How to use 多长时间…一次
Subj. + 多长时间 + Verb + 一次 (+ Obj.)
A common Chinese frequency question asks how much time passes between occurrences of an action. Put 多长时间 before the action and 一次 after its verbal part. This treats one occurrence as the unit and asks for the interval. With a verb-object activity, the counted occurrence usually sits between the verb and its object.
Answers can state a period before the action and give the number of occurrences after the verb. The answer does not have to retain the question’s one-occurrence viewpoint. Distinguish this from asking how long one event lasts, which concerns duration rather than frequency. Decide whether you need the gap between events or the length of an individual event.
Examples with pinyin and English
你多长时间踢一次球？
How often do you play soccer?
你多长时间剪一次头发？
How often do you cut your hair?
你多长时间刮一次胡子？
How often do you shave?
我一周给妈妈打两次电话。
I give mom a call twice a week.
What to remember
- 一次 counts an occurrence of the action.
- Separate a verb from its object when needed.
- Frequency differs from the duration of one event.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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