Once a week/Once in a week (2025)

Hi,

Can I say 1) “I’ll meet my college friend once a week at his home.

(Or)

2) I’ll meet my college friend once in a week in his home.

I am little bit confused about’ Once a week/ Once in a week ‘. Does it both mean the same?

Does it sound grammatically ok?

Please share your ideas on this.

Thanks in advance

Thank you natkretep, but would you mind explaining me a little bit more why I can't add a preposition in front of "a week." I have a idea but I'm not sure; I think that "a week" is an adverb of time, if is it an adverb of time then why it is not "weekly."
Thank you..

Please also comment on my punctuation usage.

Englishmypassion said:

Once a week, twice a month, every week, etc are adverbial phrases, so no preposition is used with them.

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Hello there, As you said "once a week" is an adverbial phrases but I can't understand what adverb does this phrase "once a week" contain? I think that "week" isn't adverb since "weekly" is an adverb.
Thanks..
Please could you explain me a little bit more about the parts of adverb phrase in the phrase "once a week."

Hello,

And what about: once in the week.

Would it be interpreted that someone is talking about something they do once a week or once on any day from Monday to Friday?

e.g. I go to the swimming pool once in the week.

I'd appreciate your reply.

Distinguish between:

1. Expression of frequency: "I’ll meet my college friend once a week at his home."
2. Single event: "We went away for a week's holiday and it only rained once in the week".

sunnyweather said:

And what about: once in the week.

Would it be interpreted that someone is talking about something they do once a week or once on any day from Monday to Friday?

e.g. I go to the swimming pool once in the week.

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I go to the swimming pool once each week.
I go to the swimming pool once a week.

The Monday to Friday period is a "work week". If something is clearly part of work, you can just say "week":

I send the main office a report each week.
We have a staff meeting once a week.

But swimming is not part of work:

I go to the swimming pool once a week. I go during the work week, when the pool is less crowded.
I go to the swimming pool once each work week.

Keith Bradford said:

Expression of frequency: "I’ll meet my college friend once a week at his home."

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May I please ask whether "once a week" in this example means "once each week"? i.e. the speaker will meet his friend once in each week? (The speaker is making a plan about the future)

Yes. "Once a week" means "once each week".

Any time frame works. "Once an hour" means "once each hour".