What’s the difference between经常 (jīnɡchánɡ)、通常 (tōnɡchánɡ)?

Lots of words in Chinese have very similar meanings but slightly different uses or implications. These words are referred to as near-synonyms.

One of the most common near synonyms you’re going to meet in your Mandarin studies is 经常 (jīnɡchánɡ) and 通常 (tōnɡchánɡ). Check out their meanings below:

通常 (tōnɡchánɡ) refers to the frequency of an event. It is similar to the English words usually or normally. For example:
我通常七点起床。
通常情况下， 我喜欢吃汉堡。

经常 (jīnɡchánɡ) places more emphasis on an individual action. It is roughly equivalent to the English often. For example:
我经常出差。
我经常加班。

Knowing the difference between these two will certainly help if you decide to do the HSK test. Try and listen out for the differences in how your teachers and Chinese friends use经常 (jīnɡchánɡ) and通常 (tōnɡchánɡ). Good luck and don’t forget to ask us if you have any questions.