり食べます。
あまり needs a negative verb
✓ Correct
あまり食べません。
I don't eat very much.
✗ Wrong
ぜんぜん大丈夫です。
(in formal/standard Japanese)
✓ Correct
ぜんぜん分かりません。
I don't understand at all.
Note: ぜんぜん大丈夫 is used in very casual modern speech to mean "totally fine", but this is informal slang avoid it in formal situations.
たいてい vs だいたい what's the difference?
Both translate as "usually / generally" but have slightly different flavors:
たいてい
Refers to habits and routines. "I usually do X." Focuses on how often something happens.
だいたい
Refers to approximation. "X is roughly / generally the case." Also used for amounts and times.
ほとんど flips meaning with the verb
Positive verb → almost all
ほとんど食べた。
I ate almost all of it.
Negative verb → hardly any
ほとんど食べなかった。
I hardly ate anything.
One sentence per word
彼女はいつも笑っている。
She's always smiling.
この映画館によく来ます。
I come to this cinema often.
たいてい七時に起きます。
I usually wake up at 7.
ときどき友達と飲みに行く。
I sometimes go out drinking with friends.
たまにケーキを焼く。
I bake cakes once in a while.
野菜はあまり好きじゃない。
I don't really like vegetables.
昨日はぜんぜん眠れなかった。
I couldn't sleep at all last night.
Quick check: If you're using あまり or ぜんぜん, the verb at the end of the sentence must be negative. If it isn't, swap the adverb for one that works with positives.