📖 Meaning
Repeatedly; over and over again. It describes an action being done multiple times, emphasizing the frequency and persistence of repetition.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom appears in 《儒林外史》(The Scholars), a Qing dynasty novel by 吴敬梓 (Wu Jingzi). In Chapter 25, someone is repeatedly urged to sit down before finally daring to take a seat on a low stool. The phrase uses the numbers 'three' and 'four' figuratively to convey many times, reflecting the cultural pattern of repeating important actions or requests to show sincerity or insistence.
💡 Example Usage
他再三再四地叮嘱孩子过马路要小心。
He repeatedly reminded his child to be careful when crossing the street.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 再三再四
- Pinyin: zài sān zài sì
- Literal Translation: again, three, again, four
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4