Difference between revisions of "Comparing "zai" and "you""

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* 明天 <em>又</em> <strong>要</strong> 开会,真 烦 人 。 <span class="pinyin">Míngtiān <em>yòu</em> yào kāi huì, zhēn fán rén.</span><span class="trans">We're having another meeting tomorrow. So annoying!</span>
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* 明天 <em>又</em> <strong>要</strong> 开会,真 烦 人 。 <span class="pinyin">Míngtiān <em>yòu</em> <strong>yào</strong>  kāi huì, zhēn fán rén.</span><span class="trans">We're having another meeting tomorrow. So annoying!</span>
* 你 <em>又</em> <strong>要</strong> 辞职 了 ? 为什么 ?  <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>yòu</em> yào cízhí le? wèishénme?</span><span class="trans">You're going to resign again? Why?</span>
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* 你 <em>又</em> <strong>要</strong> 辞职 了 ? 为什么 ?  <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>yòu</em> <strong>yào</strong>  cízhí le? wèishénme?</span><span class="trans">You're going to resign again? Why?</span>
* 夏天 快 到 了,<em>又</em> <strong>可以</strong> 吃 冰淇淋 了 ! <span class="pinyin">Xiàtiān kuài dào le, <em>yòu</em> kěyǐ chī bīngqílín le!</span><span class="trans">It's almost summer, and we can eat ice cream again!</span>
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* 夏天 快 到 了,<em>又</em> <strong>可以</strong> 吃 冰淇淋 了 ! <span class="pinyin">Xiàtiān kuài dào le, <em>yòu</em> <strong>kěyǐ</strong>  chī bīngqílín le!</span><span class="trans">It's almost summer, and we can eat ice cream again!</span>
* 明天 <em>又</em> <strong>是</strong> 星期一 !  <span class="pinyin">Míngtiān <em>yòu</em> shì xīngqīyī!</span><span class="trans">Tomorrow is Monday again.</span>
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* 明天 <em>又</em> <strong>是</strong> 星期一 !  <span class="pinyin">Míngtiān <em>yòu</em> <strong>shì</strong>  xīngqīyī!</span><span class="trans">Tomorrow is Monday again.</span>
* 如果 我 能 瘦 一些,我 就 <em>又</em> <strong>能</strong> 穿 我 最 喜欢 的 牛仔裤 啦 ! <span class="pinyin">Rúguǒ wǒ néng shòu yīxiē, wǒ jiù <em>yòu</em> néng chuān wǒ zuì xǐhuan de niúzǎikù la!</span><span class="trans">If I can slim down a bit, I can wear my favorite jeans again!</span>
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* 如果 我 能 瘦 一些,我 就 <em>又</em> <strong>能</strong> 穿 我 最 喜欢 的 牛仔裤 啦 ! <span class="pinyin">Rúguǒ wǒ néng shòu yīxiē, wǒ jiù <em>yòu</em> <strong>néng</strong>  chuān wǒ zuì xǐhuan de niúzǎikù la!</span><span class="trans">If I can slim down a bit, I can wear my favorite jeans again!</span>
 
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Revision as of 02:52, 18 July 2019

Both 再 (zài) and 又 (yòu) express the repeating of an action and can be roughly translated in English to "again." However, 再 is used to express actions that have not yet occurred (the "future again") and 又 is used for actions that have already occurred (the "past again"). They're not interchangeable.

再 is used to express repetition of an action in the future

再 is used to express something that has already happened and will happen again.

Structure

Subj. + 再 + Verb

Examples

  • 我们 下次 来 吧。Wǒmen xiàcì zài lái ba.We will come here again next time.
  • 我 想 看 一下。Wǒ xiǎng zài kàn yīxià.I want to take a look again.
  • 说 一 次。Qǐng zài shuō yī cì.Please say it one more time.
  • 说 一 次。Qǐng yòu shuō yī cì.Since it is asking about a future action, you can't use "又"

再 can be used to say "another"

Aside from expressing the repetition of an action, 再 can also be used to express the equivalent of the English word "another".

Structure

Subj. + 再 + Verb + Obj.

Note that the "Object" mentioned above is usually also going to have an 一 and a measure word in front of it. You'll see that in the examples below.

