For a short while – 一时 yìshí & 不时 bùshí

Posted on by tiffany

OneDotDot Chinese
Grammar · HSK 6
Grammar Point · HSK 6

一时 yìshí · 不时 bùshí

They look almost identical and sound similar, but they point in opposite directions. 一时 yìshí is a single brief moment — something impulsive that happens once. 不时 bùshí is the opposite: something that keeps happening, again and again, “now and then.”

一時 yìshí and 不時 bùshí Chinese Grammar

一时 yìshí refers to a short period of time — “at the moment,” “temporarily,” or “impulsively.” 不时 bùshí describes something that recurs periodically — “from time to time,” “every so often,” “now and then.”

1 Structure

一时 yìshí + Emotion or Action

This structure shows something done briefly or without long-term intent.

我wǒ是shì一时yìshí生气shēngqì才cái说shuō那种nàzhǒng话huà的de。
I only said that because I was angry in the moment.
她tā一时yìshí没méi忍住rěnzhù，半夜bànyè吃chī了le整桶zhěngtǒng冰淇淋bīngqílín。
She couldn’t resist in the moment and ate a whole tub of ice cream at midnight.
你nǐ让ràng我wǒ推荐tuījiàn歌gē？我wǒ一时yìshí还hái真zhēn想不到xiǎngbudào。
You want me to recommend a song? I honestly can’t think of one at the moment.
他tā一时yìshí情绪qíngxù上来shànglái，就jiù把bǎ手机shǒujī摔shuāi了le。
He got emotional for a moment and threw his phone.
我们wǒmen是shì一时yìshí兴起xīngqǐ才cái开车kāichē去qù海边hǎibiān的de，根本gēnběn没méi计划jìhuà！
We drove to the beach on a whim — totally unplanned!
我wǒ一时yìshí冲动chōngdòng买mǎi了le超贵chāoguì的de球鞋qiúxié，现在xiànzài有点yǒudiǎn后悔hòuhuǐ……
I bought those ridiculously expensive sneakers on impulse. Now I kind of regret it…
我wǒ对duì你的nǐde讨厌tǎoyàn不是búshì一时yìshí的de，我wǒ忍rěn你nǐ很hěn久jiǔ了le。
My dislike for you isn’t just temporary. I’ve been putting up with you for a long time.
我wǒ这zhè不是búshì一时yìshí情绪qíngxù不好bùhǎo，是shì看到kàndào你nǐ就jiù心情xīnqíng不好bùhǎo。
It’s not that I’m just in a bad mood. It’s that seeing you puts me in a bad mood.

不时 bùshí + Verb

This structure shows something happening periodically — not constantly, but repeatedly, popping up again and again over a stretch of time.

他tā工作gōngzuò的时候de shíhòu不时bùshí看kàn一下yíxià手机shǒujī。
While working, he glances at his phone from time to time.
会议huìyì中zhōng，老板lǎobǎn不时bùshí点头diǎntóu表示biǎoshì同意tóngyì。
During the meeting, the boss nods now and then to show agreement.
她tā不时bùshí发fā信息xìnxī问wèn我wǒ到底dàodǐ到dào哪里nǎlǐ了le。
She keeps texting me every now and then asking where I’ve gotten to.
演讲yǎnjiǎng的de过程guòchéng中zhōng，观众guānzhòng不时bùshí发出fāchū笑声xiàoshēng。
During the talk, the audience burst into laughter now and then.
这条zhètiáo路lù不时bùshí有yǒu车祸chēhuò发生fāshēng，开车kāichē要yào特别tèbié小心xiǎoxīn。
Accidents happen from time to time on this road, so drive carefully.
深夜shēnyè里lǐ不时bùshí传来chuánlái狗叫声gǒujiàoshēng，让ràng人rén睡shuì不bù安稳ānwěn。
Dog barks drift in every so often deep in the night, making it hard to sleep soundly.

2 Common Mistakes

These two look and sound alike, so most errors come from swapping one for the other.

❌
他tā工作gōngzuò的时候de shíhòu一时yìshí看kàn一下yíxià手机shǒujī。
✅
他tā工作gōngzuò的时候de shíhòu不时bùshí看kàn一下yíxià手机shǒujī。
一时 yìshí describes a single brief moment, not a repeated habit. For something that happens again and again — “now and then,” “every so often” — 不时 bùshí is the correct choice.
❌
我wǒ不时bùshí冲动chōngdòng买mǎi了le超贵chāoguì的de球鞋qiúxié。
✅
我wǒ一时yìshí冲动chōngdòng买mǎi了le超贵chāoguì的de球鞋qiúxié。
不时 bùshí implies something happening repeatedly over time, so it clashes with a single, completed action like “bought.” For a one-off impulsive moment, 一时 yìshí is correct.

3 一时 vs 不时 vs 暂时

Three words that all touch on time, but only one of them is emotional, and only one of them repeats.

一时 yìshí 不时 bùshí 暂时 zànshí
Meaning For a moment, momentarily, on impulse From time to time, now and then, repeatedly Temporarily, for the time being
Time pattern A single, brief occurrence Repeated occurrences spread over time A temporary situation with a foreseeable end
Emotional or impulsive? Yes — often a sudden reaction or urge No — just describes frequency No — practical, logistical, a stopgap
Typical use Impulsive actions, sudden emotional reactions Recurring habits, background actions, periodic events Temporary substitutes, stopgap arrangements
Example
他tā一时yìshí找zhǎo不到búdào手机shǒujī，就jiù开始kāishǐ慌huāng了le。
会议huìyì中zhōng，老板lǎobǎn不时bùshí点头diǎntóu表示biǎoshì同意tóngyì。
我wǒ手机shǒujī坏huài了le，暂时zànshí用yòng我爸wǒ bà的de。
Fun Fact

I don’t know what the most common impulse decision is where you’re from, but in Taiwan it’s almost always driving or riding a scooter out to some restaurant that’s absurdly far away — sometimes at 2am. 三不五时 sānbùwǔshí (every so often), I’ll spot a friend’s Instagram story: couldn’t sleep, had a 一时兴起 yìshí xīngqǐ (sudden whim), and drove to the harbor for an early-morning seafood breakfast.

4 Practice

Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.

01I lost my temper for a moment and said something I shouldn’t have.
我wǒ一时yìshí发脾气fāpíqi，说shuō了le不该bùgāi说shuō的de话huà。
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02He forgot her name for a moment.
他tā一时yìshí忘wàng了le她的tāde名字míngzì。
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03I couldn’t decide what to eat in the moment.
我wǒ一时yìshí决定juédìng不了bùliǎo要yào吃chī什么shénme。
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04She was momentarily speechless.
她tā一时yìshí说shuō不出bùchū话huà来lái。
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05He quit his job on a whim.
他tā一时yìshí兴起xīngqǐ就jiù辞职cízhí了le。
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06She occasionally checks her phone during dinner.
她tā吃饭chīfàn的时候de shíhòu不时bùshí看kàn手机shǒujī。
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07He nodded from time to time while listening.
他tā听tīng的时候de shíhòu不时bùshí点头diǎntóu。
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08Loud noises come from next door every now and then.
隔壁gébì不时bùshí传来chuánlái吵闹声chǎonàoshēng。
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09She sends me messages every so often to check in.
她tā不时bùshí发fā信息xìnxī关心guānxīn我wǒ。
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10The old car breaks down from time to time.
这辆zhèliàng老车lǎochē不时bùshí故障gùzhàng。
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