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.

Subj. + 又 + Verb + 了

Notice that 了 is used as the action is complete.

Examples

• 我们 又 学 了 一 遍。Wǒmen yòu xué le yībiàn.We studied it one more time.
• 又 做 错 了 ！Yòu zuò cuò le!You did it wrong again!
• 宝宝 又 哭 了。Bǎobao yòu kū le.The baby is crying again.
• 又 过年 了 ， 我们 又 长 了 一 岁 。Yòu guònián le, wǒmen yòu zhǎng le yī suì.It's Chinese New Year again, we have grown a year older again.
• 又 该 我 请客 了 ？Yòu gāi wǒ qǐngkè le?Is it my turn to treat again?
• 如果 你 告诉 妈妈 ， 妈妈 又 会 生气 了 。Rúguǒ nǐ gàosu māma, māma yòu huì shēngqì le.If you tell mom, she is going to get angry again.

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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