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HSK 2.0 Level 2+ HSK 3.0 Level 2+ 6 min read

Duration and Frequency

Say how long something lasted and how many times it happened.

Pattern

Verb + duration; number + 次

Put duration after the action and count occurrences with 次.

我学习了两个小时。

When to use Duration and Frequency

Duration usually follows the verb or object structure. 次 counts how many occurrences of an action happened.

我去过北京三次。

I have been to Beijing three times.

她每天跑步。

She runs every day.

请等五分钟。

Please wait five minutes.

这个电影我看了两次。

I watched this movie twice.

Common traps

  • Do not confuse a time point with a duration.
  • 次 counts events, not objects.
  • Duration placement can change when the object is long; keep examples short at first.

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

我学习了两个 。

Missing grammar piece
Meanings
hour