<p>Actually a frequency adverb should be put before a verb. For example:</p>

<p>我(Wǒ)常(chánɡ)常(chánɡ)游(yóu)泳(yǒnɡ)。 （ I always swim.) </p>

<p>我(Wǒ)周(zhōu)末(mò)偶(ǒu)尔(ěr)去(qù)逛(ɡuànɡ)街(jiē)。( I go for shopping on weekends occasionally.）</p>

<p>And “ How often do you play sports ？” could be translated as:
你(Nǐ)多(duō)久(jiǔ)运(yùn)动(dònɡ)一(yí)次(cì)？( how often = 多(duō)久(jiǔ) ）</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-23T09:37:48.303Z
2013-10-23T09:37:48.303Z
TaraWordoor
<p>The second one is correct to express "How often do you play sports?"</p>

<p>BTW, I would like to give a comment to @Stan, that "你一次运动多久?" is better to express "How long does it last when you do sports for one time?". It's weird to say "你运动多久一次?".</p>

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2013-10-23T11:29:38.223Z
+1 grammatically perfect to say like "你一次运动多久?".
Stan
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2013-10-23T04:36:42.163Z
2013-10-23T04:36:42.163Z
Chang
<p>The second one is better (as the first is a little grammatically off):</p>

<p>你多久运动一次？</p>

<p>Although there's not really a hard and fast rule around whether it should be before or after the verb; from what I understand it should be based on the rest of the sentence structure. For example, these both work:</p>

<p>到底要多久你才會做完呢</p>

<p>你多久才會把它做完呢?</p>

<p>Perhaps it's best said that it goes before if it's being used as a descriptor for something (as in 多久 <em>_</em>_ 一次) but not if it's used on its own / as the "length of time / how long" noun (as in 一次 多久)</p>

<p>[[nb. i might be terribly wrong. so take with a grain of salt like everything else on the internet :P]]</p>

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2013-10-22T02:42:16.613Z
2013-10-22T02:42:16.613Z
Blakomen
<p>多久 ... 一次 is another double-barrelled Chinese phrase, it neither goes before nor after, it goes around something else.</p>

<p>Mix it up with say, 跑步 and you will get a double split!</p>

<p>I think I prefer to ask:</p>

<p>你一周进行多少次体育运动？<br>
How many times a week do you do sports?</p>

<p>多久 ... 一次 really means 'how long time between times when you X'</p>

<p>这个房间脏得不像话，你多久打扫一次呀？<br>
This room is outrageously filthy, how often do you clean it?</p>

<p>你多久做一次运动？<br>
You how long between sport<br>
How often do you do (some kind of) sport?</p>

<p>你多久去一次公园？<br>
How often do you go to the park?</p>

<p>你多久跑一次步？<br>
How often do you go running?</p>

<p>你多久给花浇一次水？<br>
How often do you give the flowers water?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-18T04:34:20.250Z
2020-04-18T04:34:20.250Z
Pedroski
<p>Does an adverb of frequency usually occur after the verb? How should I say "how often do you play sports?"</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你运动<strong>多久</strong>一次？</p>
</blockquote>

<p>OR</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你<strong>多久</strong>运动一次？</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-22T00:13:09.957Z
What are you trying to say? I don't think I quite understand the intended meaning.
Stumpy Joe Pete
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2013-10-22T00:48:03.450Z
How often do you play sports?
user3399
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-22T01:15:11.980Z
"你多久运动一次？" means "How often do you play sports?" And "你运动多久一次？" means "How long does it last when you do sports for one time?" -- but only in spoken language, "你运动多久一次？" sounds a little ill-formed.
Stan
<mandarin><grammar>
Where to put the time phrase? 你运动多久一次？ or 你多久运动一次？
# Where to put the time phrase? 你运动多久一次？ or 你多久运动一次？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-10-21)

Does an adverb of frequency usually occur after the verb? How should I say "how often do you play sports?"

> 你运动**多久**一次？

OR

> 你**多久**运动一次？

**Tags:** mandarin, grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What are you trying to say? I don't think I quite understand the intended meaning.  
> **username_0**: How often do you play sports?  
> **username_2**: "你多久运动一次？" means "How often do you play sports?" And "你运动多久一次？" means "How long does it last when you do sports for one time?" -- but only in spoken language, "你运动多久一次？" sounds a little ill-formed.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-10-23. Score: 5

Actually a frequency adverb should be put before a verb. For example:

我(Wǒ)常(chánɡ)常(chánɡ)游(yóu)泳(yǒnɡ)。 （ I always swim.)

我(Wǒ)周(zhōu)末(mò)偶(ǒu)尔(ěr)去(qù)逛(ɡuànɡ)街(jiē)。( I go for shopping on weekends occasionally.）

And “ How often do you play sports ？” could be translated as:
你(Nǐ)多(duō)久(jiǔ)运(yùn)动(dònɡ)一(yí)次(cì)？( how often = 多(duō)久(jiǔ) ）


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### Answer by username_4 on 2013-10-23. Score: 3

The second one is correct to express "How often do you play sports?"

BTW, I would like to give a comment to @username_2, that "你一次运动多久?" is better to express "How long does it last when you do sports for one time?". It's weird to say "你运动多久一次?".

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: +1 grammatically perfect to say like "你一次运动多久?".  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2013-10-22. Score: 2

The second one is better (as the first is a little grammatically off):

你多久运动一次？

Although there's not really a hard and fast rule around whether it should be before or after the verb; from what I understand it should be based on the rest of the sentence structure. For example, these both work:

到底要多久你才會做完呢

你多久才會把它做完呢?

Perhaps it's best said that it goes before if it's being used as a descriptor for something (as in 多久 *\_*\_ 一次) but not if it's used on its own / as the "length of time / how long" noun (as in 一次 多久)

[[nb. i might be terribly wrong. so take with a grain of salt like everything else on the internet :P]]


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### Answer by username_6 on 2020-04-18. Score: 0

多久 ... 一次 is another double-barrelled Chinese phrase, it neither goes before nor after, it goes around something else.

Mix it up with say, 跑步 and you will get a double split!

I think I prefer to ask:

你一周进行多少次体育运动？  
How many times a week do you do sports?

多久 ... 一次 really means 'how long time between times when you X'

这个房间脏得不像话，你多久打扫一次呀？  
This room is outrageously filthy, how often do you clean it?

你多久做一次运动？  
You how long between sport  
How often do you do (some kind of) sport?

你多久去一次公园？  
How often do you go to the park?

你多久跑一次步？  
How often do you go running?

你多久给花浇一次水？  
How often do you give the flowers water?


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