Meaning of 有时候
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- sometimes
How to use 有时候
有时候 usually goes at the start of a sentence or right after the subject, before the verb. It is often paired with a second 有时候 to contrast two habits. Example: 我有时候喝咖啡。(Wǒ yǒushíhou hē kāfēi.) I sometimes drink coffee.
有时候 is simply 有 (yǒu, to have) plus 时候 (shíhou, time). Think of it as "there are times when", which is exactly what "sometimes" means.
Common mistake: Learners often put 有时候 at the end of the sentence like English "I drink coffee sometimes", but 我喝咖啡有时候 is wrong. Keep it before the verb. Also note that 候 in 时候 is usually said with a neutral tone, hou, not hòu.
有时候 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
有 yǒu · to have · 6 strokes
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时 shí · o'clock · 7 strokes
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候 hòu · to wait · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 有时候.
| 没有 | méiyǒu | haven't; hasn't |
| 还有 | hái yǒu | there still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition |
| 时候 | shíhou | time; length of time |
| 时间 | shíjiān | (concept of) time; (duration of) time |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour |
| 有些 | yǒuxiē | some; somewhat; rather; a bit |
| 有时 | yǒushí | sometimes; now and then |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous; well-known |
| 有的 | yǒude | (there are) some (who are...); some (exist) |
| 有一些 | yǒuyīxiē | somewhat; rather |
| 所有 | suǒyǒu | all; to have; to possess; to own |
Questions about 有时候
What does 有时候 mean?
有时候 (yǒushíhou) means "sometimes" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 有时候?
有时候 is made of 3 characters: 有 (6 strokes), 时 (7 strokes), 候 (10 strokes). That is 23 strokes in total.
Is 有时候 an HSK word?
Yes. 有时候 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 有时候 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 有时候 is written 有時候.
What is the difference between 有时候 and 有时?
They mean the same thing, sometimes. 有时 (yǒushí) is shorter and slightly more written or concise, while 有时候 is very common in everyday speech.
How do I say "sometimes A, sometimes B" in Chinese?
Use 有时候 twice: 他有时候开心，有时候不开心。(Tā yǒushíhou kāixīn, yǒushíhou bù kāixīn.) He is sometimes happy and sometimes not.