時とき々どき

と

き

ど

き

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

adverb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

sometimes; occasionally; at times

General adverb for events that happen with some frequency but not always. Can also modify nouns with の.

時とき々どき、映えい画がを見みに行いきます。
I sometimes go to see a movie.
彼かれは時とき々どき遅ち刻こくする。
He is occasionally late.

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

seasonal; appropriate for the season

Used as a noun or no-adjective to describe something that is in season or fitting for the time of year. Less common than the adverbial sense.

時とき々どきの花はなを飾かざる。
I display seasonal flowers.
時とき々どきの食しょく材ざいを使つかった料りょう理り。
A dish made with seasonal ingredients.

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Usage patterns

〈動どう詞し〉ことがあるthere are times when (something happens)
時とき々どき、夜よる遅おそくまで働はたらくことがある。
Sometimes I end up working until late at night.
時々ときどきの〈物もの〉〉seasonal (things of the time)
時とき々どきの花はなを花か瓶びんに飾かざるのが好すきです。
I like to display seasonal flowers in a vase.

Kanji

時time, hour

Related words· 13

たまにN4sense 1
たまに also means 'occasionally' but implies a lower frequency than 時々, which is more neutral and common.
よくN5sense 1
よく means 'often' or 'frequently', describing a higher frequency than 時々.
しばしばN3sense 1
しばしば is a more formal, literary word for 'frequently', while 時々 is the everyday word for 'sometimes'.
折おり々おり
時々 is the everyday, neutral word for 'sometimes,' while 折々 is a slightly literary or reflective term for occasional recurrence.

Show 9 more

時とき折おりN2
時々 and 時折 both mean 'sometimes', but 時折 sounds slightly more literary and formal than the everyday 時々.
時ときにはN1
時々 is the common, neutral word for 'sometimes', while 時には carries a nuance of 'there are times when' something happens, often introducing a contrastive or exceptional case.
ままN1
時々 is the common everyday word for 'sometimes', while 間々 is a more literary or formal way to say the same thing.
折おりに触ふれて
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.
ちょいちょいN1
時々 is the standard, neutral word for 'sometimes,' while ちょいちょい is more casual and can imply slightly more frequency and familiarity.
時ときに
時々 is the plain, common word for 'sometimes/often', while 時に in this sense feels more literary and slightly less frequent-sounding.
たびたびN3
時々 means 'sometimes' and implies less frequency than 度々, which stresses repeated or frequent occurrence.
ちらほらN1
時々 is a plain, common word for 'sometimes,' while ちらほら adds a nuance of sporadic, occasional occurrence with a slightly literary feel.
ちょくちょくN1
時々 is neutral and simply means 'sometimes', while ちょくちょく implies a somewhat higher, more habitual frequency.

Opposites

いつもN5sense 1
いつも means 'always', the direct opposite of 時々's 'sometimes, occasionally'.
絶たえ間まなくN1
絶え間なく describes something happening without any break, whereas 時々 describes something happening only occasionally.
常つねにN3
時々 means 'sometimes', contrasting with the constancy expressed by 常に.

Don't confuse with

所ところ々どころN3
時々 (repeated kanji, similar look) means 'sometimes' in time, while 所々 means 'here and there' in space.

Written forms

時とき々どきUsage56%
Standard kanji spelling; the repetition mark 々 is the normal way to write this word.
ときどきUsage42%
Kana spelling is common in informal writing and when the kanji is not needed.
時ときどきUsage2%
search-only kanji form
時とき時どきUsage<1%
Full kanji spelling without the repetition mark; rarely used in modern writing.

Etymology

Reduplication of 時 (とき, 'time') with the meaning 'from time to time'. The seasonal sense derives from the idea of 'at that time' or 'appropriate to the time'.