The word for "usually" in Mandarin In Mandarin, there are many words to express the meaning &quot;usually&quot; - 通常，平常，平日，素，率，素来，往往，常，etc... (actually there are way more, but I don't list all of them here).
There are too many to choose the correct word. How are all of them different and more importantly, how can I know which word fits the best for my specific purpose?
At least for me it feels that 通常 and 平常 are used more often, but I'm not sure.
For example, in these contexts:

Do you usually go to the cafe?
What do you usually do after work?
Do you usually come to Shanghai on your holiday?

In these cases, how can I know which one to use? Or are these more or less the same and which to choose does not affect that much?
Just like &quot;usually, typically, normally and often&quot; in English, &quot;通常, 平日, 素来, 往往 and 常常&quot; In Chinese have overlapping meanings but they all have subtle differences with each others.

&quot;通常&quot; = usually /typically (emphasizes on normalcy)
Example : &quot;他通常不做好事&quot; (usually, he doesn't do good things - not doing good things to him is normal)

~

&quot;平日&quot;= &quot;in normal days/ normally&quot;  (emphasizes on regularity)
Example : &quot;他平日不做好事&quot; (normally, he doesn't do good things  - it is a regular routine for him to not do the good things)

~

&quot;素/ 素来&quot; = &quot;always&quot; (emphasizes on constancy)
Example : &quot;他素来不做好事&quot; (always, he doesn't do good things- he has always been like that )

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&quot;往往&quot; = &quot;often&quot; (implies 'ironically')
Example : &quot;他往往不做好事&quot; (often, he doesn't do good things- despite other's expectation )

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&quot;常/ 常常 &quot; = often  (implies more often than not)
Example : &quot;他常常不做好事&quot; (often, he doesn't do good things- he is like that more often than not)