connective N2 uncommon writtenliterary
折に — on the occasion of / when
折に ・ おりに
Builds on 折
Meaning
- on the occasion of ~ / when ~ — at a fitting time or opportunity (formal/polite)
Key sentence
上京の折に、ぜひお立ち寄りください。
When you come up to Tokyo, please do drop by.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + の | N + の + 折に | 帰国 → 帰国の折に |
| Verb (plain) | plain form + 折に | お会いする → お会いした折に |
When: Formal and polite — common in invitations, correspondence, and set greetings.
Variants
折には / 折は — topic-marked variants: お近くにお越しの折には… 'should you happen to be nearby…'
Examples
次回お会いする折に、詳しくお話しします。
I'll tell you the details when we next meet.
何かの折に思い出していただければ幸いです。
I would be glad if you remembered it on some occasion.
帰省の折に、恩師を訪ねた。
On the occasion of returning home, I visited my old teacher.
Easily confused with
際に Both formal 'on the occasion of'. 際に is a neutral 'at the time of ~'; 折に implies a fitting or convenient opportunity, and is softer and more polite (common in invitations). とき / 時 とき is the everyday 'when'. 折に is its formal, occasion-flavored equivalent, used for opportune moments in polite speech and writing.
See 折に in real sentences
Jengo shows 折に the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSee also
Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.