翻来覆去

翻來覆去

fānlái-fùqù

idiom HSK 7-9 #21,867

Meanings

1 to toss and turn
2 over and over again
3 repeatedly

Characters

to turn over; to flip

to come; this way

to overturn; to cover

to go; that way

Examples

他翻来覆去睡不着觉。

Tā fānláifùqù shuì bù zháo jiào.

He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

这件事我翻来覆去想了好久。

Zhè jiàn shì wǒ fānláifùqù xiǎng le hǎojiǔ.

I thought about this matter over and over for a long time.

Tips

memory

翻来 (turn this way) + 覆去 (flip that way) = flipping back and forth. Literally describes tossing in bed; figuratively means thinking about something repeatedly.

Stroke Order

翻 fān

来 lái

覆 fù

去 qù