Again in the past with "you"

Whenever you want to express something like "you did it again!" in Chinese, you may want to use 又.

Structure

There are two words for "again" in Chinese. This depends on whether the repetition has happened, or whether it's going to happen.

If the repetition has happened, i.e. it's a repetition in the past, 又 is used.

Subject + 又 + Verb + 了

Notice that 了 is used as the action is complete.

Examples

• 我们 又 学 了 一 遍。Wǒmen yòu xuéle yībiàn.We learnt it one more time.
• 又 做 错 了 ！Yòu zuò cuòle!You did it wrong again! / You are doing it wrong again!
• 宝宝 又 哭 了。Bǎobǎo yòu kūle.The baby cried / is crying again.
• 你 又 迟到 了。Nǐ yòu chídàole.You came late again.
• 他 又 喝 醉 了， 他 的 胃 怎么 受 得 了？Tā yòu hē zuìle, tā de wèi zěnme shòu dé le?He's drinking beer again. How does his stomach handle it?
• 苹果 十 五 块 钱 一 斤？你 又 被 骗 了！Píngguǒ shíwǔ kuài qián yī jīn? Nǐ yòu bèi piànle!Fifteen kuai per jin for apples? You've been tricked again.
• 又 过年 了 ， 我们 又 长 了 一 岁 。Yòu guòniánle, wǒmen yòu zhǎngle yī suì.It's Chinese New Year again, we have grown a year older again.
• 明天 又 是 星期 一 ！Míngtiān yòu shì xīngqí yī!Tomorrow will be Monday AGAIN!
• 老板 又 要 找 我 开会 了 。Lǎobǎn yòu yào zhǎo wǒ kāihuìle.The boss is going to find me to hold a meeting AGAIN.
• 这个 周末 又 可以 不 加班 了 。Zhège zhōumò yòu kěyǐ bù jiābānle.This weekend I cannot work overtime again.
• 又 该 我 请客 了 ？Yòu gāi wǒ qǐngkèle?Should I give a dinner party AGAIN?
• 如果 你 告诉 妈妈 ， 妈妈 又 会 生气 了 。Rúguǒ nǐ gàosù māmā, māmā yòu huì shēngqìle.If you tell mum, she is going to be angry again.
• 宝宝 出生 了 ， 妈妈 看 了 又 看 ， 高兴 得 不得了 。Bǎobǎo chūshēngle, māmā kànle yòu kàn, gāoxìng dé bùdéle.The baby was born, the mother was looking and looking again, she was very happy.
• 这 个 词 我 记 了 又 记，还是 记 不住 。Zhè gè cí wǒ jìle yòu jì, háishì jì bù zhù.I can't remember this word AGAIN, I still can't remember.
• 这 个 方案 改 了 又 改 ， 终于 通过 了 。Zhè gè fāng'àn gǎile yòu gǎi, zhōngyú tōngguòle.This program changed and changed (again), finally it passed.
• 我 想 了 又 想 ， 还是 不 能 这样 做 。Wǒ xiǎngle yòu xiǎng, háishì bùnéng zhèyàng zuò.I was thinking and thinking (again), and I still can't do it like this.

See also

• Again in the future with "zai"
• Comparing "zai" and "you"
• Doing Something Over and Over with "zaisan"
• Emphasizing negation with "you"
• "Both A and B" with "you"
• "Both… and…" with "ji...you"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 141-2) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 157) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 288) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 202) →buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 633) →buy
• 现代汉语虚词例释 (p. 588)→buy
• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 1656) →buy

Websites

• Yale Chinese Usage Dictionary: Using 再 and 又

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