三番五次

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: sān fān wǔ cì
• English Translation: Repeatedly, over and over again
• Idiom Composition: 「三」（Three）＋「番」（Times, occasions）＋「五」（Five）＋「次」（Times, occasions）
• Meaning: Repeatedly, over and over again. It describes situations where the same action is done multiple times or the same thing is said repeatedly. The numbers 'three' and 'five' are not literal but are used to emphasize frequency or multitude.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「三番五次」 contains the following nuances:

• High frequency: Emphasizes that a certain action or event occurs very frequently.
• Emphasis on repetition: Highlights the repeated nature of an action or statement, sometimes indicating persistence or significance.
• Slight irritation: Sometimes implies that the speaker feels some irritation or annoyance toward the repeated behavior.

3. Usage

「三番五次」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Repeated actions: Describes someone repeatedly performing the same action.
  • Example:「他三番五次地迟到，让老板很生气。」
    （He was late repeatedly, making the boss very angry.）
• Repeated explanations or advice: Describes someone repeatedly explaining or giving advice about the same matter.
  • Example:「我已经三番五次地告诉过你，不要再犯同样的错误。」
    （I have told you repeatedly, don't make the same mistake again.）
• Repeated requests or pleas: Describes someone repeatedly making the same request or plea.
  • Example:「她三番五次地请求帮助，但没有人理睬她。」
    （She asked for help repeatedly, but no one paid attention to her.）

Additional Examples:

1. 我已经三番五次地检查过了，没有发现任何问题。
   （I have checked repeatedly, but found no problems.）
2. 尽管警方三番五次地警告，他还是继续进行非法活动。
   （Despite the police's repeated warnings, he continued his illegal activities.）
3. 他三番五次地打电话来，真是烦人。
   （He called repeatedly, which was really annoying.）
4. 老师三番五次地强调考试的纪律，希望大家都能遵守。
   （The teacher emphasized exam discipline repeatedly, hoping everyone would follow it.）
5. 为了解决这个问题，我们三番五次地开会讨论，终于找到了一个可行的方案。
   （To solve this problem, we held meetings repeatedly for discussion and finally found a feasible solution.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• In Chinese, numbers like 'three' and 'five' are often used to express 'many' rather than specific quantities. '三番五次' is one such example.
• '三番五次' is often used in somewhat negative contexts.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 屡次三番 (lǚ cì sān fān): Repeatedly, frequently. Used with almost the same meaning as '三番五次'.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 一蹴而就 (yí cù ér jiù): To accomplish something in one go; to succeed at once.

6. Summary

'三番五次' is an idiom that expresses not only the simple meaning of 'repeatedly' but also conveys the speaker's feelings toward the repeated behavior, as well as the importance or persistence of that behavior.