adjectiveadverb

häufig

often · frequently · frequent · common

Etwas passiert viele Male oder immer wieder.

Definition & meaning

häufig means frequent, common, or often, depending on its grammatical use.

As an adjective, it describes something that occurs many times or is found in large numbers:
- häufige Fehler = frequent mistakes
- eine häufige Krankheit = a common illness
As an adverb, it means often:
- Er kommt häufig zu spät. = He is often late.

The comparative forms are:

häufiger = more frequent, more often
am häufigsten = most frequent, most often

Grammar & Word origin

häufig is an adjective and can also be used adverbially. As an adjective, it can take endings according to the noun:

ein häufiger Fehler = a frequent mistake
häufige Fehler = frequent mistakes

The word is derived from Haufen , meaning “heap” or “large group,” with the suffix -ig . Its original sense was roughly “occurring in heaps” or “present in large numbers.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

oft = often; usually more natural than häufig when talking about repeated actions
regelmäßig = regularly; emphasizes a recurring pattern or fixed intervals, not merely a high frequency
verbreitet = widespread or common; describes how widely something exists rather than how often it occurs
zahlreich = numerous; refers mainly to a large quantity of people or things

Antonyms

selten = rare or seldom; the most direct antonym
vereinzelt = isolated or sporadic; emphasizes that occurrences are separated and few
unüblich = unusual or uncommon; emphasizes deviation from what is normal