不时 (sometimes)

[Guest Pipas]

Hello, all!

this word -"不时" makes me dizzy

It means "sometimes", but I used to say "有时(候)".

Is it a difference between them? In usage may be?

[chenpv]

不时: less than constantly but more than occasionally, it is always used as: 时不时 which has the same meaning.

有时(候): as you have mentioned, it means 'sometimes'.

[dongdong]

And i think 不时 somewhat implies the irregularity of an action.

For example: 他说话的时候很紧张，不时会把纸上的句子念错。

which can imply that his mispronunciations happen quite much and unexpectedly.

personal opinion

[Guest Pipas]

Yeah, but aren't you confused by the structure of this word, guys?

不+时.. It seems to be kind of "unnatural", just like "按说".

Probably originally it was "不合时" or "不定时",

just like 按理说 --> 按照情理来说.

How do they call such words in chinese?

[hakkaboy]

There are lots of funny things in Chinese. Take: 好容易 means the same as 好不容易, so sometimes you have to accept things as they are.

[Altair]

不+时.. It seems to be kind of "unnatural", just like "按说".

Probably originally it was "不合时" or "不定时",

just like 按理说 --> 按照情理来说.

I don't know whether this analysis is correct or not, but it is quite helpful, at least to me. Perhaps, the logic for 不时 was something like 有时="at times" and 不时="not just from time to time, but frequently." The meaning of a phrase like 没时 (which doesn't exist as far as I can find) would not seem right, since it might imply "never." 好容易, mentioned by Hakkaboy seems to represent the same phenomenon of omission.

Compare this phenomenon with the English phrase: "The proof is in the pudding." Let me explain for those non-native English speakers for whom this phrase might be puzzling. From what I understand, the phrase is a shortened form of the saying "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." "Proof" in this case means "test," and the phrase implies something like: "You can tell how good a pudding is only by eating some of it."

[semantic nuance]

有时="at times" and 不时="not just from time to time, but frequently."

I agree with Altair. 不時 means 常常.

[HashiriKata]

I agree with Altair. 不時 means 常常.

In addition, 不時 is a fairly bookish expression, more often seen than heard.

[Ferno]

不时: less than constantly but more than occasionally, it is always used as: 时不时 which has the same meaning.

looks like there could be some ambiguity with 是不是

[Guest Pipas]

I'm not satisfied

[Quest]

looks like there could be some ambiguity with 是不是

Different tones.

I'm not satisfied

According to my dictionary 《现代汉语词典》:

有时：sometimes

不时：1. 时时: 炼钢工人~察看炉火的颜色。(often) 2。随时；不是预定的时间：以备不时之需。(at random times, any time, many times)

[adrianlondon]

"shi bu shi" is usually sid so quick that there are no discernable tones. So I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference between 时不时and 是不是 except by context. In fact, until it was mentioned in this thread (admittedly I'm a beginner) I never even considered 时不时 as a possibility.

[xiaocai]

"shi bu shi" is usually sid so quick that there are no discernable tones. So I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference between 时不时and 是不是 except by context. In fact, until it was mentioned in this thread (admittedly I'm a beginner) I never even considered 时不时 as a possibility.

I think I can tell the diffenrence without the aid of context. It not very hard to distinguish 2nd tone from 4rd tone.

[Ferno]

i know the tones are different but I have been listening to a lot of Mandarin TV and radio - i immediately recalled how the three syllable grouping "shi bu shi" was specificaly often said really fast in a kind of slur. I have just always assumed it was 是不是

[dongdong]

i know the tones are different but I have been listening to a lot of Mandarin TV and radio - i immediately recalled how the three syllable grouping "shi bu shi" was specificaly often said really fast in a kind of slur. I have just always assumed it was 是不是

The first syllable should always be distinguished, because if it's not, then it will be also difficult for the native ears to catch the meaning.

Yeah, after the first syllable, you can speak the rest in a slur. For us it's in many cases enough to make out the whole word by hearing the first tone.

In this case, just pay more attention to the first syllable!

[adrianlondon]

Yes, it isn't hard to tell the difference between second and fourth tone but, as I said in my previous post, that isn't the issue. "shi bu shi" is said very fast; there are no tones when it's said like that. My boyfriend (admittedly Taiwanese rather than mainland Chinese) actually says "sibusi" again with no tones noticable. Not by me, anyway.

[Guest Pipas]

Happy New Years!

Nobody liked my idea about

不时="不合时" or "不定时" is just like 按说=按理说. Why?

Some kind of a contracted-word form, no?

Is it so impossible?