AdverbsHSK 4
Expressing "occasionally" with 偶尔
偶尔 means "occasionally" or "once in a while," used to describe something that happens sometimes but not often.
It is often used with 才 to emphasize the rarity of the event ("only once in a while").
Structure
偶尔 + Verb
As an adverb, placed directly before the verb
Subj. + 偶尔 + Verb / 才 + Verb
Often paired with 才 to stress how rarely something happens
Examples
- 我偶尔在家做饭，不常去餐厅。Wǒ ǒu ěr zài jiā zuò fàn, bù cháng qù cān tīng.I occasionally cook at home; I don't often go to restaurants.
- 他偶尔会忘记带钥匙。Tā ǒu ěr huì wàng jì dài yào shi.He occasionally forgets to bring his keys.
- 我们偶尔在咖啡馆见面聊天。Wǒ men ǒu ěr zài kā fēi guǎn jiàn miàn liáo tiān.We meet up and chat at a café once in a while.
- 她平时很忙，偶尔才有时间看电影。Tā píng shí hěn máng, ǒu ěr cái yǒu shí jiān kàn diàn yǐng.She's usually very busy and only has time to watch movies once in a while.
- 北京偶尔会下雪，但大部分时候比较干燥。Běi jīng ǒu ěr huì xià xuě, dàn dà bù fen shí hou bǐ jiào gān zào.It occasionally snows in Beijing, but most of the time it's quite dry.