Translation
sometimes, now and then
Examples
.
Now and then he comes to the city.
tacet, .
Sometimes he is silent, sometimes he speaks.
tranquillum .
The sea is sometimes calm.
errare .
To err now and then is human.
noctu laborabat.
Sometimes he used to work at night.
Interdum is inter plus dum, "in the meanwhile", and it means "sometimes" in the sense of "at intervals": the action recurs, with gaps. It normally goes with the present or the imperfect, the tenses of habit.
The nearest rival is aliquando, and the difference is worth keeping. Aliquando means "at some time or other", possibly once, and points at an indefinite occasion; interdum means "from time to time", and implies repetition. Latin loves interdum in balanced pairs, interdum ... interdum, "sometimes this, sometimes that", where English would say "now ... now". Do not confuse it with interea, "meanwhile", which sets one action against another rather than describing frequency; the shared inter- makes them look closer than they are.
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interdum: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "interdum" (sometimes, now and then): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 19.