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B2 · Grammar reference · ASGTBHBG

Comparing "zai" and "you"

Both 再 (zài) and 又 (yòu) express the repeating of an action and can be roughly translated in English to "again." However, 再 is used to express actions that have not yet occurred (the "future again") and 又 is used for actions that have already occurred (the "past again"). They're not interchangeable. In addition, each word has a few special usages.

Structure

Subj. + 再 + Verb

Subj. + 再 + Verb + Obj.

Subj. + (先) + Action 1 + 再 + Action 2

Subj. + 又 + Verb + 了

Subj. + 又 + (Aux. +) Verb + Obj.

Keywords
再 · 又 · again
Used for
Describing actions · Sequencing events in time
Classification
HSK3

Examples (18)

我们下次再来吧。

我想再看一下。

请再说一次。

我要再看一部电影。

你可以再做一碗面条吗?

我们先做作业再去爬山。

我先买房子再结婚。

我们吃完饭再看电影。

我们回家再讨论,好吗?

你怎么又给我打电话了,什么事?

这个人又来了。

他又不来上课了,老师可能罚他。

你为什么又看这本书了?你已经看过了。

明天又是星期一!

明天又要开会,真烦人。

你又要辞职了?为什么?

夏天快到了,又可以吃冰淇淋了!

如果我能瘦一些,我就又能穿我最喜欢的牛仔裤啦!

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Full explanation at AllSet Learning

Summary, structure, classification, and adapted sentence examples draw from the AllSet Learning Chinese Grammar Wiki under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; changes were made. This noncommercial reference is based on an October 2023 snapshot.

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