Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 再
In this lesson we will teach you how to use 再 to express something that has happened once and will happen again.
再 is used to express that something has happened once and will happen again
HOW TO USE 再 | EXPLANATION
The character 再 (zài) is commonly used to describe something that has happened once and will happen again.
It corresponds to the words “again, anymore, another” in English.
For example, when you don’t hear what someone just said, you may ask:
| Could you repeat, please? | 请再说一遍好吗？ | qǐng zài shuō yī biàn hǎo ma ？ |
PATTERN
Subject + 再 + Verb (OR verb phrase)
不要再偷懒了。
Don’t be lazy anymore.把课文再背诵一遍。
Recite the text again.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 事情已经过去了，你不要再后悔了。 | shì qíng yǐ jīng guò qù le ，nǐ bú yào zài hòu huǐ le | It’s over. You shouldn’t regret it anymore. |
| 不要再相信他了。 | bú yào zài xiàng xìn tā le | Don’t trust him anymore. |
| 再试一次吧！ | zài shì yī cì ba | Try it again! |
| 我还想再喝一杯咖啡。 | wǒ hái xiǎng zài hē yī bēi kā fēi | I still want another cup of coffee. |
| 我们明年再来。 | wǒ men míng nián zài lái | We will come again next year. |
| 毕业后，我再也没有回过学校。 | bì yè hòu ，wǒ zài yě méi yǒu huí guò xué xiào | After graduation, I never went back to school again. |
再 vs 又
So what’s the difference between 再 and 又 then? They have similar meanings, right?
Correct, so here’s the deal.
The Chinese dictionary states this 👉 Use “又” for actions that have been repeated, and “再” for actions to be repeated.
In a nutshell this means “再” is used for “again” in the future, while “又” is used for “again” in the past.
Here’s a simple and clear chart with a detailed explanation for these two words, so that you can better understand how to use them properly.
| 再 | 又 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pinyin | zài | yòu |
| Usage | Used for “again” in the future (the thing that hasn’t happened yet) | Used for “again” in the past (the thing has already happened) |
| Examples |
你明天不要再迟到了。
nǐ míng tiān bú yào zài chí dào le Don’t be late again tomorrow. 我明天还想再去这家餐厅。 wǒ míng tiān hái xiǎng zài qù zhè jiā cān tīng I want to go to this restaurant again tomorrow. 有时间我还想再把这本书看一遍。 yǒu shí jiān wǒ hái xiǎng zài bǎ zhè běn shū kàn yī biàn I would like to read this book again sometime. 我想再吃一碗牛肉面。 wǒ xiǎng zài chī yī wǎn niú ròu miàn I want another bowl of beef noodles. |
你今天早上又迟到了。
nǐ jīn tiān zǎo shàng yòu chí dào le You were late again this morning. 我今天中午又去了这家餐厅。 wǒ jīn tiān zhōng wǔ yòu qù le zhè jiā cān tīng I went to this restaurant again at noon today. 我又把这本书看了一遍。 wǒ yòu bǎ zhè běn shū kàn le yī biàn I read this book again. 我又吃了一碗牛肉面。 wǒ yòu chī le yī wǎn niú ròu miàn I had another bowl of beef noodles. |
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FAQs
What is the basic structure of 再?
The character 再 is used to describe when something has happened once and will happen again.
The structure of 再 is:
Subject + 再 + Verb (OR verb phrase)
What are some examples with 再?
有时间我还想再把这本书看一遍。 yǒu shí jiān wǒ hái xiǎng zài bǎ zhè běn shū kàn yī biàn | I would like to read this book again sometime.
把课文再背诵一遍。bǎ kè wén zài bèi sòng yī biàn | Recite the text again.
毕业后，我再也没有回过学校。 bì yè hòu ，wǒ zài yě méi yǒu huí guò xué xiào | After graduation, I never went back to school again.
What is 再?
再 is a character used to describe when something has happened once and will happen again.
In English, it expresses things like “another, again, anymore”.
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Double negation in Chinese
[Subject] + 不得不 + [Verb] -
How to use 再
Subject + 再 + Verb / Verb Phrase -
Difference betwen 向 and 往
向 + Direction/Place + Verb -
How to use 终于
Subject + 终于 + Predicate + 了 -
How to use 曾经
Subject + 曾经 + Verb + Object -
How to use 全
全 + Noun -
Expressing "almost" with 差点
Subject + 差点 (就) + Predicate + (了) -
Expressing various aspects with 一方面
一方面 + [Reason/Aspect A]，另一方面 + [Reason/Aspect B] -
Adjectival Complement 得很
[Subject] + [Adjective] + 得很 -
Expressing "anyway" with 反正
反正 + [Clause] -
Expressing "after all" with 毕竟
毕竟 + [Reason/Characteristic] -
Expressing "almost" using 差点没
[Subject] + 差点没 + [Outcome] -
Expressing a last chance with 再不...就...
[Subject] +再不…… 就 ……（了） -
How to use 并 and 并且
[Verb Phrase 1] + 并 + [Verb Phrase 2] -
Expressing "even" with 甚至
甚至 + [Verb Phrase] -
Difference between 以来 and 后来
Period of time + 以来 -
Adjectival complement 得不得了
[Subject] + [Adjective] + 得不得了 -
Expressing "as much as possible" with 尽量
尽量 + [Verb / Adjective] -
Expressing "ever since" with 以来
(自/从 +) period of time/event + 以来