时而 (shí ér) — occasionally; from time to time; (reduplicated pattern 时而…时而…) now…now…; sometimes…sometimes…
Definition
时而 emphasizes alternation or repeated recurrence — note the reduplicated pattern 时而…时而… ('now…now…') for contrast. Less frequent than 偶尔 and more literary.
adverb
occasionallyfrom time to time(reduplicated pattern 时而…时而…) now…now…sometimes…sometimes…
Examples
- 时而。Tā shí ér huì qù tú shū guǎn kàn shū.He goes to the library to read from time to time.
- 时而，时而，。shí ér Qíng tiān, shí ér xià yǔ, zhè lǐ de tiān qì biàn huà hěn kuài.Sometimes it's sunny, sometimes it rains — the weather here changes quickly.
- 时而，时而，。Tā shí ér gāo xìng, shí ér nán guò, qíng xù hěn bù wěn dìng.She's happy one moment and sad the next — her moods are quite unstable.
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