Examples

  • 我 要 看 一 部 电影。Wǒ yào zài kàn yī bù diànyǐng.I am going to watch another movie.
  • 我 得 写 一 篇 作文。Wǒ děi yòu xiě yī piān zuòwén.Since it is about the future, you can't use "又"
  • 你 可以 做 一 碗 面条 吗。Nǐ kěyǐ zài zuò yī wǎn miàntiáo ma?You can make another bowl of noodles.
  • 我 要 吃 一 块 蛋糕。Wǒ yào yòu chī yī kuài dàngāo.Since it is about the future, you can't use "又"

再 can be used to say "and then"

再 can be used with 先 to express sequential order. (ex. Do this....and then this....) In some cases, 再 can appear by itself to simply mean "and then." While this doesn't sound so easy to confuse with 又, it's actually quite common for intermediate learners to misunderstand this use of 再 as meaning "again," so it's definitely worth mentioning here.

Structure

Subj. + (先) + Action 1 + 再 + Action 2

Examples

  • 我们 做 作业 去 酒吧。Wǒmen xiān zuò zuòyè zài qù jiǔbā.First we'll do our work, then we'll go to the bar.
  • 买 房子 结婚。xiān mǎi fángzi zài jiéhūn.First I'll buy a house, then I'll get married.
  • 我们 吃 完 饭 看 电影。Wǒmen chī wán fàn zài kàn diànyǐng ba.After we buy a drink, then we'll go to a movie.
  • 我们 回家 讨论 好 吗?Wǒmen huíjiā zài tǎolùn, hǎo ma?We discuss it after we go home, OK?
  • 我 要 看 完 书 睡觉。Wǒ yào kàn wán shū yòu shuìjiào.'"又"can not be used as the action"go to bed" haven't occured yet.
  • 吃饭 打 电话 给 父母。xiān chīfàn yòu dǎ diànhuà gěi fùmǔ."又" does not sequence events.

又 is used to express repetition of an action that has already occurred in the past

又 is used in declarative sentences and describes the simple repetition of actions. This repeated action has already occurred once in the past.

Structure

Subj. + 又 + Verb + 了

Example

  • 你 怎么 给 我 打 电话 了,什么事?Nǐ zěnme yòu gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà le, shénme shì?You keep calling me, what's the matter?
  • 这 个 人 来 了。Zhège rén yòu lái le.This man is here again.
  • 不 来 上课 了,老师 可能 罚 他。yòu bù lái shàngkè le, lǎoshī kěnéng fá tā.He didn't come to class again. The teacher is probably going to punish him.
  • 你 为什么 看 这 本 书 了? 你 已经 看过 了。 Nǐ wèishénme yòu kàn zhè běn shū le? nǐ yǐjīng kàn guò le.Why are you reading that book again? You already read it.
  • 昨天 他 喝醉 了。 Zuótiān tā zài hēzuì le."再" is not used for past events.
  • 昨天 我 看 电影 了。 Zuótiān wǒ zài kàn diànyǐng le."再" is not used for past events.

又 adds emotional coloring to events recurring in the future

又 is sometimes used to express that something that has happened before is going to happen in the immediate future. In this case, it usually appears with 要 (yào), 可以 (kěyǐ), 能 (néng), or 是 (shì). This usage often expresses exasperation or impatience with something happening yet again, but sometimes it's more neutral, or even happy.

Structure

Subj. + 又 + 助动词 / 谓语动词 + Obj.

Example

  • 明天 开会,真 烦 人 。 Míngtiān yòu yào kāi huì, zhēn fán rén.We're having another meeting tomorrow. So annoying!
  • 辞职 了 ? 为什么 ? yòu yào cízhí le? wèishénme?You're going to resign again? Why?
  • 夏天 快 到 了, 可以 吃 冰淇淋 了 ! Xiàtiān kuài dào le, yòu kěyǐ chī bīngqílín le!It's almost summer, and we can eat ice cream again!
  • 明天 星期一 ! Míngtiān yòu shì xīngqīyī!Tomorrow is Monday again.
  • 如果 我 能 瘦 一些,我 就 穿 我 最 喜欢 的 牛仔裤 啦 ! Rúguǒ wǒ néng shòu yīxiē, wǒ jiù yòu néng chuān wǒ zuì xǐhuan de niúzǎikù la!If I can slim down a bit, I can wear my favorite jeans again!

Both 再 and 又 have other uses as well

The comparisons above are the cases where 又 and 再 are most easily confused. This wiki also has other uses of both, however:

See Also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites