<p>To me 有时 feels more like "sometimes" and 偶尔 feels more like "occasionally".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-10T07:57:42.893Z
2012-02-10T07:57:42.893Z
Dan
<p>To me, 有时 and 偶尔 are interchangeable under <strong>ANY</strong> circumstances.</p>

<p>Depending on personal preference, feel free to pick either one when expressing <em>once in a while</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T11:53:58.987Z
My apologies. You should listen to Terry LiYifeng.
Bathrobe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T02:20:37.763Z
2012-01-12T02:25:53.780Z
2012-01-12T02:25:53.780Z
Terry Li
<p>Does one imply a much greater frequency? What about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Register_%28sociolinguistics%29" rel="nofollow">register</a>? Is the difference between and saying 有时 and 会偶尔 very big, or is it in all cases quite close?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-04T16:50:32.583Z
有时 is very formal and can only be found in the written language. 有的时候 is colloquial.
gonnastop
<word-choice><usage><meaning>
Is the difference between and saying 有时 and 会偶尔 very big?
# Is the difference between and saying 有时 and 会偶尔 very big?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-11)

Does one imply a much greater frequency? What about [register](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Register_%28sociolinguistics%29)? Is the difference between and saying 有时 and 会偶尔 very big, or is it in all cases quite close?

**Tags:** word-choice, usage, meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 有时 is very formal and can only be found in the written language. 有的时候 is colloquial.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-01-12. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

To me, 有时 and 偶尔 are interchangeable under **ANY** circumstances.

Depending on personal preference, feel free to pick either one when expressing *once in a while*.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: My apologies. You should listen to username_3Yifeng.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2012-02-10. Score: 0

To me 有时 feels more like "sometimes" and 偶尔 feels more like "occasionally".


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