German word

bisweilen

Pronunciation

IPA/bɪsˈvaɪ̯lən/

Meaning

  • adverbsometimes

Example

Ich treffe ihn bisweilen im Park.

I meet him in the park sometimes.

Illustration for bisweilen (sometimes)

More examples

In Diskussionen bringt sie bisweilen neue Perspektiven ein.

In discussions, she occasionally brings in new perspectives.

Core concept

An event appears now and then, with irregular stretches of time between its appearances.

Common phrases

  • tritt bisweilen auf

    occasionally occurs

  • ist bisweilen hilfreich

    is occasionally helpful

Similar words

manchmal: On some occasions, but not regularly.
ab und zu: In casual speech, meaning once in a while.
hin und wieder: Occasionally, with no regular timing.
gelegentlich: At times, without happening continuously.

Definition in German

von Zeit zu Zeit; gelegentlich vorkommend.

Word origin

Bisweilen comes from Middle High German biwilen, formed from bi, meaning 'at', and wile, meaning 'time' or 'while'.

Usage tips

  • Bisweilen is grammatical in everyday German but sounds more literary than the common alternatives manchmal and hin und wieder.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word