“tamani” vs. “tokidoki”：Words Native Speakers Often Use
What is the difference between “たまに(tamani) and 時々(tokidoki)“? Which is used as a higher frequency? After reading this, you would be answering this question. Let me introduce what their subtle differences are and how you correctly use them such as native speakers today!
たまに (tamani)
Occasionally / 偶尔 / 가끔 / thi thoảng, đôi khi
“たまに(tamani)” means “occasionally” and which has been used as the meaning of “sometimes but not often”. The basic way to use it is “私はたまに___をする。(I occasionally ___.)”, etc. For instance, “私はたまにジョギングをする。(I occasionally jog.)”, etc. The tips for using it are that FREQUENCY of “たまに” is “30-40%”, unlike “時々“. And, it is added to the beginning of a sentence, it is not the end of the sentence. Everybody could use it both in daily conversations as casual and in business situations as formal, such as “たまにジョギングするよ。(I occasionally jog.)” as casual and “たまにジョギングをします。(I occasionally jog.)” as polite and lastly, “たまにジョギングをいたします。(I occasionally jog.)” as formal. Additionally, you would also say only “たまに” as an answer when someone asks you something such as a question is “How often do you jog? (どれくらいジョギングしてるの？)” and the answer is “Occasionally.(たまにだよ。)”.
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Sample
yukaたまに公園でレイを見かけるよ。 (I occasionally see Rei in the park.) (我有时会在公园看到雷。) (가끔 공원에서 레이를 볼 때가 있어.) (Thi thoảng tôi bắt gặp Rei ở công viên.) (tamani kōen de rei wo mikakeru yo.)
tatsuyaたまに飲み会に行くよ。 (I occasionally go to the party.) (我偶尔会去喝酒。) (가끔 회식에 가.) (Thi thoảng tôi sẽ đi uống rượu.) (tamani nomi kai ni iku yo.)
yukaどれくらいジョギングしてるの？ (How often do you jog?) (你多久去一次慢跑？) (얼마나 조깅 하고있어?) (Bạn có chạy bộ thường xuyên không?) (dorekurai jogingu shi teru no?)
tatsuyaたまにだよ。週に二、三回かな。 (Occasionally. I think it’s two or three times a week.) (偶尔去一下，一周两三次吧。) (가끔이야. 일주일에 두세번 정도려나.) (Thi thoảng thôi à. Hai, ba lần một tuần gì đó.) (tamani dayo. shū ni ni san kai ka na.)
時々 (tokidoki)
Sometimes / 有时 / 때때로 / thỉnh thoảng
“時々 (tokidoki)” means “sometimes” and which has been used as the meaning of “on some occasions but not always or often”. The basic way to use it is “私は時々___をする。(I sometimes ___.)”, etc. For instance, “私は時々ジョギングをする。(I sometimes jog.)”, etc. The tips for using it are that FREQUENCY of “時々” is “50%”, unlike “たまに(30-40%)”. And, it is added to the beginning of a sentence, it is not the end of the sentence. Everybody could use it both in daily conversations as casual and in business situations as formal, such as “時々ジョギングするよ。(I sometimes jog.)” as casual and “時々ジョギングをします。(I sometimes jog.)” as polite and lastly, “時々ジョギングをいたします。(I sometimes jog.)” as formal. Additionally, you would also say only “時々” as an answer when someone asks you something such as a question is “How often do you jog?(どれくらいジョギングしてるの？)” and the answer is “Sometimes.(時々だよ。)”. So, “時々” is used as a little bit higher frequency.
Sample
yuka時々公園でレイを見かけるよ。 (I sometimes see Rei in the park.) (有时我在公园看到雷。) (때때로 공원에서 레이를 볼 때가 있어.) (Thỉnh thoảng tôi bắt gặp Rei ở công viên.) (tokidoki kōende rei wo mikakeru yo.)
tatsuya時々飲み会に行くよ。 (I sometimes go to the party.) (我有时会去喝酒。) (때때로 회식에 가.) (Thỉnh thoảng tôi sẽ đi uống rượu.) (tokidoki nomi kai ni iku yo.)
yukaどれくらいジョギングしてるの？ (How often do you jog?) (你多久去一次慢跑？) (얼마나 조깅 하고있어?) (Bạn có chạy bộ thường xuyên không?) (dorekurai jogingu shi teru no?)
tatsuya時々だよ。週に三、四回かな。 (Sometimes. I think it’s two or three times a week.) (有时去一下,一周两三次吧。) (때때로 해. 일주일에 서너번 정도려나.) (Thỉnh thoảng thôi à. Tuần khoảng ba, bốn lần gì đó.) (tokidoki da yo. shū san yon kai ka na.)
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