Meaning of 反复
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- repeatedly
- over and over
- to upend
- unstable
- to come and go
- (of an illness) to return
- variant of 反覆|反复[fan3 fu4]
How to use 反复
反复 is most often used as an adverb before a verb to show an action done many times, often carefully. It can also describe something that keeps changing or an illness that comes back. Example: 我反复读了这封信。(Wǒ fǎnfù dú le zhè fēng xìn.) I read this letter over and over.
反 (fǎn) means to turn over and 复 (fù) means to return or go back again. Turning something over and coming back to it again and again gives you 反复, doing it repeatedly.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 反复 and 重复 (chóngfù). 重复 means to repeat or duplicate something, often unnecessarily, while 反复 stresses doing something again and again, like thinking it over or checking it carefully.
反复 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
反 fǎn · contrary · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
复 fù · again · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 反复.
| 重复 | chóngfù | to repeat; to duplicate |
| 复习 | fùxí | to review; revision |
| 反正 | fǎnzhèng | anyway; in any case |
| 反对 | fǎnduì | to oppose; to be against; to object to |
| 反应 | fǎnyìng | to react; to respond |
| 复杂 | fùzá | complicated; complex |
| 复印 | fùyìn | to photocopy; to duplicate a document |
| 相反 | xiāngfǎn | opposite; contrary |
| 反而 | fǎn'ér | on the contrary; instead |
| 回复 | huífù | to recover; to revert; to return to (good health, normal condition etc); variant of 回覆[hui |
| 复制 | fùzhì | to duplicate; to make a copy of |
| 反映 | fǎnyìng | to mirror; to reflect |
Questions about 反复
What does 反复 mean?
反复 (fǎnfù) means "repeatedly; over and over" and is used as a adverb and noun.
How do you write 反复?
反复 is made of 2 characters: 反 (4 strokes), 复 (9 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 反复 an HSK word?
Yes. 反复 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 反复 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 反复 is written 反覆.
Can 反复 describe an illness or situation, not just an action?
Yes. 病情反复 (bìngqíng fǎnfù) means an illness keeps getting better and then worse again. It can also describe weather or plans that keep changing back and forth.
Is 反复 often doubled as 反反复复?
Yes. 反反复复 (fǎnfǎn fùfù) is a common reduplicated form that adds emphasis, like saying over and over and over. It sounds a bit more spoken and expressive than plain 反复.