Expressing "and also" with "hai"

In English we use "and also" when we want to connect separate and different thoughts. We can do the same thing in Chinese by using 还 (hái).

Structure

The adverb 还 (hái) can be used to link two phrases together, in a similar way to "and also" in English. In this case, 还 (hái) begins a new phrase or clause.

Subj. + Verb + Obj. 1， 还 + Verb + Obj. 2

Examples

  • 她 有 一 个 弟弟，还 有 一 个 妹妹。Tā yǒu yī gè dìdi, hái yǒu yī gè mèimei.She has a younger brother and also has a younger sister.
  • 我 老板 会 说 法语，还 会 说 日语。Wǒ lǎobǎn huì shuō Fǎyǔ, hái huì shuō Rìyǔ.My boss can speak French and can also speak Japanese.
  • 你 要 一 杯 咖啡，还 要 什么？ Nǐ yào yī bēi kāfēi, hái yào shénme?You want a cup of coffee, and what else do you want?
  • 我 想 吃 冰淇淋，还 想 吃 汉堡。Wǒ xiǎng chī bīngqílín, hái xiǎng chī hànbǎo.I want to eat ice cream and I also want to eat a hamburger.
  • 爸爸 有 一个 小米 手机，还 有 一个 iPhone。Bàba yǒu yī gè Xiǎomǐ shǒujī, hái yǒu yī gè iPhone.Dad has a Xiaomi phone and also has an iPhone.
  • 你 晚上 在家 做 了 作业，还 做 了 什么？Nǐ wǎnshang zài jiā zuò le zuòyè, hái zuò le shénme? You did your homework at home tonight, and what else did you do?
  • 他 结婚 的 时候，请 了 同事，还 请 了 谁？Tā jiéhūn de shíhou, qǐng le tóngshì, hái qǐng le shéi?When he got married, he invited his co-workers. Who else did he invite?
  • 生日 的 时候，我们 会 吃 蛋糕，还 要 送 礼物。Shēngrì de shíhou, wǒmen huì chī dàngāo, hái yào sòng lǐwù.During a birthday, we eat cake and also give presents.
  • 去 美国 要 带 钱、护照，还 要 带 什么？Qù Měiguó yào dài qián, hùzhào, hái yào dài shénme?To go to the USA, you need to take money and a passport. What else do you need to take with you?

The Difference Between 还 (hái) and 也 (yě)

It should be noted that another common way to express "also" is with the word 也 (yě). What's the difference? With 还 (hái), ONE subject is doing TWO different things, whereas when 也 (yě) is used, TWO subjects are doing ONE thing.

It's the difference between these two English sentences:

  • He fixed dinner and also washed the dishes.
  • She washed the dishes too.

If you translated these into Chinese, the first one (one subject, two actions) would use 还 (hái), and the second one (second subject, no new actions) would use 也 (yě). Let's do that!

  • 他 做 了 饭 ， 还 洗 了 碗。Tā zuò le fàn, hái xǐ le wǎn.He fixed dinner and also washed the dishes.
  • 她 也 洗 了 碗。Tā yě xǐ le wǎn.She washed the dishes too.

How about a few more similar examples?

  • 我 洗 了 澡， 还 洗 了 衣服。Wǒ xǐ le zǎo, hái xǐ le yīfu. I took a shower and also did my laundry.
  • 她 也 洗 了 衣服。Tā yě xǐ le yīfu.She did her laundry too.
  • 我们 今天 晚上 出去 吃饭 了，还 看 了 电影 。Wǒmen jīntiān wǎnshang chūqù chīfàn le, hái kàn le diànyǐng.We went out for dinner tonight and also watched a movie.
  • 他们 今天 晚上 也 看 了 电影 。 Tāmen jīntiān wǎnshang yě kàn le diànyǐng.They watched a movie tonight too.

See Also

Sources and further reading

Books

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