あの べんごし は いつも いらいにん の こと を まもります。
ano bengoshi wa itsumo irainin no koto o mamorimasu.
That lawyer always protects his clients.
Listen up, my G’s, let’s talk some words we can use to say how frequently we do things. We’re talking about words like いつも (itsumo), ときどき (tokidoki), よく (yoku), and たまに (tamani). These ain’t like those numbers you gotta remember for your crew’s headcount. Nah, these are the words you use to tell me how often somethin’ goes down, but without gettin’ into the nitty-gritty details. It’s like when you tell your homies, “I always got your back,” or “I sometimes gotta handle some business.”
The nuance here is that these words show a general truth, a habit, or a pattern of life. They don’t pin down a specific time. They give you a vibe, a feel for the frequency. Think of it like this: いつも is your main squeeze, your ride-or-die. よく is your homie you see all the time. ときどき is that cousin you bump into at family parties. たまに is that old friend you only see on Facebook.
This is the easy part, fam. These bad boys are like the OG’s of the block; they don’t change for nobody. You just drop ’em right in front of the verb or adjective you tryna describe. It’s a straight-up, no-fuss kinda deal.
| Adverb | Meaning | Example |
| いつも (itsumo) | Always | いつもかねをかぞえる。 (itsumo kane o kazoeru) – I always count the money. |
| よく (yoku) | Often | よくボスにおこられる。 (yoku bosu ni okorareru) – I often get yelled at by the boss. |
| ときどき (tokidoki) | Sometimes | ときどきうらぎりものがいる。 (tokidoki uragirimono ga iru) – Sometimes there are traitors. |
| たまに (tamani) | Rarely, once in a while | たまにしかしごとしない。 (tamani shika shigoto shinai) – I rarely do work. |
いつも (itsumo) is for your daily hustle, the stuff that’s 100% constant. If it’s your routine, it’s いつも.
よく (yoku) is for when something happens a lot, maybe like 70% of the time. It’s not a constant, but it’s a frequent occurrence. It can also mean “well,” but in this context, we’re talkin’ frequency.
ときどき (tokidoki) is your “sometimes” word. It’s a 50/50 kind of deal. It happens, but it ain’t a habit.
たまに (tamani) is for those rare sightings, the 10% of the time stuff. It’s less frequent than ときどき and means you see it pop up every once in a blue moon.
One thing you may notice with this grammar is the word しか (shika) popping up. しか is a grammar rule that ain’t playing around. When you slap しか after a noun or an adverb, it’s like a bouncer at a club, only letting certain things in. It sets a hard limit, a definitive negative, and it always teams up with a negative verb
e.g. たまに しか あたらしい ぶき を かわない。
Tamani shika atarashii buku o kawanai.
This translates to “I buy new weapons only once in a while.” The しか is there to double-down on the rarity. Without it, you could just say たまにあたらしいいぶきをかう (I rarely buy new weapons), which has a softer vibe.
Peep these words to get your vocab game on lock.
みはる (miharu)
English: To keep watch; to patrol; to be on the lookout.
When you ’bout to hit that lick or make a move, you gotta have your man miharuin’. He’s the one posted up on the corner, checkin’ for the five-oh. He’s got his eyes peeled, makin’ sure nobody creepin’ up on the crew. It’s that look-out duty, so you know the coast is clear and you can handle your business without gettin’ caught slippin’.
ぬすむ (nusumu)
English: To steal; to rob.
This right here is the whole game. When you nusumu somethin’, you takin’ what ain’t yours, straight up. Whether it’s a chain, a whip, or some cash, you gettin’ that paper by any means necessary. It’s about gettin’ paid and gettin’ out, no permission asked, no apology given. It’s the hustle.
うらぎる (uragiru)
English: To betray.
Man, this is the foulest thing you can do. When your own homie uragiru you, it’s a wrap. They switch sides, talk to the feds, or cross you for some paper. It’s that backstabbin’ move that breaks all the rules of the street. Loyalty is everything, and when you get uragirued, it’s a code red situation, feel me?
あらわれる (arawareru)
English: To appear; to show up.
You can’t be everywhere at once, right? So when you finally arawareru on the block, it means you’ve shown up to handle your business. Maybe you been low-key, layin’ in the cut, and then you just pop out. When the big boss arawareru on the scene, everyone knows the game is on and things are ’bout to go down for real.
ぶき (buki)
English: A weapon.
This is what you keep on you for protection. A buki ain’t for playin’, it’s for makin’ sure you stay safe and sound. It can be a knife, a piece, or whatever you need to get the job done and protect what’s yours. It’s that tool that gives you that ultimate power on these streets, so you can handle any situation that comes your way. It’s the equalizer.
Check out these sentences, G. They’re all about that life, but with a little humor mixed in. Get ready to learn how we use these words in the real world.
おれ は いつも ボス に うそ を つく。
ore wa itsumo bosu ni uso o tsuku.
I always lie to the boss.
あいつ は いつも かね の こと を かんがえて いる。
aitsu wa itsumo kane no koto o kangaete iru.
That guy is always thinking about money.
おれたち は よく てき の アジト を みはる。
oretachi wa yoku teki no ajito o miharu.
We often stake out the enemy’s hideout.
あいつ は よく けいさつ に つかまる。
aitsu wa yoku keisatsu ni tsukamaru.
That guy often gets caught by the police.
たまに しか あたらしい ぶき を かわない。
tamani shika atarashii buki o kawanai.
I rarely buy new weapons.
ボス は たまに しか わらわない。
bosu wa tamani shika warawanai.
The boss rarely laughs.
おれ は いつも ぶき を かくしている。
ore wa itsumo buki o kakushite iru.
I always hide my weapons.
おれ は よく てき の くるま を ぬすむ。
ore wa yoku teki no kuruma o nusumu.
I often steal the enemy’s cars.
おれ の なかま は ときどき うらぎる。
ore no nakama wa tokidoki uragiru.
My crew sometimes betrays me.
ボス は たまに しか あらわれない。
bosu wa tamani shika arawarenai.
The boss rarely shows up.
Keep your head on a swivel and your verbs in check. Holla at me if you need to know more, ya heard?
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