lâu lâu
Definition
- Adverb:
- Once in a while / Every now and then: Indicates that an action or event occurs occasionally, with significant intervals of time between occurrences. It emphasizes the infrequency and irregular spacing of the event.
Usage Examples
- Adverb:
- Lâu lâu tôi mới đi xem phim. (Once in a while, I go to the movies.)
- Lâu lâu cô ấy gọi điện cho gia đình. (Every now and then, she calls her family.)
- Chúng tôi lâu lâu mới gặp lại nhau. (We only meet up once in a long while.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase can be used at the beginning or within a sentence to modify the verb. It often pairs with "mới" (only then) to further stress the rarity of the action.
- Lâu lâu anh ấy mới nấu ăn. (It's only once in a blue moon that he cooks.)
Variants and Related Words
- Thỉnh thoảng (adv): occasionally, sometimes. This is a close synonym but may imply slightly more frequency.
- Đôi khi (adv): sometimes, at times.
- Hiếm khi (adv): rarely, seldom. This emphasizes infrequency more strongly than "lâu lâu".
Synonyms
- Occasionally: at infrequent or irregular intervals.
- From time to time: occasionally; not constantly or regularly.
- Once in a while: occasionally; now and then.
Related Idioms
- While "lâu lâu" itself is an adverbial phrase, it is conceptually related to idioms about infrequency, such as:
- Năm thì mười họa: (lit. five times, ten chances) very rarely, once in a blue moon.
- Anh ấy năm thì mười họa mới đến thăm. (He visits only once in a blue moon.)