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N5 · G80 Time and sequence

いつも

Always / Usually

いつも means "always" or "usually". It describes something you do every time or as a habit, and いつもの + noun means "the usual ~".

How to make it

RuleExample
いつも + Verb (before the verb phrase)
Topic は + いつも + description
いつもの + Noun
いつも + Verb て-form + います (habit)

Meaning and examples

  1. 1. Habits

    Talk about things you do every time or every day, like your normal routine.

    • chichi wa itsumo shichiji ni okimasu.

      My father always gets up at seven.

    • watashi wa itsumo basu de gakkou e ikimasu.

      I usually go to school by bus.

    • asagohan no mae ni, itsumo shinbun o yomimasu.

      I always read the newspaper before breakfast.

  2. 2. Describing how someone or something always is

    Use it with adjectives or nouns to describe a constant state: いつもいそがしい (always busy).

    • yamakawa san wa itsumo isogashii desu.

      Mr Yamakawa is always busy.

    • kono mise wa itsumo shizuka desu.

      This shop is always quiet.

  3. 3. The usual

    いつもの + noun means "the usual", such as the usual place or the usual order.

    • itsumo no mise de aimashou.

      Let's meet at the usual place.

    • kyou mo itsumo no koohii o kudasai.

      My usual coffee again today, please.

Nuance

いつも can mean "always" or "usually"; it is not as strict as the English "always". With a negative, いつも〜ません means you habitually don't do it (いつもあさごはんを食べません: I always skip breakfast). For "not at all", use ぜんぜん〜ません. Don't confuse いつも with いつ (when), which is a question word. For lower frequency, use よく (often), ときどき (sometimes) and あまり〜ません (not often).

Compared with

とても shows degree (very). いつも shows frequency (always).

もう means "already" or "anymore", about change over time. いつも describes a habit that stays the same.

〜ている can describe a habit by itself. Adding いつも stresses that it happens every time.

Common mistakes

Wrong

Right

いつ is the question word "when"; "the usual" is いつもの.

Wrong

Right

Before a noun you need の: いつもの店 means "the usual shop".

Practice

JLPT style: choose the best answer for ( ).

FAQ

What is the difference between いつも and いつ?

いつ is a question word meaning "when". いつも means "always" or "usually".

Does いつも〜ません mean "never"?

It is close. いつもあさごはんを食べません means you habitually skip breakfast. For a strong "not at all" or "never", Japanese usually uses ぜんぜん with a negative verb: ぜんぜん飲みません.

What does いつもの mean?

いつもの + noun means "the usual ~": いつもの店 (the usual shop), いつものコーヒー (my usual coffee).

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