Oft means “often.” You will almost never hear it in ordinary talk. It belongs to older English, to poems, hymns, and a few frozen phrases: oft-quoted, oft-repeated, oft-forgotten. Shakespeare and old Bibles are full of it; a shopkeeper is not.

Oftoft means "often."「oft」意思是「often」（常常）. You will almost never hear it你幾乎不會聽到它 in ordinary talk出現在日常對話裡. It belongs to older English它屬於比較古老的英文, to poems, hymns出現在詩、聖詩裡, and a few frozen phrases還有一些固定用法: oft-quoted, oft-repeated, oft-forgotten「oft-quoted」、「oft-repeated」、「oft-forgotten」這類詞. Shakespeare and old Bibles莎士比亞和古老的聖經 are full of it裡面到處都是它; a shopkeeper is not而店家老闆不會這樣說.

If a student writes “I oft go to the park,” it sounds stiff or simply wrong for modern prose — we say often.

If a student writes如果一個學生寫 "I oft go to the park,"「I oft go to the park」, it sounds stiff or simply wrong for modern prose聽起來在現代文章裡會很生硬、甚至不對 — we say often我們會說「often」.

Though actually, they are the same word in different clothes. Often is basically oft with an extra -en that speakers added later. German still uses oft for “often” every day; English kept oft in the attic and put often in the kitchen.

Though actually不過事實上, they are the same word in different clothes它們其實是同一個字，只是穿著不同的外衣. Oftenoften basically is基本上就是 oftoft with an extra -en加了一個-en that speakers added later後來的人加上去的. German德文 still uses oft for "often" every day每天還在用oft表示「often」; English kept oft in the attic而英文把oft收進了閣樓 and put often in the kitchen把often留在廚房裡用.

As a living prefix in compounds (oft-cited, oft-maligned) it is still quite common in journalism. As a free word in speech, it is not.

As a living prefix in compounds當作活的字首放進複合詞裡時 (oft-cited, oft-maligned像oft-cited、oft-maligned這樣), it is still quite common in journalism它在新聞寫作裡還算常見. As a free word in speech但當作單獨的字用在口語裡, it is not它就不常見了.