jiē接connectèr二twolián连connectsān三three
One after another; in quick succession.
Literal meaning
connect (接) — two (二) — connect (连) — three (三)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing events happening consecutively.
Examples
Zuìjìn gōngsī jiē'èr liánsān de fāshēng le yīxiē wèntí.最近公司接二连三地发生了一些问题。
Recently, the company has had a series of problems.
Tā jiē'èr liánsān de dǎ pēntì.他接二连三地打喷嚏。
He sneezed one after another.
Usage & nuances
Often used to describe a series of unfortunate or unexpected events.
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