Lessons 15, 16, 19, 24: Frequency and repetition: 每当, 不时, 往往, 常常, 一次又一次

Explanation

Structure

1. 1
   每当+…+Ssubject+都+…

   “Whenever… always…”: state a situation, then the subject “都” does so.

   • 每当想起这件事，我都感到不好意思。

     Měi dāng xiǎngqǐ zhè jiàn shì, wǒ dōu gǎndào bù hǎoyìsi.

     Whenever I recall this, I feel embarrassed.

   • 每当她过生日的时候，我都会送给她一件礼物。

     Měi dāng tā guò shēngrì de shíhou, wǒ dōu huì sòng gěi tā yí jiàn lǐwù.

     Every time her birthday comes, I give her a present.

   • 每当遇到这种情况，我都不知道该怎么办。

     Měi dāng yùdào zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng, wǒ dōu bù zhīdào gāi zěnme bàn.

     Whenever I run into this situation, I never know what to do.

   • 每当回忆起这段往事，我都由衷地感谢那些叫不出姓名的人。

     Měi dāng huíyì qǐ zhè duàn wǎngshì, wǒ dōu yóuzhōng de gǎnxiè nàxiē jiào bu chū xìngmíng de rén.

     Whenever I recall this old matter, I sincerely thank the people whose names I can't remember.

2. 2
   不时(地)+Vverb

   “不时” = 时时，常常: often, doing something again and again.

   • 她怕上课迟到，不时地看表。

     Tā pà shàngkè chídào, bùshí de kàn biǎo.

     She was afraid of being late for class, so she kept looking at her watch.

   • 他做着练习，不时地查查词典。

     Tā zuòzhe liànxí, bùshí de chácha cídiǎn.

     He does his homework, looking up words in the dictionary from time to time.

   • 她一边听着，一边不时在本子上写着什么。

     Tā yìbiān tīngzhe, yìbiān bùshí zài běnzi shàng xiězhe shénme.

     She listens while jotting something down in her notebook now and then.

   • 司机是个热心人，一路上不时回头看看我，还不停地安慰我。

     Sījī shì gè rèxīn rén, yílù shàng bùshí huítóu kànkan wǒ, hái bù tíng de ānwèi wǒ.

     The driver was a warm-hearted man; all along the way he kept turning around to look at me and kept comforting me.

3. 3
   往往+V | 常常+Vverb

   往往: sums up a situation that has occurred up to now, with a certain regularity; not used to express a subjective wish. 常常: indicates an action repeated again and again, not necessarily regular; can be used to express a subjective wish.

   • 年轻人往往喜欢说以后怎么样怎么样，而老年人则常常说以前怎么样怎么样。

     Niánqīngrén wǎngwǎng xǐhuan shuō yǐhòu zěnmeyàng zěnmeyàng, ér lǎoniánrén zé chángcháng shuō yǐqián zěnmeyàng zěnmeyàng.

     Young people often talk about the future in this way and that, while old people often talk about the past.

   • 不论上什么课，预习往往比复习更重要。

     Búlùn shàng shénme kè, yùxí wǎngwǎng bǐ fùxí gèng zhòngyào.

     Whatever subject you study, preparing before class is often more important than reviewing afterwards.

   • 以后，有空儿就常常来玩吧。

     Yǐhòu, yǒu kòngr jiù chángcháng lái wán ba.

     Come over and visit often when you have time from now on.

   • 酒后开车常常出事。

     Jiǔ hòu kāichē chángcháng chūshì.

     Drinking and driving often leads to accidents.

   • 人都会发脾气，但什么时候应该发脾气，什么时候不应该发脾气，人往往不能控制自己。

     Rén dōu huì fā píqi, dàn shénme shíhou yīnggāi fā píqi, shénme shíhou bù yīnggāi fā píqi, rén wǎngwǎng bù néng kòngzhì zìjǐ.

     Everyone gets angry, but when they should and shouldn't get angry, people often can't control themselves.

   • 逢年过节我们一家往往要到奶奶家去住几天。

     Féng nián guò jié wǒmen yì jiā wǎngwǎng yào dào nǎinai jiā qù zhù jǐ tiān.

     During holidays and festivals, our whole family usually goes to Grandma's house for a few days.

   • 我一定常常来。

     Wǒ yídìng chángcháng lái.

     I will definitely come often.

   • 听说他常常去看京剧。

     Tīngshuō tā chángcháng qù kàn jīngjù.

     I heard he often goes to see Peking opera.

   • 酒后开车往往出事。

     Jiǔ hòu kāichē wǎngwǎng chūshì.

     Drinking and driving often causes accidents.

4. 4
   一+lượng từ+又+一+lượng từ

   If the measure word is a verbal measure word: it indicates repetition many times; if it is a noun measure word: it indicates a large quantity.

   • 我住院后，他一次又一次地来医院看我。

     Wǒ zhùyuàn hòu, tā yí cì yòu yí cì de lái yīyuàn kàn wǒ.

     After I was admitted to the hospital, he came to the hospital to see me again and again.

   • 这个词我写了一遍又一遍，好容易才记住。

     Zhège cí wǒ xiěle yí biàn yòu yí biàn, hǎo róngyì cái jìzhù.

     I wrote this word over and over again before I could remember it.

   • 这里建起了一座又一座高楼。

     Zhèlǐ jiànqǐle yí zuò yòu yí zuò gāolóu.

     One tall building after another is going up here.

   • 为了生活，又不得不再三地去求职，一次又一次地受到被拒绝的打击。

     Wèile shēnghuó, yòu bùdébù zàisān de qù qiúzhí, yí cì yòu yí cì de shòudào bèi jùjué de dǎjī.

     For the sake of a living, he had no choice but to go looking for work again and again, taking blow after blow of rejection.

   • 一辆又一辆公共汽车过去了，可还是没有看见她下来。

     Yí liàng yòu yí liàng gōnggòng qìchē guòqu le, kě háishi méiyǒu kànjiàn tā xiàlai.

     One bus after another has gone by, yet I still haven't seen her get off.