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What is the most idiomatic translation of "how often" into Spanish in questions like:

  • How often do the buses stop here?
  • How often does it rain in November?
  • How often do you get headaches?
  • How often do flights get cancelled at this airport?

The dictionary translation is con que frecuencia, but is that the only way to translate "how often"? Are questions like this in Spanish usually structured like their English equivalents, or are questions reworded to avoid the sense of "how often"?

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Con qué frecuencia...

is just right.

Some alternative rewordings:

¿Cada cuántos minutos pasa el bus?

¿Cada cuánto (tiempo) pasa el bus?

¿Cómo son de frecuentes tus jaquecas? (or more correct: "¿Qué tan frecuentes son tus jaquecas?")

¿Cuál es la frecuencia de lluvias durante noviembre?

¿Cuán frecuentemente se cancelan los vuelos...? (slightly ugly)

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  • I think "¿Cómo son de frecuentes..." should be "¿Que tan frecuentes...?".
    – Alfredo Osorio
    Jan 23, 2012 at 22:53
  • @AlfredoO: yes, that's better spanish. But (sadly) not so much spoken in real Argentina. :-) I'll add it, thanks.
    – leonbloy
    Jan 23, 2012 at 22:57
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Another alternative is cuán seguido:

¿Cuán seguido pasan los buses aquí?

¿Cuán seguido llueve en noviembre?

¿Cuán seguido tienes jaqueca?

¿Cuán seguido se cancelan los vuelos en este aeropuerto?

Also, cuán a menudo, with the same usage.

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