What are the differences in use between 普段{ふだん} and 通常{つうじょう}?
I'd written
カラオケもですね？通常どんな曲{きょく}を歌{うた}いますか？
which was then corrected to
カラオケもですね？普段どんな曲を歌いますか？
What is the general distinction?
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1 Answer
普段 means "usually" in a daily life context. 通常 means "normal", as in the absence of a non-normal situation, especially in a formal context.
They can roughly mean the same thing, e.g. if you say 普段はこの道を通ります or 通常はこの道を通ります, it both means you usually/normally take this route. However, for example you can say 大統領のパレードは通常この道を通ります but not 大統領のパレードは普段この道を通ります because presidential parades aren't daily occurrence.
Conversely you can say 普段は鼻毛を切らない but saying 通常は鼻毛を切らない is odd because it sounds oddly formal and implies there are some extraordinary circumstances where the nose hairs are cut because of it. The former 普段は鼻毛を切らない simply means you usually don't cut your nose hairs.
