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For Life
2003.10.09

It's good to see you! We have a neat pair of words for you to look at today. After reading this WordMaster we think you'll agree, "What a difference an 's' makes!"

Today's LessonCATEGORY: Commonly Confused Words
SOMETIME vs. SOMETIMES   いつか vs. 時々

Explanation

  • Sometime is a time in the future that has not yet been decided. It can also be used to give an inexact time in the past in expressions such as "sometime last year", "sometime yesterday", etc.

    Sometimes means occasionally, but not often.
  • sometime  は、将来のいつか、という意味です。
    過去のことで、いつとはっきり言わないときにもこの言葉が使えます。例：sometime  last year （去年のいつか）、sometime  yesterday （昨日のいつか）

    sometimes  は、時々という意味です。

examples

  1. (saying goodbye to someone you just met at a party)
    Here's my phone number. Call me sometime.
  2. (a father to his son)
    Sometime I'll tell you how your mother and I first met. It's a funny story.
  3. The typhoon is supposed to reach Okinawa sometime tomorrow.
  4. (after finding a lost puppy in the park)
    a: How old do you think he is?
    b: I can't be sure, but he was probably born sometime last month.
  5. (two employees talking about a new job opening at their company)
    a: They've stopped taking applications, you know.
    b: You're kidding! When was the deadline?
    a: Sometime last week.
  6. Sometimes I have a glass of wine with dinner, but usually I just drink water.
  7. I sometimes think I'd be happier living in a small town.

See you again sometime!