一连串

• Pinyin: yī lián chuàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = one; 连 = 辶 + 车 (movement + chariot — linked in sequence); 串 = 口 × 2 + 丨 (two rings on a skewer — strung together in a line)

Meaning

A string of; a series of; a succession of. Describes multiple events, problems, or items occurring one after another in a chain-like sequence.

More emphatic than 一连, stressing the chain-like, interconnected nature of the sequence. Frequently implies that one event triggers the next: 一连串的连锁反应 (a chain of knock-on effects), 一连串的问题 (a string of problems), 一连串的错误 (a series of errors). The 串 image of items threaded on a skewer conveys inseparable linkage.

Examples

1. 这次金融危机引发了一连串的连锁反应，从银行倒闭蔓延至实体经济，最终导致大批企业裁员。 This financial crisis set off a chain reaction: bank failures spread into the real economy and ultimately led to mass layoffs at many companies.
2. 记者在新闻发布会上向发言人抛出一连串尖锐的问题，现场气氛一时变得相当紧张。 At the press conference, reporters fired off a string of pointed questions at the spokesperson, and the atmosphere suddenly became quite tense.
3. 新上任的项目经理接手的是一连串遗留问题，包括进度滞后、预算超支与团队士气低落。 The new project manager inherited a string of unresolved issues, including schedule delays, budget overruns, and low team morale.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, analysis, journalism, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这起重大安全事故并非偶然，而是一连串管理疏漏与监管缺位共同作用的结果，涉事企业的法律责任正在接受全面调查。(This major safety accident was no accident — it was the result of a string of management lapses and regulatory failures acting in concert; the legal liability of the companies involved is currently under comprehensive investigation.)
• 谈判破裂后，双方陷入了一连串相互指责的公开声明，舆论压力迫使两国政府不得不重新坐回谈判桌前。(After the talks collapsed, both sides fell into a string of mutual accusations in public statements; public pressure eventually compelled both governments to return to the negotiating table.)

Don't Say

• 他说了一连串话 — use 一连串的话 or 一大堆话; 一连串 as an attributive adjective requires 的 before the modified noun

Origin & History

一 (one/a) + 连 (link/connect) + 串 (to string together — two 口 stacked on 丨; originally things pierced on a skewer, strung in a line)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal