a menudo
adverbCEFR B1High frequency
What does “a menudo” mean in English?
often, frequently
often, frequently (high-frequency habitual marker)
Example sentences
A menudo pienso en lo que haría si pudiera vivir en otro país; es una pregunta que me hago cuando veo los precios de los alquileres aquí.
I often think about what I would do if I could live in another country; it is a question I ask myself when I see the rental prices here.
Cuando era estudiante, a menudo salíamos a cenar fuera aunque no teníamos mucho dinero, porque las tapas eran baratas.
When I was a student, we often went out to eat even though we didn't have much money, because tapas were cheap.
How to use it
A menudo means 'often' or 'frequently' and is a sentence adverb that expresses high habitual frequency. In Spanish, it typically appears at the beginning or end of a clause — unlike English 'often', which usually sits immediately before the main verb. In a compound tense, it is not sandwiched between auxiliary and participle: say 'a menudo he ido' or 'he ido a menudo', not '*he a menudo ido'. It pairs naturally with the present indicative for current habits and the imperfect for past habits, but can also appear with soler for reinforced habituality.
Common mistake
English speakers place 'often' between subject and verb ('I often think') and transfer this directly to Spanish, producing '*pienso a menudo' rather than 'a menudo pienso' at the start or 'pienso a menudo' at the end. Both positions are correct in Spanish, but sentence-initial is very natural and preferred in spoken registers.