一再

• Pinyin: yī zài
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = one, used as an intensifier; 再 = pictograph showing an action done over again, meaning again or once more

Meaning

Repeatedly; again and again; time and again. Describes an action that occurs multiple times.

Used to emphasise that something has happened more than once, often with a sense of persistence, frustration, or determination. More emphatic than 再三 in some contexts. Common collocations: 一再强调 (to emphasise repeatedly), 一再叮嘱 (to remind again and again), 一再拒绝 (to refuse time and again).

Examples

1. 他一再强调，安全是工作中最重要的事情。 He has repeatedly emphasised that safety is the most important thing at work.
2. 老师一再提醒同学们要认真复习，不要临时抱佛脚。 The teacher has repeatedly reminded students to review carefully and not to cram at the last minute.
3. 她一再拒绝他的邀请，但他依然没有放弃。 She rejected his invitations again and again, but he still did not give up.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, professional

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 领导一再要求我们提高工作效率。(The leader has repeatedly asked us to improve our work efficiency.)
• 她一再检查，确保没有出错。(She checked again and again to make sure there were no mistakes.)

Don't Say

• 把'一再'用于只发生一次的事情 (Don't use 一再 for something that only happened once — it specifically means something that happened multiple times)

Origin & History

A compound of 一 (one, used as an intensifier) and 再 (again, a pictograph showing a repeated action). Together they mean once and again — i.e., repeatedly.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal