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)
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”.