usual

Compared meaning: normal, done regularly or by custom (adjective).

比较义项：通常发生或按照惯例、习惯进行的（形容词）。

• usual 本词

  The most neutral, general word for what normally happens to a specific person, time, or situation, with no judgment implied; common in fixed phrases like 'usual time/place' and 'as usual'.

  语气最中性、笼统的说法，用于描述某个人、某个时间或某种情况通常会怎样，不带评判；常见于“usual time/place”“as usual”等固定说法。

  He arrived at his usual time, right after eight.

  他在平常的时间到达，也就是八点刚过。

• customary

  Describes what a group's customs or social conventions dictate rather than a personal habit; typically appears in the impersonal pattern 'it is customary to...' and carries a slightly formal register.

  表示某个群体的风俗或社会惯例所规定的做法，而不是个人习惯；常用于无人称句型“it is customary to...”，语域略正式。

  It is customary to shake hands when meeting someone new.

  初次见面握手是一种惯例。

• habitual

  Describes a behavior repeated so often that it has become a fixed trait of a person, often with a negative or critical tone, as in 'habitual liar' or 'habitual lateness'.

  表示某种行为反复出现，已经成为一个人固定的特点，常带负面或批评的语气，如“habitual liar”（惯常说谎的人）、“habitual lateness”（习惯性迟到）。

  His habitual lateness finally made his boss lose all patience.

  他习惯性的迟到终于让老板忍无可忍。

Usual, customary and habitual all mean normal or regular. Usual is neutral, for what normally happens, with no judgment. Customary describes what a group's customs dictate, e.g. 'it is customary to...'. Habitual describes behavior repeated so often it becomes a personal trait, often negative.

这三个词都表示“经常发生或按常规进行的”，但语气和适用对象不同：usual最中性、笼统，可用于任何人或情况；customary强调符合某个群体的风俗惯例，语域略正式；habitual强调个人反复养成的习惯，常带负面评价。

Compared meaning: happening often or as expected (adjective).

比较义项：常见的、平常的（形容词）。

• familiar

  Describes something recognized because you have experienced or encountered it before, often a specific problem, face, or situation; less about general statistical frequency and more about personal recognition through repetition.

  描述某样东西因为你以前经历过或遇到过而被认出，通常指某个具体的问题、面孔或情况；比起统计上的普遍程度，更强调因反复接触而产生的个人认知。

  That question sounded familiar, since someone had asked it just last week.

  那个问题听起来有点熟悉，因为上周才有人问过。

• common

  Describes something that happens often or is widespread among a group, type, or population; the neutral, general-purpose word for frequency, often paired with 'among' or 'in'.

  描述某事经常发生，或在某个群体、类型或人群中普遍存在；是表示频率的中性通用词，常与“among”或“in”搭配使用。

  Traffic jams are common in this city during rush hour.

  在这座城市，交通拥堵在高峰时段很常见。

• usual 本词

  Describes the normal, expected way something happens for a particular person, time, or routine; implies a customary pattern rather than general frequency, and contrasts with what's different this time.

  描述对某个人、某个时间或某种惯例而言正常、可预期的发生方式；强调的是习惯性模式而非总体频率，并带有“这次不一样”的对比含义。

  She ordered her usual coffee before heading to work.

  她在去上班之前点了她平常喝的咖啡。

Familiar, common, and usual all relate to something not unusual. Familiar means recognized from experience, like a familiar problem. Common means happening often among a group. Usual means normal for someone's routine. Their other senses, 'a familiar face' and 'a common interest', are not compared.

这三个词都可以表示“常见、平常”，但侧重点不同：familiar 强调因反复接触而“认得出”，common 强调在群体或范围内“普遍存在”，usual 强调对某人或某惯例而言“照常、符合预期”。这里不比较 familiar 表示“相识的、熟悉某人某物”的用法（如 a familiar face 熟悉的面孔），也不比较 common 表示“共同的、公有的”的用法（如 common interest 共同利益）。