sometime
/ˈsʌmtaɪm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsʌmtaɪm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsəm-ˌtīm/ (ame, mw) · /ˈsʌm.taɪm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsʌm.taɪm/ (ame, ipa)
sometime — adverb
1. at a point in time that you cannot name exactly — the event might already have h
at a point in time that you cannot name exactly — the event might already have happened, or it may happen later
Minh promised to call me sometime after eight o'clock tonight.
sometime after [time] — vague future arrangement
Sivan found a lovely old teapot in the shop sometime last spring.
sometime last [season] — vague past reference
The package should arrive sometime between Wednesday and Friday.
Tariro would like to visit Japan sometime when the cherry blossoms bloom.
Ishaan realized sometime during the meeting that he had forgotten his notes.
- one day
only refers to the future, not the past
- eventually
always future; implies a delay before the event
- at some point
more formal, can refer to past or future
文法句型
sometime + [time period/point]
sometime + [time clause]
用法筆記
Do not confuse with 'some time' (two words, meaning a period or duration: 'It took some time to finish') or 'sometimes' (with -s, meaning occasionally: 'I sometimes walk to work'). As an adverb, 'sometime' is always a single word.
常見錯誤
sometime — adjective
- sometimepositive
- more sometimecomparative
- most sometimesuperlative
1. used before a job title to show that someone once held that role but does not ho
used before a job title to show that someone once held that role but does not hold it now
Aoi borrowed a book by the sometime prime minister of Japan from the library.
the sometime [job title] of [place] — attributive noun phrase
The conference opened with a talk by a sometime ambassador to South Africa.
Marco's uncle, a sometime musician, now teaches piano to local children.
The museum hired a sometime professor of art history to lead the archive.
Lisa interviewed the author, a sometime journalist who covered the civil war.
文法句型
sometime + [job title / role]
用法筆記
Only used before a noun (attributive position) — never after a linking verb. In American English, 'former' is more common than 'sometime' for this meaning. This usage is somewhat formal and more typical of written than spoken English.