HSK · Level 19
135 words
Chinese word
通常
Pronunciation
Pinyintōng cháng
Meaning
- adverbusually
Example
我们通常周末去公园。wǒ men tōng cháng zhōu mò qù gōng yuán
We usually go to the park on weekends.
More examples
很多公司通常在九点上班。hěn duō gōng sī tōng cháng zài jiú diǎn shàng bān
Many companies usually start work at nine.
Core concept
The normal course of events across situations, with exceptions still possible.
Common phrases
通常都tōng cháng dōu
usually
通常是tōng cháng shì
usually be ___
Similar words
一般yì bān: Used to describe a normal or ordinary situation in many cases.
平时píng shí: Used for actions or states in ordinary daily life.
经常jīng cháng: Used for an action that happens frequently and repeatedly.
常常cháng cháng: Used for something that happens often.
Definition in Chinese
表示在多数情况下是这样，强调概率性而非绝对性，用来说明常见的情况或常态。biǎo shì zài duō shù qíng kuàng xià shì zhè yàng qiáng diào gài lǜ xìng ér fēi jué duì xìng yòng lái shuō míng cháng jiàn de qíng kuàng huò cháng tài
Word origin
通常 (tōngcháng, "usually") pairs 通 (tōng, "general") + 常 (cháng, "regular") to describe what commonly occurs without making it certain in every case.
Usage tips
- 通常 (tōngcháng, "usually") commonly sits directly before a verb phrase, although it can also follow the subject, giving learners a useful pattern for placing adverbs.