爱华网最近在学生作业本中碰到“usually”与“often”的区别联系。之前我只知道它们都是频度副词，词义比较相近，于是上网找了一下，有位资深的老师给出了很好的区别与解释，于是我也自己查了下字典，理解的比较透彻。我认为用英语来解释英语词汇更有效也更精确。于是我也将这位老师的解释复制了过来，相信对其他对这个有问题的同行会有帮助
often和usually尽管都被认为是频度副词，但含义是不一样的，而且两者的区别不是“频率”上的问题。朗文词典(第四版)：
1:many times（次数很多，经常）: I've often heard it said that is is thecleverest in class. I would like to go to Shanghai moreoften.
OFTEN 2: in manycases（在许多情况下）: Americans are often very tall. It isoften difficult to translate poems.
USUALLY: in mostcases（在大多数情况下）; generally（一般说来）: We're usually in bed byten. I'm not usually so late. It's more than usuallycrowded today.
cf. USUAL:customary（惯常的）; in accordance with what happens or is done in mostcases（在大多数情况下发生的）: We will meet at the usual time. I'dlike to have my usual (said in arestaurant).
牛津词典(第四版)：
OFTEN 1: manytimes（次数很多地）; at short intervals, frequently（间隔很短地，频繁地）: Wehave been there quite often.
OFTEN 2: in many instances（在许多情况下）: Thesetypes of dog often have eye problems. Oldhouses are often damp.
USUALLY: in the way thatis usual（usual地）; most often（最常地）: What do you usuallydo on Sundays?
cf. USUAL: such as happens or is done orused, etc in many or most instances（在大多数情况下发生的）; customary（惯常地）:make all the usual excuses; As is usual withchildren, they soon got tired.
Collins COBUILDDictionary:
OFTEN 1: If somethingOFTEN happens, it happens many times or much of thetime.多次发生地，大部分时间在发生地 They often spent Christmas atPrescott Hill.
OFTEN 2: You use OFTENafter 'how", or in clauses, to give information about the frequencyof something. How often do you go toShanghai? I don't do it as often asJohn. (USUALLY can't be used.)
USUALLY: If somethingUSUALLY happens, it is the thing that most often happens in aparticular situation.（在特定情况下最常发生地） The best informaiton abouthotels usually comes from friends and acquaintances who havebeen there.
从上面可以看出，OFTEN1是真正表示的频度的副词，可以翻译成“经常”；
而USUALLY与usual有关，表示“惯常地(in a customary way)；在通常的情况下(in mostcases/instances)”，与“朗文”、“牛津”中OFTEN 2的含义类似。最明确的说明应当是CollinsCOBUILD词典中的“that most often happens in a particularsituation”。换一个角度思考，USUALLY来自于usual，理解起来可能更容易。
从语用角度来说，I often go toShanghai可以独句使用，比如发起话题。
而I usually go toShanghai通常需要有上下文或情境才会显得自然。如果用此句发起话题，通常会有上下文对此句进行“抑制”，如I usually goto Shanghai in summer vacation, but this summer I'd like to have achange.。下面这句话中可以看出often和usually的区别TheyOFTEN eat out on the weekends, but USUALLY they choose the cheapbut nice-looking cafeterias
