Ocasionales

Ocasionales is the plural form of the Spanish adjective ocasional, used to describe something that happens de vez en cuando, de forma irregular o temporal. It can refer to events, activities, incomes, or workers, among other things.

The term derives from ocasión (opportunity, happening) and the suffix -al, forming an adjective meaning pertaining to an occasion or characterized by infrequent occurrences. It can be attached to nouns to indicate irregularity or temporary nature.

Grammatically, ocasional agrees in gender and number: singular ocasional and plural ocasionales. It can function attributively (un empleo ocasional) or predicatively (el empleo es ocasional). When referring to people in a professional sense, the more common expression is empleos ocasionales or trabajos ocasionales rather than treating ocasionales as a noun.

Usage and nuance: In labor and economic contexts, trabajo o ingreso ocasional denotes irregular, non-permanent or non-salaried work, often contingent on projects or demand. It contrasts with empleo estable (stable employment) and with eventual, which emphasizes contingency or potentiality. Ocasional also covers non-work situations, such as visitas ocasionales (occasional visits) or compras ocasionales (sporadic purchases), where regularity is absent.

Examples: Realizó tareas ocasionales para completar el ingreso. El pago es ocasional, depende de los proyectos. Visitó a sus familiares de forma ocasional.

See also: esporádico, eventual, temporal, irregular.