Repeatedly / time and again (屡次 / 一再 / 再三)

Structure 屡次 / 一再 / 再三 + Verb

This formal trio expresses that an action recurs over and over, and all three go before the verb. 屡次 (lǚcì) is the most neutral, «on repeated occasions», and tends to pair with negative or blameworthy facts: 屡次违反规定 = «to break the rules time and again». 一再 (yīzài) stresses recurrence as insistence or relapse: 一再拖延 = «to keep putting things off». 再三 (zàisān, literally «two-three») adds the nuance of harping insistently, almost always with verbs of speaking: 再三叮嘱 = «to urge again and again». Unlike 反复 (HSK 5), which is more physical and cyclical, these three belong to written register and sound like press or essay prose. 屡屡 and 屡遭 are more literary still.

Examples

这zhè家jiā工gōng厂chǎng屡lǚ次cì违wéi反fǎn环huán保bǎo规guī定dìng。
This factory has repeatedly violated environmental regulations.
对duì方fāng一yī再zài拖tuō延yán，谈tán判pàn迟chí迟chí没méi有yǒu进jìn展zhǎn。
The other side kept stalling, and the talks were slow to make progress.
母mǔ亲qīn再zài三sān叮dīng嘱zhǔ我wǒ路lù上shàng小xiǎo心xīn。
My mother urged me again and again to be careful on the way.
尽jǐn管guǎn屡lǚ次cì失shī败bài，他tā仍réng未wèi放fàng弃qì。
Despite failing time and again, he still has not given up.

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