01
meistens
mostly / usually
Expresses that something happens in most cases, usually, or normally.
example
Am Wochenende schlafe ich meistens etwas länger.
On weekends, I usually sleep a little longer.
meistens
mostly
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is formed from 'meist' (the superlative of 'viel' (much/many)) and the ending '-ens'. It literally means 'in most cases' and helps you talk about habits.
EXAMPLE
Meistens trinke ich morgens einen Kaffee.
Usually I drink a coffee in the morning.
Position in the sentence
'Meistens' can be placed flexibly in the sentence. If it is in position 1, the verb follows directly after it. But it can also stand after the verb to give it less emphasis.
EXAMPLE
Meistens fahre ich mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit.
Usually I ride my bike to work.
Register: everyday language
'Meistens' is a very typical word in spoken and everyday language. It sounds natural and is used more often than more formal alternatives.
EXAMPLE
Im Sommer sind wir meistens im Garten.
In the summer, we are usually in the garden.
Compare with
meistens vs immer
always
'immer' and 'meistens' both describe how often something happens. They are easy to confuse because both can be used for regular situations. But 'immer' means without exception: every time. 'meistens' only means in most cases; exceptions are possible. If you are sure that it is never different, use 'immer'. If it is normally that way, but not every time, 'meistens' is more precise.
meistens
Der Arzt kommt meistens vor neun Uhr in die Praxis.
The doctor usually arrives at the practice before nine o'clock.
immer
Er schließt die Werkstatt immer um sechs Uhr ab.
He always locks up the workshop at six o'clock.
In real life
Loading video examples...