parfois
/paʁ.fwa/
The English phrase "at times" is translated into French as parfois.
parfois is used to express that something happens on occasion or sometimes. A common alternative that translates more closely to the English "from time to time" is de temps en temps.
Meaning: on occasion, sometimes (prep_phrase)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adverb parfois is mobile within a sentence. You can place it at the beginning of a sentence, at the end or between the subject and the verb.
How do you pronounce it?
parfois is pronounced /paʁ.fwa/ and consists of two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word parfois is a result of 'univerbation', which means two separate words, 'par' and 'fois', fused over centuries into a single unit.
- While parfois means 'sometimes', the French word for 'time' when referring to the clock or duration is temps, not fois. Using fois to describe the hour of the day would be a major mistake.
- The word fois in parfois is a homonym that also means 'time' in the sense of an occurrence, but it shares the same spelling as the word for 'times' in multiplication.
Examples in context
- Parfois je ne le comprends pas.At times I can't understand him.This sentence shows how to use parfois to express a lack of understanding.Tatoeba #460839 by sacredceltic, translation #285309 by Eldad
- C'est un peu la corvée parfois.It’s kind of a slog at times.This sentence demonstrates using parfois to describe something being a slog.Tatoeba #12404184 by lbdx, translation #12404183 by ddnktr
- J'ai parfois tendance à bafouiller.I do tend to babble at times.This sentence illustrates how parfois can be placed between the subject and the verb to describe a tendency.Tatoeba #9779522 by lbdx, translation #2315138 by CK
- Parfois, je préfère rester à la maison et me détendre.At times, I prefer to stay at home and relax.
- De temps en temps, nous allons au cinéma en famille.From time to time, we go to the movies as a family.
- Des fois, il m'arrive de me perdre dans mes pensées.At times, I find myself lost in my thoughts.
- De temps à autre, il se met à pleuvoir sans prévenir.Every now and then, it starts raining unexpectedly.
- Quelques fois, je me sens tellement fatigué que je décide de faire une sieste.Sometimes, I feel so tired that I decide to take a nap.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are discussing their busy schedules.
- ChloéTu es très fatigué en ce moment ?Are you very tired lately?
- HugoOui, je me sens parfois épuisé.Yes, I sometimes feel exhausted.
- ChloéTu devrais te reposer un peu.You should rest a little.
- HugoC'est vrai, merci Chloé.That's true, thanks Chloé.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “at times” translations and entries parfois, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries parfois, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
