कभी कभी (kabhii kabhii)
adverb
A doubled form of कभी (kabhii, 'sometimes/ever') meaning 'sometimes, now and then, occasionally' -- the reduplication softens and spreads out the frequency it describes.
Sense
1
:
occasionally, now and then
adverb
Synonyms: कभी-कभार (kabhii-kabhaar, slightly more casual), कुछ समय बाद (kuchh samay baad, not exact synonym, avoid using), इधर-उधर (idhar-udhar, rare, different flavor)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of Hindi's many doubled words (like धीरे धीरे (dhiire dhiire, 'slowly slowly') or थोड़ा थोड़ा (thodaa thodaa, 'little by little')), where repetition itself carries grammatical meaning -- here turning a point-in-time word into a spread-out, recurring one. You will hear it constantly in casual chat, like when someone shrugs and says कभी कभी बारिश हो जाती है (kabhii kabhii baarish ho jaatii hai, 'it rains sometimes') about unpredictable Delhi weather.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use plain कभी (kabhii) when they mean 'sometimes,' but unreduplicated कभी (kabhii) more often means 'ever' or 'at some point,' especially in questions and negatives -- the doubling in कभी कभी (kabhii kabhii) is what locks in the 'occasionally' reading. 2) It describes a pattern spread over time, not a single instance -- for one occasion, use कभी (kabhii) alone, not the doubled form.
Sample Sentences:
कभी कभी बारिश हो जाती है।
It rains sometimes.
(kabhii kabhii baarish ho jaatii hai।)
मैं कभी कभी अकेले फिल्म देखने चला जाता हूँ।
I sometimes go watch a movie alone.
(main kabhii kabhii akele philm dekhne chalaa jaataa hoon।)
कभी कभी वह बिना बताए घर से निकल जाती थी।
She would sometimes leave the house without telling anyone.
(kabhii kabhii vah binaa bataae ghar se nikal jaatii thii।)
कभी कभी मुझे लगता है कि मैंने गलत फैसला लिया।
Sometimes I feel that I made the wrong decision.
(kabhii kabhii mujhe lagtaa hai ki mainne galat phaislaa liyaa।)
क्या तुम कभी कभी अपने पुराने दोस्तों को याद करते हो?
Do you sometimes remember your old friends?
(kyaa tum kabhii kabhii apne puraane doston ko yaad karte ho?)
आगे चलकर तुम्हें कभी कभी अकेला भी रहना पड़ेगा।
Going forward, you'll sometimes have to stay alone too.
(aage chalkar tumhen kabhii kabhii akelaa bhii rahnaa padegaa।)
अगर तुम कभी कभी उसका हाल पूछ लेते, तो वह इतना नाराज़ न होता।
If you had asked after him now and then, he wouldn't have been so upset.
(agar tum kabhii kabhii uskaa haal poochh lete, to vah itnaa naaraaz n hotaa।)
कभी कभी थोड़ा आराम भी कर लिया करो, हर वक्त काम मत करते रहो।
Do rest a little now and then, don't keep working all the time.
(kabhii kabhii thodaa aaraam bhii kar liyaa karo, har vakt kaam mat karte raho।)
जीवन में कभी कभी ऐसे मोड़ आते हैं जो सब कुछ बदल देते हैं।
In life, there sometimes come such turns that change everything.
(jiivan men kabhii kabhii aise mod aate hain jo sab kuchh badal dete hain।)
उम्मीद है कि तुम कभी कभी उसे फोन कर लिया करोगे।
I hope you'll call him now and then.
(ummiid hai ki tum kabhii kabhii use phon kar liyaa karoge।)
सर, कभी कभी ऐसी स्थितियाँ उत्पन्न हो जाती हैं जिनका पूर्वानुमान नहीं लगाया जा सकता।
Sir, sometimes such situations arise that cannot be predicted.
(sar, kabhii kabhii aisii sthitiyaan utpann ho jaatii hain jinkaa poorvaanumaan nahiin lagaayaa jaa saktaa।)