Definition

1. Adverb:
   • From time to time, now and then, every so often: Indicates that an action or event occurs repeatedly but with intervals in between; not continuously.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Chuông điện thoại chốc chốc lại reo. (The telephone bell rang from time to time.)
  • Cô ấy chốc chốc lại nhìn ra cửa sổ. (She looks out the window now and then.)
  • Chốc chốc, tôi lại nghĩ về kỳ nghỉ hè. (Every so often, I think about the summer vacation.)

Advanced Usage

• "chốc chốc lại V": A common grammatical pattern where "chốc chốc" is paired with "lại" before the verb to emphasize the intermittent recurrence of the action.
  • Đứa bé chốc chốc lại khóc. (The baby cries intermittently.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thỉnh thoảng (adv): occasionally, sometimes. This is a close synonym but may imply slightly less frequent or more irregular intervals than "chốc chốc".
• Đôi khi (adv): at times, sometimes.
• Lâu lâu (adv, informal): once in a while, every now and then.

Synonyms

• Intermittently: occurring at irregular intervals.
• Periodically: recurring at regular intervals.
• Occasionally: now and then; not regularly.

Notes on Usage

• Frequency: "Chốc chốc" suggests a higher frequency than "thỉnh thoảng" or "đôi khi". It implies the action happens quite often, but with breaks.
• Tone: It is a neutral word, suitable for both written and spoken Vietnamese.
• Pattern: It is most naturally used in the structure "chốc chốc lại [verb]" to describe habitual or repeated actions.

1. From time to time, now and then
   • chuông điện thoại chốc chốc lại reo
     the telephone bell rang from time to time