Difference between revisions of "Continuation with "hai""

Revision as of 08:33, 6 September 2017

If you "still" need help on how to use 还 (hái), then this is the page for you.

还 (hái) can be used to indicate that something is continuing - that it's still a particular way.

Subj. + 还在 + Verb

Often the auxiliary verb 在 will appear with 还, as it is natural to talk about continuous actions that are still happening.

他还在看书。Tā háizài kànshū.He is still reading.
我还在加班。Wǒ háizài jiābān.I am still working overtime.
十点了，你还在睡？Shí diǎn le, nǐ háizài shuì? It's ten o'clock, are you still sleeping?
你还在生气吗？Nǐ háizài shēngqì ma? Are you still mad?
你还在用那个旧手机啊？Nǐ háizài yòng nàge jiù shǒujī a?Are you still using that old cell phone?

Here 还是 indicates things happened or will happen despite the situation.

Situation, Subj. + 还是 + Verb

我看了好几遍，还是记不住。Wǒ kàn le hǎo jǐ biàn, háishì jì bu zhù.I read several times, but I still can't remember it.
父母不同意他去，可是他还是去了。Fùmǔ bù tóngyì tā qù, kěshì tā háishì qù le.He still went there although his patents disagreed.
医生不让她喝酒，但她还是天天喝。Yīshēng bù ràng tā hējiǔ, dàn tā háishì tiāntiān hē.The doctor told her to stop drinking alcohol, but she still drinks it everyday.
老师虽然生病了，但还是来上课了。Lǎoshī suīrán shēngbìng le, dàn háishì lái shàngkè le.The teacher still made it to the class although she got sick.
他在中国住了两年多，还是不太了解中国。 Tā zài Zhōngguó zhù le liǎng nián duō, háishì bù tài liǎojiě Zhōngguó.He lived in China for 10 years while he still doesn't know much about China.

When you put 不 or 没 after 还 (hái) in a question sentence, it can be used to emphasize the idea of what should be happening in a more idiomatic way.

Subj. + 还 + 不 / 没 + Verb + Obj.

他 还没 到。Tā hái méi dào. He hasn't arrived yet.
你还没 吃饭？ implying the listener should go to eatNǐ hái méi chīfàn?You still haven't eaten?
你们 还不 走？Nǐmen hái bù ?You have't left yet?
我 还没 下班。Wǒ hái méi xiàbān.I haven't finished work yet.
我对你那么好，你 还不 满意？ implying the listener shouldn't be so glumWǒ duì nǐ nàme hǎo, nǐ hái bù mǎnyì? I'm so good to you, you're still not satisfied?

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 == 还是 Followed by Verb  ==
+Here 还是 indicates things happened or will happen despite the situation.
 === Structure ===
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+Situation, Subj. + 还是 + Verb
-Subj. + 还是 + Verb
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 *医生 不 让 她 喝酒，但 她 <em>还是</em> 天天 喝。<span class="pinyin">Yīshēng bù ràng tā hējiǔ, dàn tā <em>háishì</em> tiāntiān hē.</span><span class="trans">The doctor told her to stop drinking alcohol, but she still drinks it everyday.</span>
 *老师 虽然 生病 了，但 <em>还是</em> 来 上课 了。<span class="pinyin">Lǎoshī suīrán shēngbìng le, dàn <em>háishì</em> lái shàngkè le.</span><span class="trans">The teacher still made it to the class although she got sick.</span>
-*他 在 美国 住 了 十 年，可是 口语  <em>还是</em> 很 差。 <span class="pinyin">Tā zài Měiguó zhù le shí nián, kěshì kǒuyǔ <em>háishì</em> hěn chà.</span><span class="trans">He lived in the USA for 10 years. But his spoken English is still not good.</span>
+*他 在 中国 住 了 两 年 多 ，<em>还是</em> 不 太 了解 中国 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā zài Zhōngguó zhù le liǎng nián duō, <em>háishì</em> bù tài liǎojiě Zhōngguó.</span><span class="trans">He lived in China for 10 years while he still doesn't know much about China.</span>
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