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In Chinese, frequency and repetitive adverbs are used to indicate how often an action occurs or to emphasize the habitual nature of an action. The adverbs 通常 (tōngcháng), 往往 (wǎngwǎng), 总 (zǒng), and 总是 (zǒngshì) serve this purpose, each with subtle differences in meaning and usage.
通常 (tōngcháng): This adverb means "usually" or "generally." It indicates a common occurrence or a typical situation. For example, in the sentence "李经理通常很早就到公司" (Manager Li usually arrives at the company early), it suggests that this is a regular habit of Manager Li.
往往 (wǎngwǎng): This adverb translates to "often" or "frequently," but it carries a connotation of a tendency or likelihood rather than a certainty. For instance, "为了记住一个汉字，他往往要写很多遍" (To remember a Chinese character, he often has to write it many times) implies that while he frequently writes characters multiple times, it may not always be the case.
总 (zǒng): This adverb means "always" or "generally," and it can imply a sense of inevitability or a strong tendency. In the sentence "我总弄不明白什么时候用‘把’字句，常常一说就错" (I always can't understand when to use the '把' construction, and I often make mistakes as soon as I speak), it emphasizes the speaker's consistent struggle with this grammatical structure.
总是 (zǒngshì): Similar to 总, this phrase means "always" and is used to express a habitual action or a consistent outcome. For example, "他去机场总是提前两个小时出发" (He always leaves for the airport two hours in advance) indicates that this is a regular practice for him.
In summary, while all these adverbs express frequency, 通常 and 往往 suggest a more general or habitual occurrence, whereas 总 and 总是 emphasize a stronger sense of consistency or inevitability in actions. Understanding these nuances can enhance your ability to express frequency and habitual actions in Chinese effectively.