陆续

• Pinyin: lù xù
• Hanzi breakdown: 陆 = 阝(mound) + 坴 (elevated) — in sequence; 续 = 纟(silk) + 卖 (sell, phonetic) — to continue

Meaning

One after another; successively; in succession. Indicating that things happen in a continuous but not simultaneous manner.

An adverb describing actions or events happening one after another over a period of time. Unlike 连续 (continuously without interruption), 陆续 implies a series of events with small gaps between them. Often used for people arriving, things being completed, or events unfolding gradually.

Examples

1. 客人们陆续到了，晚会马上就开始。 The guests arrived one after another — the party is about to begin.
2. 同学们陆续交上了自己的作业。 The classmates handed in their homework one by one.
3. 春天来了，公园里的花陆续开放了。 Spring has come, and the flowers in the park are blooming one after another.

Usage Guide

Context: narration, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 学生们陆续走进了教室。(The students walked into the classroom one after another.)
• 各地的消息陆续传来。(News from various places came in successively.)

Don't Say

• 他陆续吃了三碗饭 — for one person doing the same thing repeatedly, use 连续 instead; 陆续 implies multiple subjects or distinct events

Origin & History

陆 can mean 'land' or 'in sequence' and 续 means 'to continue.' Together they suggest a series of things continuing one after another.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal