一而再再而三

yī'érzàizài'érsān
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 again and again
  2. 2 repeatedly
  3. 3 time after time

Examples

Tā yī ér zài zài ér sān de fàn tóngyàng de cuòwù, shízài ràng rén shīwàng.
He makes the same mistake over and over again — it's really disappointing.
Wǒ yī ér zài zài ér sān de tíxǐng tā, tā háishì méi fàng zài xīnshàng.
I reminded him again and again, but he still didn't take it to heart.

Tips

memory
Literal parse: '(going) from one to two, then from two to three' — a step-by-step escalation of repetition. Almost always used negatively, for repeat offenses or tested patience.

Stroke Order

ér
zài
sān