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.

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.

Kanji

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

Similar words

時とき々どき
時々 simply means 'sometimes' without the nuance of seizing an opportunity. 折りに触れて emphasizes acting when a chance presents itself.
機き会かいがあれば
機会があれば is a conditional phrase ('if there is an opportunity'), while 折りに触れて is an adverbial expression describing repeated or habitual action.

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)'.