频繁

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 频繁 (pín fán) is composed of two parts: 繁 (fán) and 频 (pín). The character 繁 means "numerous" or "frequent", while the character 频 means "often" or "repeatedly". Together, the two characters 频繁 mean "frequent" or "repeatedly".The earliest known use of the character 频繁 is in the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). It was used in the Book of Han to describe the frequent visits of the emperor to the imperial tombs. In the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), the character 频繁 was used in the poem "The Song of Everlasting Regret" by Bai Juyi to describe the frequent visits of the emperor to the imperial concubine Yang Guifei.The character 频繁 is still used today in Chinese to mean "frequent" or "repeatedly". It is used in a variety of contexts, such as to describe the frequent occurrence of a natural disaster, the frequent visits of a friend, or the frequent use of a word or phrase.