Sequencing with "xian" and "zai"

The word 再 (zài) actually has a lot of uses, beyond just "again." "先⋯⋯， 再⋯⋯" (xiān..., zài...) is a pattern used for sequencing events, much like "First..., then..." in English. This pattern can also include "然后" (ránhòu) meaning "and after that."

General Usage

In the pattern below, 再 has a meaning of "then" or "and then."

Structure

先 + [Verb Phrase 1] + 再 + [Verb Phrase 2]

Examples

• 先 洗 手 再 吃。Xiān xǐ shǒu zài chī.Wash your hands, and then eat.
• 我 喜欢 先 洗澡，再 睡觉。Wǒ xǐhuan xiān xǐzǎo, zài shuìjiào.I prefer to take a bath before I go to bed.
• 请 你 先 买 票 再 进。Qǐng nǐ xiān mǎi piào zài jìn.Please buy a ticket first, and then you come in.
• 你 要 先 做 作业再 看 电视。Tā yào xiān zuò zuòyè, zài kàn diànshì.First you need to do your homework, and then you can watch.
• 你 先 找 工作 再 考虑 买 房子。Nǐ xiān zhǎo gōngzuò zài kǎolǜ mǎi fángzi.First find a job, then you can think about buying a house.

Using 先 with 再说

You may have learned that "再说" can mean "in addition." Well, this usage of 再 is a more literal combination of 再说, fitting into the 先⋯⋯再⋯⋯ pattern.

So in this usage, 再说 doesn't really mean "in addition." Rather, it most literally means "and then we'll talk." In other words, "let's just do this now," and then after we see the result, we can talk some more about next steps. There's kind of a "let's see how this goes first" feeling to the expression.

Structure

Note that in the pattern below, the sentence normally ends with 再说.

先 + [Verb Phrase] + 再说

Examples

• 先 吃饭 再说 。Xiān chīfàn zàishuō.Let's eat first, then we'll talk.
• 先 休息 一下 再说 。Xiān xiūxi yīxià zàishuō.Let's rest a little first, then talk.
• 你 先 看 完再说 。Nǐ xiān kàn wán zàishuō.Finish reading first, and then we can talk.
• 我 先 问 一下 老板 再说 。Wǒ xiān wèn yīxià lǎobǎn zàishuō.I'm going to ask the boss first.
• 你们 先 讨论 一下 再说 。Nǐmen xiān tǎolùn yīxià zàishuō.You guys discuss a little first, then we'll talk.

Using 然后 and 接着 with 先

当描述一系列前后关联的行为步骤或事件发生的过程时，你需要用到更丰富的连词。"然后"是最常用的，表示"and then"；"接着"作为连词表示"next, afterwards"。跟"然后"比，"接着"还可以作为副词，表示"动作的继续"，如"接着做，接着说"。

A great example to help you understand this:

• 今 早 我 起床 以后 先 准备 早饭，再 叫 孩子们 起床，接着 我们 一起 吃早饭，然后 我 送 他们 去 学校 。Jīn zǎo wǒ qǐchuáng yǐhòu xiān zhǔnbèi zǎofàn, zài jiào háizi men qǐchuáng, jiēzhe wǒmen yīqǐ chī zǎofàn, ránhòu wǒ sòng tāmen qù xuéxiào.After I got up this morning, I first prepared breakfast, and then I woke up the kids. Afterwards, we ate breakfast together. After that, I took them to school.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 258-9) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 19-20) →buy
• 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (p. 172) →buy