時々

• Reading: ときどき
• Romaji: tokidoki
• Kanji breakdown: 時 (ji/toki) — time, hour
• Pronunciation: /to.ki.do.ki/

Meaning

Sometimes; occasionally; at times; from time to time; now and then.

A frequency adverb indicating irregular or intermittent occurrence. Falls between いつも (always) and あまり〜ない (not often) on the frequency scale. The repetition of 時 (time) visually represents the concept of happening 'time after time' at intervals.

Examples

1. 時々日本料理を作ります。 I sometimes cook Japanese food.
2. 天気予報は時々はずれます。 The weather forecast is sometimes wrong.
3. 時々友達と公園を散歩します。 I sometimes take a walk in the park with friends.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, habits, weather

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

A reduplication of 時 (toki, time), a common Japanese pattern where repeating a word creates a distributive or iterative meaning.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal