偶尔

ǒu ěr

occasionally

HSK Level 5

Example Sentences

我偶尔会去公园散步。

wǒ ǒu'ěr huì qù gōngyuán sàn bù.

I occasionally go to the park for a walk.

他偶尔会忘记带钥匙。

tā ǒu'ěr huì wàngjì dài yàoshi.

He occasionally forgets to bring his keys.

她们偶尔会去购物。

tāmen ǒu'ěr huì qù gòuwù.

They occasionally go shopping.

Synonyms

有时 (yǒushí)

sometimes

偶然 (ǒurán)

occasionally

Antonyms

经常 (jīngcháng)

often

总是 (zǒngshì)

always

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese word "偶尔" is composed of two characters: "偶" and "尔". The character "偶" means "occasionally" or "by chance", while the character "尔" is a pronoun that means "you" or "your". When combined, the two characters form the word "偶尔", which means "occasionally" or "sometimes".The word "偶尔" is first recorded in the Chinese dictionary "Shuowen Jiezi", which was compiled in the 2nd century AD. In the "Shuowen Jiezi", the word "偶尔" is defined as "sometimes". The word "偶尔" is also used in the Chinese classic "Zuo Zhuan", which was written in the 5th century BC. In the "Zuo Zhuan", the word "偶尔" is used to mean "by chance".The word "偶尔" is a common word in modern Chinese. It is used in both spoken and written Chinese. The word "偶尔" can be used to describe something that happens occasionally or by chance. For example, you can say "我偶尔会去公园散步" (I occasionally go to the park for a walk). You can also use the word "偶尔" to describe something that is not always true. For example, you can say "他偶尔会发脾气" (He occasionally gets angry).The word "偶尔" is a versatile word that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is a useful word to know for HSK learners who want to improve their Chinese vocabulary.