"I need to take medicine three times a day."

Translation: 我一天需要吃三次药。

[Lodus2]

How exactly were we supposed to guess this grammar construction?

[karlens3]

我一天三次需要吃药

[CinnamonTe1]

To say how often you do a verb (as a habit), you put the frequency after the verb.

Subj. + [Length of Time] + Verb + Times (+ Obj.)

https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22how_often%22

I still want to know whether "我一天三次需要吃药" should also be accepted.

[donbrahba]

I'm not native Chinese, but this looks like, in one day, there are three times that you want or need to take medication.

[woa7dSD5]

That's what the English says; but is it correct in Chinese?

[Rk5I3]

Then what about 我需要一天三次 chī 薬。It wasn't accepted either.

[woa7dSD5]

That's what I put. I don't know if it's incorrect or just one of DL's overlooked correct answers.

[Mayisoon]

Why are the 2 time-modifiers separate?

[Rk5I3]

It feels like 次 is a counter word for medicine in this sentence, but is it really?

[EmreErboke]

次 in this sentence is a counter word for time as in "3 times a day" not for medicine

[DestinationVoid]

Any reference to this grammar construction?

[dafadllyn]

See e.g. here. The pattern is:

subject + period of time + verb + number + 次 (+ object)

In this example:

我 subject
一天 period of time
需要吃 verb
三 number
次
藥 object

[wohengaoxing]

Thanks for this; greatly appreciated.

[JGduolingoer]

Now I understand!, Remember that when we have a verb that requires an object the object is separated from the verb when we include a period of time, maybe that's why 吃 is separated from 药.

[kuyaC]

Is 三次 a modifier of 药?

[tebkanlo]

in another example (the keeps the doctor way) it was said "一天一个苹果医生不找我" so, why can't I say this one as "一天三次我需要吃药" ?