HSK · Level 33
135 words
Chinese word
一连
Pronunciation
Pinyinyī lián
Meaning
- adverbin a row
Example
他一连三天没来学校。tā yì lián sān tiān méi lái xué xiào
He hasn't come to school for three days in a row.
More examples
球队一连输了三场。qiú duì yì lián shū le sān chǎng
The team lost three games in a row.
Core concept
A series is treated as a single stretch, whether it contains separate events or one activity lasting over time.
Common phrases
一连输了三场yì lián shū le sān chǎng
lose three games in a row
一连遭遇挫折yì lián zāo yù cuò zhé
encounter setbacks one after another
Similar words
接连jiē lián: Successively over a short period, as separate events occur one after another.
连续lián xù: Without interruption, emphasizing an unbroken run of an action or event.
一直yì zhí: Continuously over a span of time, describing a state or action that does not stop.
接二连三jiē èr lián sān: Several times in a row within a short time, strongly emphasizing repeated events.
Definition in Chinese
连续不断地发生或进行，表示接连几次或一段时间内不间断的动作或状态，作副词使用。lián xù bú duàn dì fā shēng huò jìn xíng biǎo shì jiē lián jǐ cì huò yí duàn shí jiān nèi bú jiàn duàn de dòng zuò huò zhuàng tài zuò fù cí shǐ yòng
Word origin
一 (yī, "one") + 连 (lián, "connect") treats successive activity as one connected stretch, allowing the adverb to cover both repeated events and an uninterrupted period.
Usage tips
- A useful listening cue is the number or duration immediately after the adverb, which often shows whether the following clause counts events or measures time.
Other meanings
- one after anotheradverb
- in successionadverb
Opposites
- 零星地líng xīng dìsporadicallyadverb