还, 正 and 有时候 for “Still”, “Right Then” and “Sometimes”
还 means “still” (还没 = “not yet”), 正 puts an action right in progress at a certain moment, and 有时候 means “sometimes”; all three go before the verb.
Patrón
Subject + 还 / 正 / 有时候 / 已经 / 快要 + verb
These time adverbs sit after the subject and before the verb: 他还在睡觉, 他正吃饭呢, 我有时候走路上学.
八点了，弟弟还在睡觉呢。
When to use 还, 正 and 有时候 for “Still”, “Right Then” and “Sometimes”
All of these words go after the subject and before the verb. 还 says a situation is still going on: 他还在睡觉 (“he is still sleeping”); with 没 it means “not yet”: 他还没来. 正 says an action is happening right at a certain moment, often a moment given by a …的时候 clause, and the sentence usually ends with 呢: 他正吃饭呢. 有时候 (also 有时) means “sometimes”, and two of them can show two different habits. 已经 means “already”, and 快 / 快要…了 means “about to”.
我给他打电话的时候，他正吃饭呢。
When I called him, he was eating right then.
我有时候坐地铁上学，有时候走路。
Sometimes I take the subway to school, sometimes I walk.
我已经吃饭了，可是妹妹还没吃。
I have already eaten, but my little sister hasn’t eaten yet.
外面还在下雨，你等一会儿再走吧。
It’s still raining outside. Wait a while before you go.
Errores frecuentes
- 还没 + verb means “not yet”; don’t add 了 at the end: say 他还没来, not 他还没来了.
- Don’t use 正 before a bare verb: say 他正吃饭呢 or 他正在吃饭, not just 他正吃.
- 有时候 goes before the verb or at the start of the sentence, not at the end like English “sometimes”: 我有时候走路上学.
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