有時 / 有时
yǒushí
The English phrase 'sometimes' is expressed in Chinese as 有時 / 有时 (yǒushí). If unsure, use 有時 / 有时. Wiktionary also lists 有時候 / 有时候 (yǒushíhou).
Meaning: on certain occasions, but not always (adv)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 有時 / 有时 | yǒushí |
| 有時候 / 有时候 | yǒushíhou |
This phrase is used to describe something that happens on certain occasions but not always. Use it to express a frequency that is not constant, which contrasts with 總是 (zǒngshì), meaning 'always'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb 有 (to have) and the noun 時 / 时 (time), literally meaning 'have time'.
Which one should you use?
Both 有時 / 有时 and 有時候 / 有时候 are valid forms of the word. The form 有時候 / 有时候 is more common in spoken Mandarin than the shorter 有時 / 有时.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, you can express 'sometimes' as 有時 (jau4 si4) and 'occasionally' as 偶然 (ngau6 jin4). In Taiwanese Mandarin, the word for 'occasionally' is often expressed as 偶爾 (ǒu'ěr).
How does it change in a sentence?
Both 有時 / 有时 and 有時候 / 有时候 can be placed either before or after the subject of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
yǒushí
Did you know?
- The word 時 originates from a character depicting the sun, reflecting how ancient Chinese people measured 'time' by the movement of the sun.
- The character 候 in 時候 originally referred to 'watching' or 'waiting', suggesting that 'time' is something one observes.
- In written Chinese, 有時 is often used in parallel structures where it is paired with 有時 again to mean 'sometimes this, sometimes that'.
Examples in context
- 我有时候会在周末去爬山。Sometimes I go mountain climbing on weekends.
- 我偶尔会和同事去喝咖啡。Sometimes I go for coffee with my colleagues.
- 她间或会出去散步一下。Sometimes she goes out for a walk.
- 有时我会晚上去看电影。Sometimes, I go watch movies at night.
- 偶尔会和朋友一起打篮球。Sometimes, I play basketball with my friends.
- 我有时候会迟到一点儿。Sometimes, I am a little bit late.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sometimes” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
