A2.1 Frequency Adverbs: Très Souvent 🆚 Assez Souvent

The adverbs "très souvent" and "assez souvent" are used to nuance the frequency of an action or state. Although both express regular frequency, they differ in their degree of intensity.

Très souvent

The adverb "très souvent" indicates a high frequency, suggesting that the action happens almost all the time or in a large majority of cases.

  • Elle se rend à Paris très souvent pour le travail. (She goes to Paris very often for work.)
  • Il oublie très souvent ses clés. (He forgets his keys very often.)
  • Nous mangeons très souvent au restaurant. (We eat at the restaurant very often.)

Assez souvent

"Assez souvent" expresses a moderate frequency, indicating that the action occurs regularly but not as frequently as "très souvent".

  • Elle lit assez souvent des romans historiques. (She reads historical novels quite often.)
  • Ils se voient assez souvent le week-end. (They see each other quite often on weekends.)
  • Je vais assez souvent courir le matin. (I go for a run quite often in the morning.)

Choice and Context

The choice between "très souvent" and "assez souvent" depends on the context and the message the speaker wants to convey. Using "très souvent" emphasizes a very frequent occurrence of the action, while "assez souvent" is more moderate, indicating regularity without excess.

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