fan1 fan1紛紛纷纷
Jyutpingfan1 fan1
Yalefān fān
Definition
One after another, in quick succession and in a disorderly manner.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
Focus on the visual of multiple entities acting in quick, independent succession rather than a single coordinated group. It is often used in news reports or formal storytelling to describe crowds reacting to an event. Unlike English adverbs that might sit at the end of a sentence, this usually precedes the verb to emphasize the rapid sequence of actions.
Examples
After it rained, people one after another took out their umbrellas.
Upon hearing the news, they started discussing it one after another.
Related words
Common phrases
chaotic and noisy
stepping down one after another
Common mistake
Avoid using this for a single person acting repeatedly; it specifically requires a group of people or things doing something in succession. It is not suitable for describing a single person's chaotic behavior.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
