屡

• Pinyin: lǚ
• Hanzi breakdown: 屡 = 尸 (radical indicating reiteration) + 娄 (phonetic component)

Meaning

Repeatedly; time and again. A formal adverb indicating that an action or event has occurred multiple times.

Highly formal and literary. Rarely used in isolation in modern spoken Chinese; almost always appears in fixed compounds: 屡次 (repeatedly), 屡屡 (again and again), 屡见不鲜 (a common occurrence), 屡禁不止 (repeatedly banned but impossible to stop).

Examples

1. 该企业屡违安全生产规定，被监管部门责令整改并处以高额罚款。 The company repeatedly violated workplace safety regulations and was ordered to make corrections and given heavy fines by regulators.
2. 他屡败屡战，经历了七次创业失败后，终于在第八次尝试中获得成功。 He kept fighting after each defeat; after seven failed startups, he finally succeeded on his eighth attempt.
3. 有关部门屡发警告，但部分驾驶人仍置若罔闻，继续在禁停区域随意停车。 The authorities issued repeated warnings, but some drivers still ignored them and kept parking wherever they pleased in no-parking zones.

Usage Guide

Context: official writing, legal, journalism

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 该官员屡次收受贿赂，最终被依法追究刑事责任。(The official repeatedly accepted bribes and was ultimately held criminally accountable in accordance with the law.)
• 公司产品屡获国际大奖，在业界享有极高声誉。(The company's products have repeatedly won international awards and enjoy a very high reputation in the industry.)

Don't Say

• 在口语中单独使用屡 — 屡 is a written/formal adverb; in spoken language use 多次 or 一再 instead; 屡 sounds stiff and unnatural in casual conversation

Origin & History

屡 = 尸 (roof radical, indicating repeated occurrence) + 娄 (phonetic component)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal