折おりに触ふれて

お

り

に

ふ

れ

て

Common word

Meanings

1

expression

at every opportunity; whenever possible; from time to time

Used to describe doing something whenever a suitable occasion arises, or occasionally over time. Often implies a habitual or repeated action.

彼かれは折おり

に

触ふ

れ

て

故こ

郷きょう

の

話はなし

を

する

。

He talks about his hometown at every opportunity.

折おりに触ふれて自し然ぜんの中なかを散さん歩ぽするのが好すきだ。

I like to take walks in nature whenever I get the chance.

Kanji

折fold, break, fracture
触contact, touch, feel

Related words

時とき折おりN2
時折 means 'occasionally' in a neutral, simple sense, while 折に触れて adds the nuance of acting whenever a fitting occasion arises.
時とき々どきN5
時々 simply means 'sometimes' without any sense of seizing an opportunity, whereas 折に触れて implies acting when a suitable chance presents itself.

Built from

折おり+触ふれる

Written forms

折おりに触ふれて
Most common and standard spelling, especially in news and formal writing.
折おりに触ふれて
Variant without the okurigana り; less common but still used.
折おりにふれて
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; 触れて is written in kana.
折おりにふれて
Fully kana rendering of the second part; less formal but still encountered.

Etymology

Composed of 折り (おり, 'occasion, time') + に (particle) + 触れて (ふれて, the -te form of 触れる 'to touch, come into contact'). Literally 'touching upon occasions', it evolved into an adverbial phrase meaning 'whenever an opportunity touches (arises)'.