How to Say “Repeatedly / Over and Over” with 再三 (zàisān)
再三 (zàisān) is the formal “repeatedly / time and again / over and over.” Literally 再 (“again”) plus 三 (“three”), it comes before the verb, usually a two-syllable one, and marks earnest, deliberate repetition, most often stressing, reminding, or deliberating: 老师再三强调 (“the teacher stressed over and over”), 经过再三考虑 (“after much consideration”). It usually skips 了 and 过.
Why this trips learners up
再三 (zàisān) means “repeatedly / time and again / over and over,” in a distinctly formal register. The two characters are literally 再 (“again”) and 三 (“three”), so it reads as “again and thrice,” i.e. many times over. Grammatically it's an adverb that comes before the verb, and that verb is usually two syllables: 再三 + Verb Phrase. 老师再三强调这次考试很重要 (“the teacher stressed over and over that this exam matters”), 他再三道歉 (“he apologized again and again”).
The feeling that sets 再三 apart is earnest, deliberate repetition by a person. It's not just that something happened many times; it's that someone kept doing it on purpose, usually to persuade, urge, reassure, or deliberate. That's why it clusters with a particular set of two-syllable verbs: 强调 (stress), 提醒 (remind), 警告 (warn), 劝 (advise), 保证 (assure), 叮嘱 (enjoin), 考虑 / 权衡 (deliberate / weigh). One very common set phrase is 经过再三考虑 (“after much, repeated consideration”), used when a decision follows a lot of back-and-forth thought.
A few grammar notes. Although the action is nearly always in the past, 再三 generally goes without 了 or 过 (you'll occasionally see 过, but the plain verb is the norm), and you never wedge a 了 between 再三 and the verb: it's 再三强调, not 再三了强调. 再三 can also appear attributively or nominally, sitting inside a noun phrase: 记者的再三追问 (“the reporters' repeated questioning”), 在朋友的再三劝说下 (“under his friends' repeated urging”).
Two things to keep straight. First, because 再三 is formal and about deliberate repetition, don't use it for a casual repeated habit: “he watches this film over and over” is 反复 or 老是, not 再三. Second, keep it apart from its close synonym 一再 (yīzài), covered in the comparison below: both mean “repeatedly” and both are formal, but 再三 is an agent earnestly repeating an act (再三强调), while 一再 is broader and readily covers events that recur (会议一再推迟, “the meeting was postponed again and again”). When someone is insisting or thinking hard, reach for 再三.
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
tā 他 Subject zàisān 再三 Pattern dàoqiàn 道歉 Verb
He apologized over and over (bare 再三 + verb).
māma 妈妈 Subject zàisān 再三 Pattern dīngzhǔ 叮嘱 Verb wǒ 我 Object lùshang xiǎoxīn 路上小心 Other
Mom urged me again and again to be careful on the way (再三 + 叮嘱).
tā 他 Subject zàisān 再三 Pattern bǎozhèng 保证 Verb yǐhòu bú huì zài chídào 以后不会再迟到 Other
He assured me repeatedly that he won't be late again (再三 + 保证).
miànshì qián 面试前， Time tā 她 Subject zàisān 再三 Pattern quèrèn 确认 Verb miànshì de shíjiān hé dìdiǎn 面试的时间和地点 Object
Before the interview, she checked the time and place over and over (再三 + 确认).
jīnglǐ 经理 Subject zàisān 再三 Pattern qiángdiào 强调 Verb ānquán shì dì-yī wèi de 安全是第一位的 Other
The manager stressed again and again that safety comes first (再三 + 强调, the classic pairing).
jīngguò 经过 Other zàisān 再三 Pattern quánhéng 权衡 Verb dǒngshìhuì fǒujué le zhège jìhuà 董事会否决了这个计划 Other
After weighing it repeatedly, the board rejected the plan (经过再三 + 权衡, “after much…”).
jǐnguǎn 尽管 Connector wǒ 我 Subject zàisān 再三 Pattern jiěshì 解释 Verb tā háishì wùhuì le wǒ de yìsi 他还是误会了我的意思 Other
Even though I explained over and over, he still misunderstood me (再三 + 解释, inside 尽管…还是).
miànduì jìzhě de 面对记者的 Other zàisān 再三 Pattern zhuīwèn 追问 Verb fāyánrén shǐzhōng méiyǒu huíyìng 发言人始终没有回应 Other
Faced with the reporters' repeated questioning, the spokesman never responded (再三 used attributively, …的再三追问).
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 再三 is an adverb, so it goes before the verb, not after it. It's 我再三提醒你 (“I've reminded you over and over”), not 我提醒你再三. Put 再三 right in front of the verb it modifies.
Why it happens: 再三 is for earnest, deliberate repetition, usually persuading, urging, or deliberating, and it's formal. A casual repeated habit, like watching a film over and over, isn't 再三; use 反复 (“repeatedly, back and forth”) or the colloquial 老是 / 一遍又一遍. Reach for 再三 when someone is insisting or thinking something through, again and again.
Why it happens: Don't wedge 了 between 再三 and the verb: it's 老师再三强调, not 老师再三了强调. 再三 is an adverb, and although its action is usually in the past, 再三 verbs generally go without 了 or 过 (you'll occasionally see 过, but the plain verb is the norm).
Compare & contrast
| 再三 zàisān (repeatedly, earnestly: an agent doing something over and over) | 一再 yīzài (again and again: broader, including events that recur) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 我再三强调这件事wǒ zàisān qiángdiào zhè jiàn shì = “I’ve stressed this over and over” (再三: an agent earnestly repeating an act, before a 2-syllable verb) | 会议一再推迟huìyì yízài tuīchí = “the meeting has been postponed again and again” (一再: an event that keeps recurring, where 再三 wouldn’t fit) | 我再三强调这件事 means “I've stressed this over and over,” 再三 marking an agent earnestly repeating an act before a two-syllable verb. 会议一再推迟 means “the meeting has been postponed again and again,” 一再 marking an event that keeps recurring, where 再三 wouldn't fit. One is someone insisting; the other is a pattern repeating. |
| 经过再三考虑jīngguò zàisān kǎolǜ = “after much (repeated) deliberation” (再三: weighing something over and over, an idiom) | 他一再犯同样的错误tā yízài fàn tóngyàng de cuòwù = “he keeps making the same mistake again and again” (一再: a recurrence, often with a note of exasperation) | 经过再三考虑 means “after much (repeated) deliberation,” an idiom where 再三 weighs something over and over. 他一再犯同样的错误 means “he keeps making the same mistake again and again,” 一再 marking a recurrence, often with a note of exasperation. 再三 leans on effort and intent; 一再 on the sheer fact of repetition. |
Try it yourself
Say “He thanked everyone over and over.” Use 再三 + verb.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Repeatedly / Over and Over” with 再三 (zàisān) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.