TongTong
Sign in

此起彼伏 (cǐ qǐ bǐ fú) — to rise and fall in succession; to occur one after another; continuously alternating

Definition

A set phrase meaning sounds, events, or waves rising and falling one after another without pause. Unlike 起伏 (which describes a single line going up and down), 此起彼伏 stresses many things happening in succession across space or time.

phrase
to rise and fall in successionto occur one after anothercontinuously alternating

Examples

  • 此起彼伏，。
    Huì chǎng lǐ zhǎng shēng cǐ qǐ bǐ fú, qì fen fēi cháng rè liè.
    Applause rose and fell in the venue, and the atmosphere was very enthusiastic.
  • 此起彼伏，。
    Hǎi miàn shàng bō làng cǐ qǐ bǐ fú, yú chuán zài làng zhōng yáo huàng.
    Waves rose and fell on the sea, and the fishing boat rocked in the waves.
  • ，此起彼伏，。
    Jìn jǐ nián lái, gè dì de kàng yì huó dòng cǐ qǐ bǐ fú, zhèng fǔ miàn lín hěn dà yā lì.
    In recent years, protests have occurred one after another across the country, putting the government under great pressure.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

此起this rises
此cǐthis起qǐrise
主谓Subject + predicate
彼伏that subsides
彼bǐthat伏fúsubside
主谓Subject + predicate

“此” and “彼” point to here and there, while “起” and “伏” describe rising and subsiding in alternation.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

此 shows 止 (feet) and 人 (person), drawing a person stopping, to mean 'this' or 'here.'

Open 此 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí彼bǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 彳 points to the meaning, and the right part 皮 gives the sound.

Open 彼 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

伏 combines 人 (person) and 犬 (dog), as a dog beside a person or a person taking a dog's low posture, to show lying prostrate.

Open 伏 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.