Meaning
After a quantity おきに marks a regular interval: 十分おきに (every ten minutes). With days, count the skipped days: 一日おきに (every other day), 二日おきに (every third day). Clarify longer periods in context; 二週間に一回 unambiguously means once every two weeks.
Formation
- Number + counter + おきに: 十分おきに, 一日おきに
- Minutes, hours, meters: 'every N': 十分おきに ≈ 十分ごとに
- With days, count the skipped days: 一日おきに (every other day), 二日おきに (every third day). Do not extend this mechanically to all units; for longer periods clarify the context. 二週間に一回 unambiguously means once every two weeks.
When to use it
- Core use
- At intervals of …
Example
バスは十分おきに来ます
The bus comes every ten minutes.
Important notes
- Pay attention to the word form before the construction and to the particles around it.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate the pattern word for word; first identify its function in the whole situation.