de vez em quando

From Time to Time

Level 5

De vez em quando is a common Portuguese expression used to describe actions that happen occasionally or at irregular intervals. It is the equivalent of 'from time to time' or 'now and then' in English.

How It Works

The expression de vez em quando is a staple of everyday Portuguese, used in both Brazil and Portugal. Literally translating to "from time in when" (de = from, vez = time/instance, em = in, quando = when), it means "from time to time" or "every now and then."

1. Frequency and Nuance
On a scale of frequency, if sempre (always) is 100% and nunca (never) is 0%, de vez em quando sits around 20-30%. It suggests that an event is spaced out or happens 'every so often' rather than regularly. In contrast, às vezes is closer to 50%.

2. Sentence Placement and Punctuation
As a mobile adverbial phrase, it can be placed in several positions. Note how punctuation changes based on its placement:

End: Eu viajo de vez em quando. (This is the direct order and the most neutral, baseline position. No comma is used).
Beginning: De vez em quando, eu viajo. (A displacement to the front. It requires a comma, though it is extremely common and natural in everyday speech).
Middle: Eu, de vez em quando, viajo. (Placed between the subject and verb, this displacement requires commas on both sides).

3. Past Habits
This expression is a core trigger phrase for describing spaced-out, recurring past habits. It pairs perfectly with the Pretérito Imperfeito (e.g., De vez em quando, nós íamos ao cinema).

4. Register and Variations
In formal writing or literature, you might encounter de quando em vez. Another common alternative is de tempos em tempos, which emphasizes the 'spaced out' nature of the action. You may also hear por vezes; note that while this is considered formal in Brazil, it is a slightly more formal, reflective, or literary alternative to às vezes in European Portuguese. Additionally, in informal Brazilian speech, it is very common to drop the initial de, resulting in just vez em quando (e.g., Vez em quando eu vou lá).

5. Phonology Note
In spoken Portuguese, the words often blend together. Be careful because the sequence em quando sounds nearly identical to the conjunction enquanto (while) in rapid speech (/ẽ 'kwɐ̃.du/ vs /ẽ 'kwɐ̃.tu/).

Examples (4)

De vez em quando, eu gosto de caminhar na praia ao pôr do sol.
From time to time, I like to walk on the beach at sunset.
Word by Word: Of time in when, I like of to walk in the beach at the sunset.
Here, the phrase is placed at the beginning of the sentence to set the temporal context.
Nós nos vemos de vez em quando, mas não tanto quanto eu gostaria.
We see each other occasionally, but not as much as I would like.
Word by Word: We ourselves see of time in when, but not so much how much I would like.
In this example, it appears at the end of the first clause to modify the frequency of 'seeing each other'.
Ele, de vez em quando, esquece as chaves dentro do carro.
Every now and then, he forgets his keys inside the car.
Word by Word: He, of time in when, forgets the keys inside of the car.
Placing the phrase between the subject and the verb is a common way to add a slight emphasis to the frequency.
Eu só como carne de vez em quando.
I only eat meat once in a while.
Word by Word: I only eat meat of time in when.
Used here to emphasize that eating meat is an infrequent occurrence.

Common Mistakes

Spelling it as 'de vez enquanto' or 'de vez enquando'.
Eu estudo de vez enquando.
Eu estudo de vez em quando.
Because the sequence 'em quando' sounds nearly identical to the conjunction 'enquanto' (while) in fast speech, people sometimes mistakenly write 'de vez enquanto' or 'de vez enquando'. It is important to note that 'enquando' is not a real word in Portuguese. Always write the expression as four separate words.
Incorrect placement with negation.
Eu não de vez em quando bebo café.
Eu não bebo café de vez em quando.
Adverbial phrases should not break the connection between the negative particle 'não' and the verb. Place it at the end or the very beginning of the sentence.

How It Connects

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de vez em quandoLevel 5From Time to Time

Learn This First

To understand 'de vez em quando', learners need to be familiar with the basic prepositions 'de' and 'em', as well as the temporal word 'quando'. This is a fixed idiomatic expression where the individual words combine to mean 'occasionally' or 'from time to time'.

Words in This Pattern