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
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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 oft
often
Both oft and meistens can work for recurring behavior. Oft indicates a high frequency, while meistens says that something happens in more than half or the usual share of cases. Use meistens when the usual case is the focus, and oft for many, but not necessarily most, occasions.
meistens
Ich fahre meistens mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit, nur bei Regen nicht.
I usually cycle to work, except when it rains.
oft
Ich fahre oft mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit, aber nicht jeden Tag.
I often cycle to work, but not every day.
In real life
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