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N3

おきに

Repeated at intervals, Every other, Every, At intervals of

この薬くすりは一日いちにちおきに飲のんでください。

Please take this medicine every other day.

Explanation

「おきに」 follows a time, quantity or distance and means 'every other ...' or 'at intervals of'. A gap is left, then it repeats: 「1日おきに」 means skipping one day (the 1st, 3rd, 5th), so once every two days; 「1メートルおきに木を植える」 (plant trees one metre apart).

Mixed up with

Do not confuse it with 「ごとに」: 「1日おき」 skips a day; 「1日ごとに」 means every single day.

Strictly, 「1人おき」 and 「1日おき」 mean 'skip one person' and 'skip one day'.

Often tested in listening: a nurse says 「6時間おきに薬を飲んでください」. Remember it means 'with that gap between'.

Examples

  1. 一ヶ月いっかげつおきに病院びょういんに来くるように先生せんせいに言いわれました。

    The doctor told me to come to the hospital every other month.

  2. 二日ふつかおきに部屋へやの掃除そうじをしないと気きが落おち着つかない。

    I can't relax unless I clean my room every third day.

  3. 30分さんじゅっぷん置おきに休憩きゅうけいしよう。

    Let's take a break in intervals of 30 minutes.

Tested 2 times in past papers

N2 · Jul 2017, Q33N2 · Dec 2015, Q33