反复 fǎnfù repeatedly
repeatedly; over and over; to upend; unstable; to come and go; (of an illness) to return
How to remember 反复: 反 oppose + 复 repeat = repeatedly.
Characters
How it is used
- Adverb before the verb, meaning over and over: 反复练习 (fǎnfù liànxí) - practice repeatedly.
- Also used for something unstable that swings back and forth, including an illness relapsing: 病情反复 (bìngqíng fǎnfù) - the condition came back.
- Different from 再三 (zàisān), a more literary "again and again" that pairs mainly with verbs like 强调/叮嘱 (emphasize/urge) - 反复 is broader and can describe instability itself, not just repeated action.
Example sentences
- 他在心里反复思量这件事。 Tā zài xīnlǐ fǎnfù sīliáng zhèjiàn shì.He turned over the matter in his mind.