Chinese Grammar Bank
EXPRESSING “TOO” WITH 也 (yě)
This is undoubtedly one of the most popular words in Chinese, so getting the hang of it early on should be one of the top priorities of any Chinese learner!
This article will explain to you how to use 也 in Chinese as well as some common mistakes and how to avoid them.
也 WITH VERB PHRASES
In this case, 也 (yě) often links verbs or verb phrases in sentences. This pattern can describe that somebody is being or doing the same thing as others.
It has the same meaning as “too” or “also” in English.
PATTERN
Subject + 也 + Verb / [Verb Phrase]
You’ll notice that in Chinese, adverbs ALWAYS precede the verb. So, the adverb 也 (yě) should be inserted after the subject and before the verb phrase.
NEGATIVE FORM OF 也
In English, we used to replace the word “too” with “either” in negative sentences, for instance:
A: I don’t like cats. || B: I don’t like cats, either.
While in Chinese, we just need to follow one simple rule: Put the negative part 不 (bù) or 没 (méi）after the adverb 也 (yě) , regardless of whether the sentence is positive (“I like cats too”) or negative (“I don’t like cats either”).
Back to the former example, in Chinese, we can say:
也 WITH ADJECTIVES
也 (yě) can also be used with adjectives. Typically, We include an adverb like 很 (hěn) before the adjective:
PATTERN
Subject + 也 (+ Adverb) + Adjective
Note that this sentence pattern is only applicable on informal occasions.
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FAQs
How do you say “too” and “also” in Chinese?
The most common way to say “too” and “also” in Chinese is 也 (yě).
This character can mean both “too” and “also,” but isn’t always uses the same as in English!
Make sure to learn some of the most important grammar rules regarding 也.
What is the 也 structure in Chinese?
There are two common 也 (yě) structures in Chinese:
— Verb Phrases: Subj. + 也 + Verb / [Verb Phrase]
— Adjectives: Subj. + 也 (+ Adv.) + Adj.
How do you make a negative 也 sentence?
In Chinese, you just need to follow one simple rule to make a 也 sentence negative:
Put the negative part 不 (bù) or 没（méi) after the adverb 也 (yě).
What are some example sentences with 也？
— 我也想参加这个派对。wǒ yě xiǎng cān jiā zhè gè pài duì // I also want to go to this party.
— 我也不知道。wǒ yě bú zhī dào // I do not know either.
— 这个问题也很麻烦。zhè gè wèn tí yě hěn má fán // This problem is also troublesome.
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