Adverb Placement and Frequency

In brief

In Italian, the position of an adverb depends on what it describes. Frequency words such as sempre and spesso usually follow a simple verb, while di solito often comes at the beginning of the sentence. Mai normally follows the verb in a negative sentence, with non before the verb.

Form

simple verb + sempre/spesso/mai; non + verb + mai; auxiliary + già/sempre + past participle

Usage

• Put sempre or spesso after a simple verb to say how frequently something happens.
• Use di solito at the start of a sentence for a usual routine.
• With a compound past tense, già and sempre commonly go between the auxiliary and the past participle.
• Adverbs of manner, such as bene, commonly follow the verb they describe.

Examples

• Prendo spesso il treno per andare al lavoro. — I often take the train to work.
• Di solito ceniamo alle otto. — We usually have dinner at eight.
• Non mangio mai carne. — I never eat meat.
• Ho già visto quel film. — I’ve already seen that movie.

Common mistake

❌ Io mai mangio carne.

✅ Non mangio mai carne.

Unlike English ‘I never eat meat,’ the usual Italian negative pattern puts non before the verb and mai after it.

Remember

For ‘never’ with a verb, remember non + verb + mai.