thỉnh thoảng

Sometimes

Level 2

Thỉnh thoảng means 'sometimes'. It shows that an action happens occasionally, but not as a regular routine.

How It Works

Thỉnh thoảng is a highly frequent, everyday adverb meaning 'sometimes' or 'occasionally'. It sits right in the middle of the frequency spectrum—happening less often than thường (usually) but more often than ít khi (rarely).

Placement Rules:

  • Before the verb: Chủ ngữ + thỉnh thoảng + Động từ (e.g., Tôi thỉnh thoảng nấu ăn.)
  • At the beginning of the sentence: Thỉnh thoảng, Chủ ngữ + Động từ (e.g., Thỉnh thoảng, tôi nấu ăn.)

Pronunciation Tip: Both syllables use the hỏi (dipping-rising) tone. Be careful not to flatten them or use the rising tone (sắc), as this double-tone combination is a common stumbling block that can make you hard to understand.

Similar Words:
You might also hear đôi khi (a near-exact synonym that sounds slightly softer or more literary) or lâu lâu (a highly colloquial word, especially in the South, which implies a noticeably longer gap between occurrences).

Examples (4)

  1. Thỉnh thoảng tôi đi xem phim.

    Sometimes I go to the movies.

    Word by Word: Sometimes I go watch movie.

    Placed at the beginning of the sentence to establish the frequency context right away.

  2. Anh trai tôi thỉnh thoảng viết thư cho tôi.

    My brother sometimes writes to me.

    Word by Word: Older brother my sometimes write letter for me.

    Placed directly before the verb phrase, which is the standard position for adverbs of frequency.

  3. Thỉnh thoảng, thành phố rất yên tĩnh vào sáng sớm.

    Occasionally, the city is very quiet in the early morning.

    Word by Word: Occasionally, city very quiet in morning early.

    It can also be used with adjectives (which function like verbs in Vietnamese) to describe occasional states.

  4. Chúng tôi thỉnh thoảng ăn tối ở nhà hàng.

    We sometimes eat dinner at a restaurant.

    Word by Word: We sometimes eat dinner at restaurant.

    Notice how it stays together as a unit before the main action.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing 'thỉnh thoảng' at the end of the sentence.

    Tôi đi Huế thỉnh thoảng.
    Thỉnh thoảng tôi đi Huế.

    Speakers do sometimes put thỉnh thoảng at the end, but it is less usual. The most natural places are before the verb or at the beginning of the sentence, so learners who copy the English 'sometimes' position at the end of a clause should move it forward.

  • Splitting the verb phrase by placing the adverb after the verb.

    Tôi tắm thỉnh thoảng nhanh.
    Tôi thỉnh thoảng tắm nhanh.

    Adverbs of frequency should not interrupt a verb and its modifiers or objects. Place thỉnh thoảng before the entire verb phrase.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

thỉnh thoảngLevel 2Sometimes

Learn This First

To use 'thỉnh thoảng' (sometimes), learners need to understand basic Vietnamese word order, specifically that frequency adverbs typically appear before the verb or at the beginning of the sentence. Familiarity with other frequency markers like 'thường' helps establish this pattern.

Words in This Pattern

thỉnh thoảng