屡战屡败
lǚ zhàn lǚ bài
to fail again and again
Character by character
屡lǚ
repeatedly
repeatedly
战zhàn
fight
fight
屡lǚ
repeatedly
repeatedly
败bài
lose
lose
Example
他考研屡战屡败，直到第四年才考上。
He failed the postgraduate entrance exam again and again and only got in at the fourth attempt.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
A popular but unverified story has Zeng Guofan turning 屡战屡败 in a report to the throne into 屡败屡战, “defeated again and again but fighting on”: the same four characters, but now praising grit. Today 屡战屡败 is often used in self-mockery.
Learn this in Lesson 141 · HSK 7–9: 考驾照，抢车牌 (Driving tests and number plates)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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