しょっちゅう
しょっちゅう
adverb
constantly; all the time; frequently
1.
constantly, all the time, frequently, always
Describes something that happens very often, to the point of being excessive or notable. Colloquial and slightly exaggerated.
あの二人はしょっちゅう喧嘩している。
Those two are constantly fighting.
最近、しょっちゅう頭が痛くなる。
Lately, I've been getting headaches all the time.
学生の頃は、しょっちゅうあの店でラーメンを食べていた。
When I was a student, I was always eating ramen at that shop.
Derived from 始終 (from beginning to end).
FREQUENCY COMPARISON (high → low):
- いつも: always
- しょっちゅう: constantly, all the time (casual)
- よく: often
- 時々: sometimes
- たまに: occasionally
USAGE: More casual and emphatic than よく or いつも. Often carries a nuance of "too often" or slight exasperation. Common in spoken Japanese.