Definition
三番五次 (sān fān wǔ cì) is a set phrase meaning 'over and over again', with a slightly emphatic, almost exasperated tone — it implies the repetition is excessive or annoying. It's more vivid than the neutral 反复 (fǎn fù 'repeatedly') and less formal than 一再 (yī zài) or 再三 (zài sān), which are common in written Chinese. Unlike 翻来覆去 (fān lái fù qù), it doesn't carry the literal sense of tossing and turning.
phrase
over and over againrepeatedly
Examples
- 三番五次，。Tā sān fān wǔ cì de fàn tóngyàng de cuòwù, zhēn ràng rén shēngqì.He makes the same mistake over and over again, which is really annoying.
- 三番五次。Māma sān fān wǔ cì de tíxǐng wǒ chūmén yào dài yàoshi.Mom reminds me over and over again to bring my keys when I go out.
- 三番五次，。Suīrán wǒ sān fān wǔ cì de jiěshì, tā háishì bù xiāngxìn.Although I explained over and over again, he still didn't believe me.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.