一而再 (yī ér zài) — repeatedly, again and again

Definition

Shortened form of the set phrase 一而再,再而三, meaning 'over and over, repeatedly.' It emphasizes that the same thing happens many times and is a written/literary alternative to the more common 反复.

idiom
repeatedlyagain and again

Examples

  • Tā yì yī ér zài dì chí dào, lǎo shī hěn shēng qì.
    He was late repeatedly, and the teacher was very angry.
  • 一而再
    yī ér zài, Zài ér sān dì fàn tóng yí gè cuò wù, shí zài bú yīng gāi.
    Making the same mistake again and again is really not acceptable.
  • 一而再
    Tā duì wǒ yī ér zài dì shuō huǎng, wǒ wú fǎ zài xìn rèn tā.
    He lied to me repeatedly, and I can no longer trust him.

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