有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou means “sometimes.” Use it once to say something happens now and then, or use it twice to show that things go one way at some times and another way at other times: “sometimes…sometimes…”
一 The Basic Pattern
Subject + 有時候有时候 + A，有時候有时候 + B
Put 有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou in front of each of the two things that take turns happening. Both A and B can be actions or descriptions.
我週末周末有時候有时候喜歡喜欢在家看書看书，有時候有时候喜歡喜欢去公園公园散步
On weekends, sometimes I like to read at home, and sometimes I like to take a walk in the park.
我的晚餐有時候有时候在家吃，有時候有时候去餐廳餐馆吃
For dinner, I sometimes eat at home, and sometimes I go to a restaurant.
這这家店的咖啡，有時候有时候好喝，有時候有时候難喝难喝
The coffee at this shop is sometimes good, and sometimes bad.
A and B can also be descriptions, like good and bad.
台灣台湾的冬天很奇怪，有時候有时候冷，有時候有时候熱热
The winter in Taiwan is strange: sometimes it’s cold, and sometimes it’s hot.
Coat or T-shirt?Winter in Taiwan really does flip like this. A cold front can bring a damp 10°C day, and a week later it’s 25°C and sunny again. People keep both a down jacket and a T-shirt within reach all winter long.
二 The Short Form: 有時有时yǒushí
It’s fine to drop 候 hòu候 hou and just say 有時有时yǒushí. The meaning is exactly the same, and you’ll hear it all the time in everyday speech.
Subject + 有時有时 + A，有時有时 + B
去電影院电影院看電影电影的時候的时候，她有時有时吃爆米花，有時有时吃熱狗热狗
When she goes to the movies, sometimes she eats popcorn, and sometimes she eats a hot dog.
我們我们的工作，有時有时很忙，有時有时完全不忙
Our work is sometimes busy, and sometimes not busy at all.
You’ll also hear 有的時候有的时候yǒude shíhou. It means the same thing as 有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou.
三 Using It Just Once
有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou doesn’t always need a second half. Used once, it simply means “sometimes.” It goes after the subject and before the verb, or at the very start of the sentence.
Subject + 有時候有时候 + Verb Phrase
我有時候有时候會会忘記忘记帶带鑰匙钥匙
I sometimes forget to bring my keys.
有時候有时候我也不知道自己在想什麼什么
Sometimes I don’t even know what I’m thinking.
有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou can also come before the subject.
四 Common Mistakes
❌ 我喜歡喜欢有時候有时候看書看书
✅ 我有時候有时候喜歡喜欢看書看书
有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou goes before the verb phrase, not in the middle of it. Think of it like a time word: it comes early in the sentence.
❌ 我在家吃晚餐有時候有时候
✅ 我有時候有时候在家吃晚餐
In English, “sometimes” can go at the end (“I eat at home sometimes”), but in Chinese 有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou can never end the sentence.
❌ 我看電影电影有時候有时候吃爆米花
✅ 我看電影电影的時候的时候吃爆米花
Don’t mix these two up! 有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou means “sometimes,” but 的時候的时候de shíhou means “when.” To say “when I watch movies,” use 的時候的时候de shíhou.
五 Practice
Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!
Question 1 of 10
“Sometimes I cook at home, and sometimes I eat out.”
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我有時候有时候在家做飯做饭，有時候有时候去外面吃
Swapping the two halves, or starting with 有時候有时候 before 我 wǒ, is also correct.
The 的時候的时候de shíhou tile is a trap. It means “when,” not “sometimes.”
“The weather in Taipei is sometimes sunny and sometimes rainy.”
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台北的天氣天气有時候有时候出太陽太阳，有時候有时候下雨
Putting rainy first and sunny second is also correct.
The weather is the subject, and each 有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou introduces one of the two things that take turns.
“On weekends, sometimes he goes hiking, and sometimes he sleeps all day.”
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他週末周末有時有时去爬山，有時有时睡一整天
週末周末zhōumò can also come before 他 tā, and the two halves can swap.
This one uses the short form 有時有时yǒushí, which works exactly like 有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou.
“I sometimes forget to bring my keys.”
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我有時候有时候會会忘記忘记帶带鑰匙钥匙
Starting with 有時候有时候 (有時候我會忘記帶鑰匙有时候我会忘记带钥匙) is also correct.
Used just once, 有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou means “sometimes.” 的時候的时候de shíhou isn’t needed here.
“Sometimes he’s happy, and sometimes he’s sad.”
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他有時候有时候很開心开心，有時候有时候很難過难过
Swapping the two halves, or starting with 有時候有时候, is also correct.
A and B can be feelings, not just actions.
“This restaurant’s food is sometimes good, and sometimes not.”
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這这家餐廳餐馆的菜有時候有时候好吃，有時候有时候不好吃
Putting the “not good” half first is also correct.
The 的時候的时候de shíhou tile is a trap. Two opposite descriptions, 好吃 hǎochī and 不好吃 bù hǎochī, each get their own 有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou.
“My little brother sometimes goes to school by bus, and sometimes by bike.”
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我弟弟有時候有时候坐公車公交车上學上学，有時候有时候騎骑腳踏車自行车上學上学
Swapping the two halves, or starting with 有時候有时候, is also correct.
The way of getting there (by bus, by bike) comes before 上學上学shàngxué.
“When I study, I sometimes listen to music.”
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我念書学习的時候的时候有時候有时候會会聽听音樂音乐
Starting with 念書的時候学习的时候 is also correct.
This sentence uses both! 的時候的时候de shíhou sets the scene (“when I study”), and 有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou tells you how often (“sometimes”).
“Our work is sometimes very busy, and sometimes not busy at all.”
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我們我们的工作有時候有时候很忙，有時候有时候一點一点都不忙
Putting the “not busy at all” half first is also correct.
有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou goes right before the description, including a longer one like 一點都不忙一点都不忙yìdiǎn dōu bù máng (“not busy at all”).
“Sometimes she calls me very late at night.”
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她有時候有时候很晚打電話給我给我打电话
Starting with 有時候有时候 is also correct.
有時候 yǒushíhòu有时候 yǒushíhou comes first, then the time (很晚 hěn wǎn), then the action.
