【十分钟英语】多久?How often还是How long?
英文中以how开头的问句很多,其中有很多“how + 副词”开头的问句。今天我们来学习两个经常容易混淆的句型:
How often…?
How long…?
第一个句型中用的是often,意思是“经常”,how often就是问“有多经常”,按中文的语言习惯通常会译成“多久”;第二个句型中用的是long,意思是“时长”,how long问的就是“有多长时间”,也多半会翻译成“多久”。如果从中文翻译过去,就存在这个选择问题了:用how often还是how long?
其实,你只需要记住,how often问的是频率,how long问的是花费的时间,搞清楚这一点,就会很轻松地选择使用了。
我们来看这两个句型的实际运用。将以下对话练习纯熟,熟能生巧,需要用的时候,自然而然就知道该怎么用了!
A: How often do you eat out?
B: About once or twice a week.
A:你多久在外面吃一次饭?
B:一星期大约一两次。
A: How often do you go to the movies?
B: Not much, maybe once every two or three months. I usually watch movies online.
A:你多久去看一次电影?
B:不常看,也许两三个月去一次。我通常在网上看。
比较:
A: How long does the movie last?
B: Nearly two hours.
A:电影放多久?/电影多长时间?
B:将近两小时。
A: How often do you visit your parents?
B: About once or twice every year. They still live in my hometown.
A:你多久去看望你父母一次?
B:大约每年去一两次。他们还住在我老家。
A: How often do you work out?
B: Not often enough. Maybe twice a month.
A:你多久锻炼一次?
B:不太经常。也许每个月两次。
A: How long have you been married?
B: About 5 years, yourself?
A:你结婚多久了?
B:大约5年了,你呢?
A: How long have you been feeling like this?
B: About a week now.
A:你有这种感觉多久了?
B:大约一个星期了。
比较:
A: How often do you feel like this?
B: Several times a day.
A:你多久会有一次这样的感觉?
B:一天几次。
A: How long does it take to go to your office?
B: 15 minutes’ walk.
A:去你办公室要多长时间?
B:步行要15分钟。
A: How long will it take to get to the subway station?
B: Less than five minutes.
A:到最近的地铁要多久?
B:不用五分钟。
学习英语重在练习,贵在坚持!功到自然成!加油!