occasionally

/əˈkeɪʒnəli/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈkeɪʒnəli/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈkā-zh(ə-)nə-lē/ (ame, mw)

occasionally — adverb

1. at irregular times that are spread far apart, so the action happens a few times

1.副詞B2
釋義

at irregular times that are spread far apart, so the action happens a few times a month or year rather than every week.

例句

Marcus occasionally bakes bread on Sunday mornings when the weather is cold.

mid-sentence position: subject + occasionally + verb

Occasionally, Grandma Lin sends us a box of mooncakes from Taipei.

front-shifted: Occasionally, + clause for emphasis

同義詞
  • sometimes

    more frequent and more neutral; 'sometimes' suggests a clearer pattern, 'occasionally' implies wider gaps

  • now and then

    informal equivalent; very close in meaning, more conversational

  • from time to time

    slightly more formal phrasing; emphasises the irregular rhythm

  • intermittently

    more formal or technical; often used for processes or signals rather than personal habits

反義詞

文法句型

mid-sentence: subject + occasionally + verb

front-shifted: Occasionally, + clause

end-position: clause + occasionally

用法筆記

Position is flexible: mid-sentence (before the main verb, after 'be' or auxiliaries), front-shifted with a comma for emphasis, or end-position. Implies a lower frequency than 'sometimes' but a higher frequency than 'rarely' — typically suggests a handful of times across weeks or months.

常見錯誤

❌I occasionally always cook at home.
✅I occasionally cook at home.
💡'occasionally' and 'always' contradict each other; pick one frequency adverb.
❌She visits occasionally her parents.
✅She visits her parents occasionally.
💡when at the end of a clause, 'occasionally' goes after the object, not between the verb and its object.