German word

manchmal

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈmançmaːl/

Meaning

  • adverbsometimes

Example

Ich gehe manchmal spazieren.

I sometimes go for a walk.

Illustration for manchmal (sometimes)

More examples

manchmal denke ich an meine Kindheit.

Sometimes I think of my childhood.

Core concept

An event appears now and then, with ordinary stretches of time between its occurrences.

Common phrases

  • manchmal nachts

    sometimes at night

  • manchmal tagsüber

    sometimes during the day

Similar words

ab und zu: An informal expression for something that happens from time to time.
hin und wieder: Showing that something recurs now and then without sounding emphatic.
gelegentlich: Marking an occasional occurrence in a suitably formal register.

Definition in German

Ausdrückt, dass etwas ab und zu bzw. hin und wieder vorkommt.

Word origin

Manchmal combines the indefinite element "manch" with "Mal" meaning an occasion, forming an adverb that means on some occasions.

Usage tips

  • When manchmal starts a main clause, the finite verb follows it directly: "Manchmal gehe ich spazieren."

Opposites

Word lists with this word