偶尔

ǒu ěr

HSK 2.0 Level 4 HSK 3.0 Level 4 Adverb Common

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Definitions

1. occasionally
2. once in a while
3. sometimes

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 经常 jīng cháng 经常 jīng cháng frequently; constantly; regularly; often 偶尔 means occasionally, 经常 means often.: frequently; constantly; regularly; often

Related words

1 item

• 偶然 ǒu rán 偶然 ǒu rán incidentally 偶然 means 'accidentally' or 'by chance', while 偶尔 is about infrequency.: incidentally

Synonyms

1 item

• 有时 yǒu shí 有时 yǒu shí sometimes Both mean 'sometimes', but 偶尔 emphasizes less frequency, like 'once in a while'.: sometimes

Usage notes

Collocations

Used before a verb to describe doing something occasionally, e.g., 我偶尔去跑步 (I occasionally go running).

Common mistakes

Don't confuse with 偶然 (ǒurán, accidental). 偶尔 is about low frequency, not chance.

Grammar

Guides that feature 偶尔

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1 guide

HSK 2.0 Level 4+ HSK 3.0 Level 4+ 6 min

Frequency Adverbs 往往 and 偶尔

Describe what usually happens in a given situation with 往往, say “once in a while” with 偶尔, and know when 常常 is the right choice instead.

Reading: ǒu ěr Open guide

Example Sentences

2 shown

我 偶尔 去图书馆看书。

I occasionally go to the library to read.

我 偶尔 做。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 9419131)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 偶尔

• 偶 偶 ǒu: accidental
• 尔 尔 ěr: thus