時折

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 時折 is an adverb read ときおり, meaning occasionally or from time to time.
• Basic usage: It can appear at the start of a sentence or after the topic to mark an event as intermittent.
  • 時折、窓から冷たい風が入ってくる。 says that cold air occasionally enters through the window; 祖父は時折、昔の町の様子を語った。 says that the grandfather sometimes spoke about the old town.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Sentence-initial 時折
  • With a comma, it sets the frequency for the whole sentence.
• Topic-following 時折
  • After the subject or topic, it marks that person's action as occasional.
• 時折 and いつも
  • 時折 is intermittent, whereas いつも indicates regular or constant recurrence.