Navigation
Grammar Levels
HSK 1
27 points
HSK 2
49 points
HSK 3
92 points
HSK 4
99 points
HSK 5
45 points
Resources
Expressing 'occasionally' with 偶尔 (ǒu'ěr)
Degree & Intensity
Frequency & Habit
Structure
Subject + 偶尔 + Verb Phrase
Explanation
偶尔 (ǒu'ěr) means "occasionally," "once in a while," or "sometimes," indicating that something happens infrequently but not rarely enough to be surprising. It is typically placed before the verb it modifies. For example, 偶尔会送上 means "would occasionally deliver."
Examples
我偶尔会去那家咖啡店坐坐。
Wǒ ǒu'ěr huì qù nà jiā kāfēi diàn zuòzuo.
I occasionally go sit in that coffee shop for a while.
他偶尔也会自己做饭，不过大多数时候叫外卖。
Tā ǒu'ěr yě huì zìjǐ zuò fàn, búguò dàduōshù shíhou jiào wàimài.
He occasionally cooks for himself, but most of the time he orders delivery.
周末偶尔下下棋，算是放松一下。
Zhōumò ǒu'ěr xià xià qí, suàn shì fàngsōng yíxià.
On weekends I occasionally play chess as a way to relax.