おきにoki ni“at intervals of; every”

おきに means at intervals of; every. It is a JLPT N4 Japanese grammar pattern used to express the N4 idea of “every; at intervals of” in natural Japanese.

This grammar point often appears in conversation, written explanations, formal notices, and JLPT-style reading questions. If you want to express the N4 idea of “every; at intervals of” in natural Japanese, おきに is a useful pattern to learn after the N5 basics.

What does おきに mean?

Use おきに when you want to express the N4 idea of “every; at intervals of” in natural Japanese.

Natural translations include:

• repeated at intervals
• every
• every; at intervals of

How to form おきに

Amount of time/distance + おきに

Examples of the pattern:

• 一日おきに
• 三時間おきに
• 一メートルおきに
• 二週間おきに
• 五分おきに

When is おきに used?

Use おきに in situations like:

• explaining a condition, reason, decision, comparison, or time relationship
• making a sentence more specific than a basic N5 pattern

Tone and register:

• neutral unless the grammar itself is marked as casual, humble, honorific, or formal
• Common in daily speech, textbook examples, and JLPT N4 reading questions

おきに example sentences

• 一日おきに運動しています。 — I exercise every other day.
• 三時間おきに薬を飲んでください。 — Please take medicine every three hours.
• 一メートルおきに木があります。 — There is a tree every meter.
• 二週間おきに会議があります。 — There is a meeting every two weeks.
• 五分おきに電車が来ます。 — A train comes every five minutes.

Try to notice what the grammar point contributes: condition, timing, limitation, possibility, decision, politeness, contrast, or emphasis.

Nuance of おきに

The key nuance is every; at intervals of in a sentence-specific context.

This matters because おきに may look simple in English, but the Japanese form tells you whether the speaker is describing a time, a condition, a decision, a possibility, a contrast, or a social relationship.

For example:

• In context, おきに helps make the sentence more precise than a direct English translation.
• Compared with ごとに, it has a different focus even when both patterns appear in similar sentences.

おきに vs ごとに

Both おきに and ごとに can appear in related sentences, but they are different.

おきに:

• expresses repetition with an interval or gap
• focuses on the space between occurrences

ごとに:

• is useful for comparison because learners often mix it up
• focuses on consecutive, back-to-back instances without a gap

Quick contrast:

• おきに measures an interval between events.
• ごとに counts each consecutive unit without a gap.

For example, 一日おきに運動しています implies a day of rest between workout days.

If you are unsure which one to use, identify whether the sentence emphasizes an interval or consecutive occurrence.

Common mistakes with おきに

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Using it with the wrong verb, noun, or adjective form
• Confusing it with ごとに because the English translation can look similar
• Translating it too literally instead of reading the whole sentence context

Is おきに on the JLPT?

Yes. おきに is connected to JLPT N4 grammar in this blog.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for おきに

• Write one sentence using the basic pattern.
• Change the sentence into polite or casual style if possible.
• Compare it with the related pattern from the comparison section.

Learning path for おきに

Use おきに as part of your JLPT N4 state, continuity, material, and nominalizing grammar toolkit. Look at the state that continues around おきに: an unchanged condition, a background action, a sensory impression, a material source, or a nominalized event. Then compare it with patterns that mark time or change.

A good review order is: first make one short sentence with おきに, then compare it with こと, and finally add のに or まま to see how the nuance changes.

For practice, write one sentence that uses おきに in its most literal meaning, one sentence that changes the subject or time expression, and one sentence that contrasts it with one of the related patterns below.

Related grammar to review next

• こと — verb nominalizer.
• のに — for doing; in order to.
• まま — as it is; without changing.
• ながら — while doing at the same time.

Learn おきに with Hane

If you want to review おきに together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.

Browse more lessons here:

• All grammar lessons
• JLPT N4 grammar lessons