一连 yìlián & 相继 xiāngjì

Posted on by tiffany

OneDotDot Chinese
Grammar · HSK 7-9
Grammar Point · HSK 7-9

一连 yìlián / 相继 xiāngjì — “In a Row” / “One After Another”

一连 yìlián counts consecutive repeats of one thing; 相继 xiāngjì lines up multiple different subjects doing something one after the other.

一連 / 相繼 — In a Row and One After Another, Chinese grammar

Both describe repetition over time, but they answer different questions: how many times in a row, versus who went next.

1Structure

Word Pattern Usage
一连 yìlián + number + time/count word Needs a specific count after it — three days, five calls, ten games. One subject repeating the same thing back to back.
相继 xiāngjì plural/multiple S + 相繼 + V Needs multiple subjects (people, companies, events) — each one does the thing after the previous one, in sequence.

S + 一连 yìlián + Number + Count Word (+V)

他tā一连yìlián三sān天tiān没méi睡shuì好hǎo。
He hasn’t slept well for three days in a row.
这里zhèlǐ一连yìlián下xià了le一yí个ge星期xīngqī的de雨yǔ。
It rained here for a whole week straight.
我wǒ一连yìlián打dǎ了le五wǔ通tōng电话diànhuà都dōu没méi人rén接jiē。
I called five times in a row and no one picked up.
他tā一连yìlián唱chàng了le十shí首shǒu歌gē。
He sang ten songs in a row.
Tiffany今天jīntiān一连yìlián去qù了le5wǔ家jiā咖啡厅kāfēitīng上课shàngkè喝hē咖啡kāfēi，现在xiànzài睡不着shuìbuzháo所以suǒyǐ打dǎ这zhè个ge句子jùzi。
Tiffany went to 5 coffee shops today for lessons and coffee, and now she can’t sleep, so she’s typing this sentence.

Multiple S + 相继 xiāngjì + V

公司gōngsī的de员工yuángōng相继xiāngjì离职lízhí。
The company’s employees resigned one after another.
几jǐ位wèi科学家kēxuéjiā相继xiāngjì发表fābiǎo了le相关xiāngguān研究yánjiū。
Several scientists published related research one after another.
客人kèrén相继xiāngjì到达dàodá。
The guests arrived one after another.
老lǎo一辈yíbèi的de作家zuòjiā相继xiāngjì过世guòshì，令lìng人rén惋惜wǎnxī。
The older generation of writers passed away one after another, which is regrettable.
几jǐ家jiā餐厅cāntīng相继xiāngjì倒闭dǎobì。
Several restaurants closed down one after another.
学生们xuéshēngmen相继xiāngjì举手jǔshǒu发言fāyán。
The students raised their hands to speak one after another.

2Common Mistake

❌ 他tā一连yìlián迟到chídào
✅ 他tā一连yìlián三sān次cì迟到chídào
一连 yìlián must be followed by a specific count (days, times, calls) — it can’t stand alone like 老 or 常常.

3Practice

Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer.

01It snowed for three days straight.
一连yìlián下xià了le三sān天tiān的de雪xuě。
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02The players scored one after another.
选手们xuǎnshǒumen相继xiāngjì得分défēn。
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03I sent three messages in a row without a reply.
我wǒ一连yìlián发fā了le三sān条tiáo消息xiāoxi都dōu没méi回复huífù。
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04The witnesses testified one after another.
证人zhèngrén相继xiāngjì作证zuòzhèng。
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05He worked overtime for five days straight.
他tā一连yìlián加班jiābān五wǔ天tiān。
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06Old buildings in this area were demolished one after another.
这zhè一yí带dài的de旧jiù建筑jiànzhú相继xiāngjì被bèi拆除chāichú。
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07The team lost three games in a row.
这zhè支zhī队伍duìwǔ一连yìlián输shū了le三sān场chǎng比赛bǐsài。
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08Guests left one after another after the party ended.
派对pàiduì结束jiéshù后hòu，客人kèrén相继xiāngjì离开líkāi。
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Related Grammar

→All Adverbs of Frequency

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