三不時

三不時

1. (dialectal, including Jianghuai Mandarin, Southern Sixian Hakka, Wu) often; from time to time

   • 牽鑽鬼不想自己原是個鈍貨，反倒妒忌他起來，千方百計的暗損他：三不時在娘面前添枝換葉裝點他短處。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     牵钻鬼不想自己原是个钝货，反倒妒忌他起来，千方百计的暗损他：三不时在娘面前添枝换叶装点他短处。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Qing dynasty, 張南莊, 《何典》, chapter 5

     Qiānzuànguǐ bù xiǎng zìjǐ yuán shì ge dùnhuò, fǎndǎo dùjì tā qǐlái, qiānfāngbǎijì de ànsǔn tā: sānbùshí zài niáng miànqián tiānzhīhuànyè zhuāngdiǎn tā duǎnchù. [Pinyin]

     The petty-ghost, not regarding the possibility of he himself being slow, starts being jealous and tries to slander him nevertheless with numerous schemes: from time to time he would invent tall-tales to tell in front of their mother, what seemed to gild all his vices.

   • 老鴇隨便啥事體先要去問俚，俚說那價是那價，還要三不時去拍拍俚馬屁末好。 [Suzhounese, trad.]
     老鸨随便啥事体先要去问俚，俚说那价是那价，还要三不时去拍拍俚马屁末好。 [Suzhounese, simp.]

     From: 1892, 韓邦慶 (Han Bangqing), 《海上花列傳》 (The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai), chapter 6

     ⁶lau-pau₃ ²ze-bi₆ ⁵sa ⁶zy-thi₃ ¹si ⁵iau ⁵chi ⁶men ¹li ¹li-seq₇ ⁶na-ka₅ ⁶zy ⁶na-ka₅ ²we-iau₅ ¹se-peq₇-zy₂ ⁵chi ⁷phaq-phaq₇ ¹li ⁶mo-phi₅-meq₈ ³hau [Wugniu]

     Come what may, she's always the first one who the pimp goes to for opinions: she's always the one who gets the final word, who he purposefully showers with flattery every so often.

   • 有時過意不去　三不時不在家 [Sixian Hakka, trad.]
     有时过意不去　三不时不在家 [Sixian Hakka, simp.]

     From: 2015, 羅文裕 (Wing Lo), 菸樓清風

     yû-sṳ̀ ko-yi-m̀-hi, sâm-put-sṳ̀ mò thô vuk [Pha̍k-fa-sṳ]

     Sometimes I'm feel sorry that I'm often not home