कधी … तर कधी
Sometimes One Thing, Sometimes Another
The same shape works for places and people with कुठे … तर कुठे and कोणी … तर कोणी.
How It Works
The pattern needs two halves, and each has कधी. The word तर joins them and goes before the second कधी.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| कधी … तर कधी | sometimes … sometimes | कधी ऊन असते, तर कधी पाऊस येतो. |
| कुठे … तर कुठे | in some places … in others | कुठे ऊन, तर कुठे पाऊस. |
| कोणी … तर कोणी | some people … others | कोणी हसले, तर कोणी रडले. |
Each half can be a full clause or just the changing part. The shared verb is not repeated when the sentence is clear: आजीचा स्वभाव कधी कडक असतो, तर कधी अगदी मवाळ.
Use the present habitual (-तो, -ते) for patterns that repeat, and a past form for a story: कधी तो हसला, तर कधी रडला.
You can stack three halves when the list is longer: कधी ऊन, कधी वारा, तर कधी पाऊस. The तर goes before the last कधी.
Essays use this shape to show that something has two faces.
Examples (5)
- कधी ऊन असते, तर कधी पाऊस येतो.
Sometimes it is sunny, and sometimes it rains.
कधी … तर कधी sets the two kinds of weather side by side.
- आजीचा स्वभाव कधी कडक असतो, तर कधी अगदी मवाळ.
Grandmother's nature is sometimes strict and sometimes very gentle.
The verb is not repeated in the second half.
- कधी मी समुद्रकिनारी फिरायला जातो, तर कधी डोंगरावर.
Sometimes I go walking by the sea, and sometimes on the hills. A man is speaking.
जातो shows a man, and the second half leaves out the verb.
- कधी मी उपमा करते, तर कधी पोहे.
Sometimes I make upma, and sometimes poha. A woman is speaking.
करते shows a woman; the second half names only the dish.
- नदी कधी शांत वाहते, तर कधी रौद्र रूप धारण करते.
The river sometimes flows calmly and sometimes takes on a fierce form.
Both halves have a verb, and तर joins them.
Common Mistakes
Joining the halves with आणि.
कधी ऊन असते आणि कधी पाऊस येतो.कधी ऊन असते, तर कधी पाऊस येतो.The second कधी is introduced by तर, which sets the two things side by side.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Sometimes … sometimes joins contrasts.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice कधी … तर कधी in Bubblegum
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