时不时

時不時

shíbùshí

adverb HSK 7-9 #6,428

Meanings

1 from time to time
2 now and then
3 occasionally

Characters

Literally 'time-not-time' — at unpredictable intervals, sometimes yes and sometimes no.

Examples

他时不时地回头看一眼。

Tā shíbùshí de huítóu kàn yīyǎn.

He glanced back from time to time.

这里时不时会下雨。

Zhèlǐ shíbùshí huì xiàyǔ.

It rains here now and then.

Tips

usage

时不时 is more colloquial than 不时 or 偶尔. Often followed by 地 (de) before the verb: 时不时地看手机.

Stroke Order

时 shí

不 bù