时而

時而

shíér

adverb HSK 6 #20,993

Meanings

At times — used in literary or formal contexts for intermittent actions.

天气时而晴，时而阴。

Tiānqì shí'ér qíng, shí'ér yīn.

The weather is sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy.

她时而微笑，时而叹气。

Tā shí'ér wēixiào, shí'ér tànqì.

She sometimes smiles, sometimes sighs.

他的情绪时而高涨，时而低落。

Tā de qíngxù shí'ér gāozhǎng, shí'ér dīluò.

His mood alternates between highs and lows.

usage

时而 is often used in pairs: 时而A，时而B = 'sometimes A, sometimes B.' It's more literary than 有时候.

memory

Think of it as 'time + and' — at this time and at that time, things keep changing.

时 shí

而 ér